There's something bittersweet about watching Paddington venture back to his Peruvian roots in this third installment. Like seeing an old friend move away from the neighborhood that made them who they are, "Paddington in Peru" trades the cosy charm of Windsor Gardens for jungle adventures, with results that are pleasant if not quite as magical as before.
Director Dougal Wilson, taking over from Paul King (who left to make "Wonka", a film I thoroughly enjoyed), handles the transition with warmth and style, even if he can't quite replicate the clockwork precision and anarchic wit of the previous films. The story follows our beloved bear as he travels to Peru with the Browns after receiving concerning news about Aunt Lucy. What follows is essentially "Paddington goes to El Dorado," complete with some delightful Werner Herzog references that'll fly over kids' heads while making cinema buffs smile.
The cast remains a joy - Hugh Bonneville is reliably goofy as Mr. Brown, Emily Mortimer steps into Sally Hawkins' shoes seamlessly as Mrs. Brown, and Olivia Colman makes the most of her role as a guitar-wielding nun with questionable intentions. Antonio Banderas brings a weathered charm to his riverboat captain, with plenty of scene-chewing between him and Colman.
While the film trades some of the series' signature comedy and London-based mishaps for more straightforward adventure beats, there's still plenty of heart to go around. The visual effects remain top-notch, especially in bringing Paddington himself to life, and the production design makes even the studio-bound jungle sequences feel appropriately lush. Yes, it occasionally feels like a holiday special that's wandered a bit too far from home, but Paddington's earnest charm and good manners remain intact and entertaining, even if the laugh-out-loud moments are fewer and farther between.
We might miss the intricate slapstick sequences (although I loved the 'Steamboat Bill, Jr' homage) and the distinctly British humor of the previous films, but there's still plenty to enjoy when our favorite bear explore his origins, even if the journey sometimes feels a bit too conventional.
While "Paddington in Peru" may not reach the heights of its predecessors, it's still a warm-hearted adventure that proves there's plenty of life left in this marmalade-loving bear yet.
