Paddington Bear, beloved among both United Kingdom audiences and fans worldwide, has finally returned to his home country of Peru in the latest installment of the Paddington film series Paddington in Peru.
It was initially released on Nov. 8, 2024, in the UK and Ireland but would not be released in the United States until Feb. 14.
When I first heard this news a few months ago, I was distraught. I grew up watching the Paddington films, entranced by Paddington’s whimsical adventures through London and belly-laughing whenever he got into one of his signature mishaps in daily life. The bear, complete with his tweed coat, red hat, and marmalade sandwich, has always been a comfort character of mine.
Paddington in Peru was initially set to be released in the U.S. on Jan. 17 but was delayed until Feb. 14, otherwise known as Valentine’s Day Weekend. Being an impatient person, I was angry I had to wait longer to see my favorite bear on the big screen once again. Fortunately, my local theater had an early screening on Feb. 8.
Of course, I had to take the early advantage.
The film’s plot centers on Paddington and his family, the Browns, living in London when they receive the unfortunate news that Paddington’s Aunt Lucy is unwell at the Home for Retired Bears in Peru. Paddington—determined to comfort her—travels to Peru with the Browns. There, they are thrust into an eternal mystery surrounding the Incan history of Peru, forcing them into the Amazon Rainforest and up into the mountains.
The movie began right as I expected it to—with an update on what Paddington and the Browns have been up to since Paddington 2, released in 2017. The family’s activities followed a familiar format with their passions: writing for Judy, inventing for Jonathan, and painting for Mrs. Brown.
However, the movie included its share of changes. The first surprise of the movie was the change in actresses for Mrs. Brown. In the first two Paddington films, Mrs. Brown was portrayed by Sally Hawkins, but in this feature, she was played by Emily Mortimer. As the storyline progresses, Mortimer does an excellent job of maintaining the warmth and love that Paddington fans know Mrs. Brown exudes, but the charm that Hawkins brings to the role is definitely missed. However, Mortimer had great chemistry with the rest of the actors, Paddington especially.
Another addition to the cast was Olivia Colman, acting as the Reverend Mother at the Home for Retired Bears. Known for more dramatic roles, such as in the successful TV show The Bear, I was not expecting Colman to pick up this role as beautifully as she did. From singing The Sound of Music-style in the hills to piloting a run-down plane into Machu Picchu, Colman knocked the comedic flair of the Reverend out of the park.
Altogether, the comedic charm of the movie was lovely. I heartily laughed multiple times in the theater, as did the majority of the other spectators. The jokes were well-executed by the actors, matched perfectly with the scenes, and family-friendly yet still incredibly hilarious.
Even so, I felt the script lacked some of the classic Paddington charm I’ve come to know and love. Some moments and lines were extremely predictable and followed many classic movie clichés. For example, when put in a semi-dangerous situation, many women in film turn to their male counterparts and say in a distressed tone, “What are we going to do?”
Unfortunately, Mrs. Brown said this numerous times throughout the film, a detail that annoyed me as it happened. In real life, women are not that helpless, although the media loves to frame them that particular way. Additionally, a few of Paddington’s predicaments lacked originality, following the same structure of the previous two movies.
However, the ending still made my heart feel warm and fuzzy, as if I had been blessed by a hug from Paddington himself. Wholesome and earnest, the final sequences wonderfully wrapped up the spectacular events of the adventure—and included a few bonus cameos from past stars of the series.
Although I missed the appearance of Sally Hawkins, Paddington in Peru was a heartwarming movie full of well-delivered jokes and signature Paddington comfort. In my opinion, it was the weakest issue of the Paddington trilogy, but I laughed, almost cried, and smiled a great deal, so I enjoyed it nevertheless.
And, as always, I left the theater craving a marmalade sandwich.
