‘Paddington in Peru’ is a Beary Wholesome Adventure -

By Luis Zonenberg

With the original director Paul King exiting the franchise to make some chocolates with Wonka, a new creative team was brought in to steer Paddington in a new direction. With first-time filmmaker Dougal Wilson at the helm, I was curious to see how Paddington in Peru would hold up compared to its predecessors. While I cannot say this one was emotionally engaging as the first two, the film still was more heartwarming than I was expecting.

The story centers on the Brown family traveling to Peru to help Paddington (Ben Wishaw) uncover what’s wrong with his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton). At the home for Retired Bears, they hear from the Reverend Mother in charge (Olivia Colman) that Aunt Lucy has gone missing in search of the legendary El Dorado. Guided by the explorer Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), they encounter numerous threats as they search through the Amazon rainforest for Aunt Lucy.

The story is very well-paced, packed with several puns and Buster Keaton-style antics that will leave kids laughing. As usual with most Paddington outings, there is a clear focus on the family life and the emotional turmoil that lies with that. Especially since Paul King wasn’t the director this time, I was definitely impressed by how heartfelt the emotional moments were and how well it balanced with all the humor.

The acting is just as great as it was in the previous films, with Ben Wishaw stealing the scene with his naive yet ever so optimistic performance. Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas are wonderful additions to the usual cast, bringing a new sense of energy and fun whenever they popped up on screen. While Emily Mortimer’s performance cannot match the sweetness of Sally Hawkins’, she works well with the cast and has good chemistry with the ever-talented Hugh Bonneville.

The one thing I always admired were the great costumes and sets constructed for these films. The bright clothing and scenery help set the tone for the film, showing how lighthearted or serious each film would get. Paddington in Peru is no exception, with the bright colorful beauty of the Amazon and the tropical clothing the family wears that only gets more stained and beaten as the film goes on.

The VFX, while certainly cartoony at times, do work well with the tone they set for the story. Most of the backgrounds used for the landscape shots looked very clean and smoothed out, with the more practical sets blending in as well. The standout moments as usual are with the bears, with Paddington looking as sharp and resolute as ever; the animation for the bears have consistently improved with each new entry.

While it is hard to say this latest entry is as powerful as the film’s predecessors, it does boast plenty of humor and charm that is hard to push away. The heartfelt moments balance well with some fresh energy pulled from the additions to the cast. Packed with plenty of laughs and loads of heart, Paddington in Peru is just as charming as its predecessors and gets some new energy from a scene-stealing Olivia Colman.

Paddington in Peru is now playing in theaters.

Rating: ★★★★ ½