Given the astronomically high bar set by director Paul King and co-writer Simon Farnaby with 2017’s Paddington 2, the 7-year wait for Paddington in Peru only adds to the film’s overall anticipation and, due to both King and Farnaby sitting out their directorial and screenwriting duties, slight trepidation.
It goes without saying that very few things are as warm and as inviting as Paddington 2, and in comparison Paddington in Peru is already at something of a loss, but to be fair to director Dougal Wilson (a predominant music video director) and writers Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont they haven’t exactly delivered a poor family comedy in any nature. It just isn’t Paddington 2.
On its own merits though, Paddington in Peru is delightfully amusing, leaning into the series’ penchant for wholesome humour and safe, PG-rated action. Given its title, we know that the inherently good-natured bear (voiced, once again, by the supremely dear Ben Whishaw) will leave his comfortable London surroundings for the unpredictable nature of Peru, where he believes his beloved Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) is in a spot of bother, having left her Home for Retired Bears without so much as a word to her caretaker, The Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman, understandably having an absolute ball of a time), who has contacted Paddington and his human family, the Browns, to help.
With each individual Brown going through their own crisis – father Henry (Hugh Bonneville) is informed at work that he’s playing things entirely too safe and mother Mary (Emily Mortimer, replacing Sally Hawkins from the first two films) is trying to uphold a sense of family normalcy as she realises their two children are growing up at an exponential rate – it seems like the perfect time for them all to throw caution to the wind and join Paddington on his adventure. This, naturally, leads to a situationally comedic narrative through the Peruvian jungle, where the Browns meet the eccentric Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas, a riot!), who agrees to take them upstream in search of Aunt Lucy and, as we uncover, a treasure of sorts that gives way to many of the film’s amusing action sequences and multiple camp character reveals.
Given that director Wilson is making his feature debut with Paddington in Peru, many props deserve to be extended his way as he quite effortlessly captures the magic the previous two films exuded in spades. He also, wisely, doesn’t just rehash what has come before, which does come down a lot to the Peru setting. Though, on the flip side of that, Peru doesn’t make itself as much of a charming character as London did in Paddington and Paddington 2, with it feeling more of a mere background to the action, rather than an enveloping presence that services the outlandish plots these films so lovingly embrace.
Whilst Paddington in Peru doesn’t match its predecessor, by no means is it a penniless sequel. It loves its titular character and the goodness that he stands for, and Wilson extends a clear affection to the series that services Paddington’s past, present and future. Whishaw, as to be expected by this point, is so gorgeously tender in his delivery that even if he wasn’t supported by a serviceable story, he’d elevate any material above its simplicities, and, similar to the camp delights of both Nicole Kidman in the original and Hugh Grant in the sequel, Colman and Banderas are splendidly disruptive in their roles; Colman even gets a catchy musical number that you’d be hard pressed not to be bewitched by.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Paddington in Peru is screening in Australian theatres from New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2025.
