By After “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” snagged the hearts of many with the charming and pure-hearted bear, the third installment of the trilogy had many heights to live up to.
“Paddington in Peru” is another heartwarming addition to the franchise, fully showcasing Paddington’s allegory of being an immigrant and putting his kindness before anything.
The new film follows Paddington learning that his Aunt Lucy has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears in his birthplace, Peru. Paddington and the Brown family embark on an adventure to find Aunty Lucy and come across a desperate search of the hidden city of El Dorado.
After seeing Paul King no longer at the helm of directing and writing the third installment, it was reasonable to be skeptical whether the movie would hold up with a new crew behind the scenes.
Despite this, the new film uses new tricks to keep the franchise afloat. It introduces immersive imaginary sequences that bring the series back to its roots of a children’s book. This technique had not been toyed with before in its predecessors.
“Paddington in Peru” is at its strongest when it focuses its story on rekindling familial relationships and finding a sense of belonging. That gets brought down every time another exposition dump is delivered on a piece of treasure-hunting lore that adds no substance.
Even with referencing the iconic boulder scene from the “Indiana Jones” series, the adventure side plot tries to imitate “Raiders of the Lost Ark” but comes across instead as “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
What pulls everyone to watch this fuzzy loving bear is Paddington’s unrelentness optimism and open heart that never shies away from seeing the good in everything. It’s certainly what made “Paddington 2” a beautiful film in its love for humanity in every corner of the world.
The third film does not step down from that, acknowledging that Paddington is a refugee who migrated from a natural disaster in Peru to London in search of a home and a caring family. Paddington attempts to balance his two identities of being a U.K. and Peruvian citizen.
He reminds us all that acceptance and forgiveness remain key to being compassionate to all.
Though it does not live up to “Paddington 2,” the third film is certaintly worth watching for more awe-struck moments including a singing Olivia Colman nun and Paddington’s everlasting tenderness.
