45/28
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives in a retirement bear house. Accompanying the Brown family, an exciting adventure takes place when a mystery takes them on an unexpected journey. Paul King, the director of the two previous films, has decided not to direct this part. However, he pitched the idea for this third film and was involved as an executive producer. The Graham Norton Show Starring: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrel Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). 'Paddington Peru (2024)' not as good as ‘Paddington 2 (2017)’, but not as big of a step down as some early reactions led me to believe. For the most part, this remains an entertaining and delightfully polite experience that’s as enjoyable as it is brisk. While the standard adventure narrative is less idiosyncratic than the vignette approach of the first two pictures, it still works well enough in this context and allows its lovable characters to continue to charm even when the classic sequel is made. outside of its natural habitat to explore the protagonist’s as-yet-unknown origins. There are many funny moments and the film is good-natured from the first frame. It’s a really nice movie, and sometimes all it lacks compared to its predecessors is a strong emotional core. While some of its moments are moving, the piece isn’t particularly heavy and won’t work on your tear ducts. Also, some of its feats are pretty superficial and, as my brother pointed out, almost seem like obligatory afterthoughts. The narrative is generally quite conventional and follows a certain formula almost to the end. It’s pretty predictable and feels relatively generic, almost like it was a modernized Paddington after its basic beats were already penciled in. Despite some issues, this feature is still more than enough to like. Its attractive cast is as strong as ever, with some delightful newcomers (Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman) happily chewing the scenery whenever necessary. The special effects are consistently good, perhaps bringing the eponymous bear to life in such a way that it’s strange to think that he’s never actually in the same place as the other characters. When he doesn’t appear naturally on the red carpet, it feels like someone is missing. The film is light and flexible; it really flies by and is usually a lot of fun. It’s full of marmalade, both visual and dialogue, and cutscenes that sweep you off your feet. This is a really good time. All in all, this is a very respectable addition to the series that is well made and enjoyable. It’s a shame that it follows ‘Paddington 2 (2017)’ as there’s an argument to be made for the best – or at least the most universally appealing – picture of all time, because this really is a great family film. If you’re expecting the best movie of all time (again) or even the second best movie of all time, you’re bound to be disappointed. Still, it’s a solid piece of work that’s charming and entertaining in almost every scene. This is much better than many similar prices. If you don’t expect a miracle, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.