Paddington in Peru

For a time, Paddington 2 was the highest-rated movie of all-time. One negative review knocked it down a peg, tying it to a little-known picture called Citizen Kane. Still, the legacy is there, and Paul King had a Herculean task ahead of him in making Paddington in Peru. More than six years since the last film, we've gathered the Brown family once more (with a different mum this time around) and have returned to Paddington's world where positivity, politeness, and good-hearted antics reign supreme.

Rather than show Paddington as a fish out of water in London once more, we instead take a trip to South America, as the bear searches for his beloved Aunt Lucy in Peru, a place he once called home. The Brown family of course join in on this journey, as do newcomers Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas. The general plot is simple and predictable, but it does feature a pair of brilliant performances from Colman and Banderas. The former plays the Reverend Mother at the home for retired bears, who is practically winking to the camera in every scene, letting you know who she is and what she's up to while maintaining such a comedic façade you can't help but buy into it. She's really thrown herself into this film, making it more of a stage play at times, her charisma surging through the screen, easily calming the concerns I had during the early stages of the film.

Banderas also does his part in making this the funniest Paddington movie. As a boat captain with a complicated family history, he's often haunted by the ghosts of his ancestors, all of whom he plays in a similar call-back to Phoenix Buchanan's multiple personalities from the stage. Both Colman and Banderas serve as great comedic relief throughout the film, meaning we don't have to just rely on Paddington's antics and buffoonery, though there's plenty of that, too.

Our returning cast has slotted right back into their performances, especially Ben Whishaw, the voice of Paddington himself. Once more, Whishaw is able to bring a child-like innocence as well as a wise understanding to the marmalade-loving bear. It's a tough balance, making the character feel endearing, loveable, and silly all at once, but Whishaw makes it look easy. The VFX artists have once more done a phenomenal job with Paddington, as the bear remains one of the best CGI characters we've seen, and is up there with the likes of Davy Jones from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Elsewhere, the visual effects are similarly impressive, although the lighting in Paddington in Peru does feel a bit overly exposed at times, more akin to an advert for the country than a film set within it. Even so, it's not intently distracting, and Paddington in Peru remains as much of a visual treat as the other films, just without the scenery of London. Sad news for the Anglophiles out there.

As you'd expect from a Paddington movie, there are some heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments scattered throughout. Mostly, these exist towards the end and are served best when centred around Paddington himself. As we'll get into, the arc revolving around Mrs Brown wanting to get her family back to the good old days doesn't really work, and so it's up to those big brown eyes to carry the emotional weight of the movie. Luckily, this is done just fine, but unlike in Paddington or its sequel, you don't feel that there's the same weight in Paddington in Peru. In the earlier movies, it felt as if Paddington was making the world a better place, one hard stare at a time, whereas in this film, as he's on a more personal quest, all that matters is finding Aunt Lucy. Yes, some folk are helped along the way, but mainly the audience is hoping Paddington succeeds for this film, whereas in the past the roles almost felt reversed, as if that little bear hoped the best for anyone and everyone, with that warmth spreading to you long after the credits rolled.

As I alluded to above, some of the plot's problems stem from this new casting of Mrs Brown. Don't get me wrong, I adore Emily Mortimer and think she did an excellent job with what she was given, the problem is that what she was given doesn't feel very compelling. As the kids have grown up since the last Paddington movie, Mrs Brown reminisces about all the time they used to spend together on the sofa. Except, anyone with eyes can see this is not the same Mrs Brown. Sally Hawkins knew those kids that well, Emily Mortimer does not. It adds this fake feeling to the emotional core of the Brown family, as it's very hard to see past the fact that Emily Mortimer simply wasn't there for the events she claims to have been present at. There's even a moment when she's crying, remembering the time she first met Paddington, which just feels very surreal considering once again, different actress. They can't even reuse shots from the old movies for that flashback, as yet again, Mortimer. Wasn't. There. It's quite baffling at times, and ends up being so distracting it's hard to throw yourself wholeheartedly into the fiction. What doesn't help is that the arcs of the rest of the Browns are pretty non-existent, with Mr Brown once more having to do something extreme despite being a very reserved person. They try and freshen it up with Hailey Atwell wielding an American accent, but otherwise it feels almost identical to Paddington 2's Mr Brown subplot, without the deeply satisfying ending.

Paddington in Peru is certainly the worst of the Paddington films, but it's quite a flex for this trilogy that the least-impressive entry is still a largely great movie. I won't be in such a rush to rewatch it as I am Paddington 2, but this adventure in Peru is still a heart-warming way to spend an evening or afternoon, with plenty of comedic moments and a cast bolstered by two heavyweight newcomers.