The third installment in the “Paddington” series, “Paddington in Peru,” was released in the U.S. on Feb. 14 after being released on Nov. 8, 2024, in the U.K. The movie was filmed in Columbia, Peru, and briefly in London. StudioCanal, the company that filmed the series, is a European company, which led to its earlier release in the U.K. After seeing the movie in theaters, “Paddington in Peru” is a great film for young children but may not be as enjoyable for older moviegoers.
Directed by Dougal Wilson and starring Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, this movie was fun-loving and adventurous, qualities that young children often enjoy. The title is a dead giveaway for the plot, which could have been understood with or without seeing the previous movies. The plot was well-developed and exciting, providing quality entertainment to those who appreciated the valiant story as Paddington races to rescue Aunt Lucy.
After a letter from a nun at the Home for Retired Bears, Paddington and the family he lives with decide to go on an impromptu vacation from London to Paddington’s original homeland of Peru to visit his aunt Lucy. After Paddington discovers his aunt is missing upon his arrival, he is sent on a whirlwind mystery adventure through the Amazon Rainforest.
Unfortunately, some have noted that the movie did not live up to its predecessors. It continued on the theme of a caring, polite bear who came to London in need of a family. Once again, these aspects are easily enjoyable for young kids, but “Paddington in Peru” may not have expanded as much on the deeper meanings that some adults had noticed in the previous movies. Tessa Swehla, associate editor of Moviejawn, explained that the first two movies displayed Paddington as an example for immigrants in the U.K. amidst Brexit.
“The problem is that the premise of “Paddington in Peru” simply can’t–or won’t–operate on [the level of “Paddington” or “Paddington 2”], which leads to both the diminishment of the character and the metaphorical possibilities,” Swehla said.
Older viewers may have noticed that Emily Mortimer replaced Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown in the latest installment of the movie series. Hawkins felt it was the right time to step away from the role and pass it onto another actress, Tommy Lethbridge said on IMDb.
Aside from the replacement of Hawkins in the film, the general acting seemed juvenile. The acting almost seemed overdramatic, something that was not previously seen in the first two series installments. This may have led some to feel that it was more unrealistic, although it is a story about a talking British bear. However, this does not take away much from the quality of the film because it is mostly intended for young children, although adults may not appreciate it as much.
As previously mentioned, the film is family-friendly and clean, receiving an overall score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, but a rating of only 6.7 out of 10 on IMDb. Rotten Tomatoes bases the score on reviews that give the film a rating of 60% or higher, so the true rating of the movie is mostly likely lower than expected. However, this is most likely due to the number of adults who reviewed a movie that was targeted towards children.
“Paddington in Peru” is a wonderful movie for children of all ages. While less entertaining for adults, the overall ratings give way to assume that the film was at least tolerable. A sweet story about a polite bear living in London who races to rescue his aunt, this film may lead one to feel that they are included in the spur-of-the-moment adventure in the Amazon jungle of Peru.
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