Paddington in Peru  (U) |Close-Up Film Review

Paddington in Peru sees the enduringly endearing bear return to Peru with the Brown family in tow to see his beloved Aunt Lucy, only to discover that she has disappeared on a mysterious quest into the jungle.

Paddington follows her – of course – resulting in a series of adventures only our hapless bear could have.

Paddington 2 was widely acknowledged as a delightful and uplifting film that nonetheless could reduce the most cynical film fan to tears. Anything that follows will have a tough time replicating that magic.  Does Paddington in Peru manage it? Not quite. Is it an enjoyable and easy to watch ursine caper though? Absolutely.

One of the most enjoyable things about the Paddington films is the bear’s enduring optimism, his belief in the essential goodness of people, something that Ben Wishaw’s vocal performance and an army of gifted VFX artists deliver in abundance. One of the of the other delights is the absolute commitment of the series regulars like Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, and Jim Broadbent. Emily Mortimer, who takes over the role of Mrs Brown, is equally committed.  

Antonio Banderas joins the cast as Hunter Cabot, the handsome, debonair riverboat captain who arrives at the exact right moment. Whilst outwardly a master of his profession, he is a man haunted by his past.  Banderas has made a career out of playing a handsome men haunted by the past but brings new meaning to it in this film. That being said, no one tops Olivia Coleman’s Mother Superior.  Like The Sound of Music’s Maria, turned up to eleven, her cheeriness verges on the manic. Coleman clearly understood the brief and is a delight.

One of the things the series does so well is set pieces that start with a seemingly innocent action, and rapidly escalate. As you would expect, those set pieces are present and correct, and as funny as ever.

Having used a three year old as kind of film litmus paper for this film, you can be confident that it will be as engaging for the youngest audience members as it is for everyone else.

In short this is a great entry to the franchise, and a timely reminder that world would be a little nicer if we all remembered our manners