I wasn’t feeling very optimistic about “Paddington in Peru” when I first walked into the theater.
After not having watched a Paddington movie since “Paddington 2” released in 2017, I didn’t think the humor or storytelling would resonate with me as much when I went to see it with my family.
Fortunately, the marmalade-loving bear remains as endearing as ever.
Released on Feb. 14, and directed by Dougal Wilson, “Paddington in Peru” continues Paddington’s adventures from the previous two movies, where he is forced to leave his home in the Peruvian rainforest and is adopted by an English family, the Browns.
In his first film, Paddington escapes from a hunter who is after his pelt. In “Paddington 2,” he escapes prison after he’s framed for stealing a book and brings the real thief to justice. In the newest installment, Paddington returns to Peru to find his Aunt Lucy, who has supposedly gone missing. He and the Brown family navigate the Amazon to find her but are being hunted by a greedy explorer who hopes they will lead him to the lost gold of El Dorado.
I was worried that “Paddington in Peru” would appeal too heavily to children and leave little for older viewers to enjoy, but thankfully, this is not the case.
Of course, it’s still a family movie first and foremost. It has the kind of humor and plot development children can pay attention to and enjoy. However, it also explores some themes that can only resonate with adults and parents, such as Mrs. Brown having to cope with her children leaving home to go to college.
It’s refreshing to see the directors of movies like this recognize that families will watch them together and make an effort to give everybody something to relate to or a lesson to take away.
Some of the direction and cinematography choices did a great job of emulating the sense of whimsy and lightheartedness that you would find in a children’s book. Moments like when thought bubbles appear over characters’ heads or certain shots of Brown’s home that make it look like a dollhouse are used sparingly but capture a sense of childlike imagination. “Paddington in Peru” never takes itself too seriously, which I think works to its benefit. I’m glad that the cheery, warm feeling of the first two “Paddington” films is preserved even if the director of those movies, Paul King, isn’t involved this time around.
This extends to the characters, too. Their dialogue and actions help to support the lighthearted attitude of the film. With gags like a cutaway to Paddington thinking of a chicken restaurant in Britain named El Dorado after he learns about the lost gold, or when Mr. Brown poses while a spider is on his face, it’s easy to see that all the actors had a blast with their roles. I definitely understand if some people watch the movie and think that the humor made serious moments less impactful, but a movie that stars a talking British bear shouldn’t be expected to be very serious in the first place.
Although I enjoyed “Paddington in Peru,” there are definitely some things that hold it back. Sally Hawkins played Mrs. Brown in the first two movies, and her absence in this one is felt even if her replacement, Emily Mortimer, doesn’t necessarily do a bad job.
I also wish more time had been spent on some side characters to flesh them out. Each of the Browns has a particular challenge that they have to overcome: Mrs. Brown has to cope with her children leaving to go to college, Mr. Brown needs to learn to embrace risk-taking and be less uptight, the daughter Judy works through the stress of college applications and the son Johnathan learns to be more outgoing and apply himself.
While these characters are supposed to give everyone in the audience someone to relate to, I can’t help but feel like the movie just scratched the surface of what they could have done with these themes. I understand that Paddington is supposed to be the center of attention, but if just slightly more time were spent exploring these characters, maybe I wouldn’t have come away feeling a bit dissatisfied.
I would recommend “Paddington in Peru” to anyone who wants a charming movie to watch with loved ones. Viewers of all ages will be able to enjoy it, and although I think it’s the weakest of the “Paddington” trilogy, it was still absolutely worth my time to see it with my family.
