10/48
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who is now residing at the Bear retirement home. With the Brown family by his side, an exciting adventure ensues as the mystery takes them on an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this installment. However, it was he who came up with the idea for this third film and was brought on board as an executive producer. The Graham Norton Show stars: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). ‘Paddington in Peru (2024)’ is not as good as ‘Paddington 2 (2017)’, but it’s not as big a step back as some early reactions led me to believe. For the most part, it’s still a fun and pleasantly polished experience that’s as enjoyable as it is fast-paced. While the more standard adventure story is less outlandish than the vignette approach of the first two pictures, it still works well enough in this context, allowing its lovable characters to continue to charm even when subjected to a conventional sequel. taken out of their natural environment to explore the main character’s as-yet-unknown origins. There are plenty of funny moments, and the film is good-natured from the first frame. It’s a very good film, and sometimes that’s all it needs. What it lacks compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. While a handful of its moments are touching, the piece isn’t particularly moving and won’t make you cry. Additionally, some of its character work is quite superficial, and as my brother pointed out, it almost feels like an obligatory afterthought. The storytelling is generally quite formulaic, following a precise pattern almost to the end. It’s pretty predictable and feels pretty generic, almost as if it was retrofitted for Paddington after the basic beats had already been written. Despite a few issues, this feature is still more than adequate. Its adorable cast is still going strong, with terrific newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) happily chewing up the scenery whenever necessary. The special effects are still good, and bring the eponymous bear to life in such a way that it’s strange to think he’s never really in the same space as the other characters. When she’s not naturally appearing on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and bouncy; it really flies and is generally a lot of fun. It’s full of jams and gags, both visual and dialogue-based, and slapstick scenes that will have you falling off your feet. It’s a genuinely good time. Ultimately, it’s a perfectly decent addition to its series, well-crafted and entertaining. It’s unfortunate that “Paddington 2 (2017)” follows, because there’s a debate to be had about which is the best – or at least the most universally appealing – picture of all time, because it really is a great family film. If you’re expecting (again) the best movie of all time, or even the second best movie of all time, you’re obviously going to be disappointed. But it’s a rock-solid effort, charming and entertaining in almost every scene. It’s far better than many similar fare. If you’re not expecting a miracle, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.