Swapping London for deepest, darkest Peru, the third Paddington film reunites audiences with the loveable bear in an enjoyable enough outing that sadly fails to live up to the success of the second film.
Paddington in Peru follows the titular bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, and the Brown family as they travel to Peru in hopes of cheering up Aunt Lucy. But on their arrival, she is missing and the Browns venture into the Amazon to find her, becoming wrapped up in an Indiana Jones style adventure to find El Dorado.
Returning to the franchise after a seven year break always meant that the film was going to have to work extra hard to capture the charm that made the first two films so beloved.
Unfortunately, with the three major changes – director, setting and Mrs Brown – Paddington 3 misses the mark.
Though Emily Mortimer had great chemistry with the rest of the Brown family, the absence of Sally Hawkins and director Paul King can be keenly felt.
Moving the film from familiar London to the dangerous Peruvian jungle to increase the stakes and action sequences leaves audiences feeling as out-of-place as Paddington when he first arrived in London.
Part of the charm of the previous films is how Paddington interacts with the London background characters and a quintessential British humour which is lost amid a background of towering trees.
New additions to the cast, Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas, slot right into the whimsical world of talking bears.
Although the antagonists and plot twists are predictable, audiences will tear up at the conclusion of the third film.
The film is an enjoyable family friendly romp into the jungle but with such big boots to fill, director Douglas Wilson truly did his best to replicate some of the magic that Paddington Brown brings to our screens
Ultimately, the ending of Paddington in Peru would be a fitting conclusion for the trilogy, if they hadn’t already announced a fourth film to celebrate the character’s 70th anniversary.
Rating: 4/5
Featured Image: Studiocanal
