He may be a fluffy animal with a charming disposition, but Paddington Bear is one of the most powerful icons in British literature. The success of the Paddington children’s series may only be comparable to that of Harry Potter, as the books have become synonymous with the image that London seeks to impress upon the world. Theoretically, if a kind-hearted anthropomorphic bear could travel to a busy station and find a new family and home, then London’s as magical as its tourist advertisements claim that it is. Even if Paddington merchandise has been colossal, it hasn’t detracted from the perception that the series and character are the epitome of kindness, dignity, and other themes that are essential for children to learn.
Although the character has existed since 1958, Paddington didn’t make his first cinematic appearance until a 2014 film from director Paul King. The odds were stacked against Paddington; live-action family films had steadily declined in favor of fully-animated features, and the “creepy” aesthetics of CGI characters have often been brutalized by cynical internet critics. Paddington was a modest hit that generated enough enthusiasm to inspire a sequel that was met with even more acclaim.
Perhaps it was the fact that it debuted in a post-Trump, post-Brexit world in which kindness felt like a commodity, but Paddington 2 was instantaneously hailed as a classic that appealed to multiple generations of viewers. Although King orchestrated sequences of slapstick comedy reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin, the emotional storyline focused on the titular bear (voiced brilliantly by Ben Whishaw) and his love for his “human” family, the Browns, was played completely straight. The advances in computer-generated-imagery made it plausible that an animated bear could interact with Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville without seeming unusual, as King’s eye for visual gags and colorful backdrops suggested that he was England’s answer to Wes Anderson.
It’s possible to see Paddington’s love for British culture as a parallel to the immigrant experience, but the film’s greatest strength was its lack of cynicism. Paddington suffers some indignities throughout his adventure, as he faces off with a dastardly actor-turned-thief played by Hugh Grant; however, even that’s capped off with a charming dance number. The fact that Paddington 2 crossed over put pressure on the third installment, Paddington in Peru. Despite its retention of most of the same creatives, Paddington in Peru lost King, who’d dedicated his time to the smash hit musical Wonka.
Paddington in Peru isn’t as good as its predecessors because its ambitions are far lower; given how dramatically the world’s changed in the time since its predecessor was released, the concept of a friendly character who could bring out the best in people seemed more fantastical than the notion of a talking bear. It’s to the credit of Paddington in Peru that it opted to take a different direction that’s closer in line with “treasure hunter” adventure classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark or Romancing the Stone. After learning that his Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) has gone missing from her Peruvian retirement community, Paddington’s set on a reunion. Once the Browns are roped into the adventure, they form a tense alliance with Antonio Banderas’ Hunter Cabot, an adventurer who’s masked his obsession with the mysterious lost City of El Dorado and its treasure.
If the first two Paddington films were focused on the character’s unconscious ability to inspire everyone he interacted with, Paddington in Peru is an examination of his will. Paddington’s search for Lucy isn’t just a family reunion, but part of an obligation he’s felt to take care of the loving guardian who raised him. This theme of familial loyalty is extended to the Browns, who agree to travel to the middle of a jungle after they recognize that Paddington would do the same for them. However, true compassion also means letting go; as Mrs. Brown (Emily Mortimer) watches her daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris) prepare for college and her son Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) begin his career; she's also forced to question if Paddington will opt to stay among the community of bears in Peru.
Despite the riverboat chases, crashed airplane, and betrayal by a deceitful nun, the stakes are less dire in Paddington in Peru than either of its predecessors. The characters’ livelihoods are never in serious danger. The Browns only operate as a unit, with more individualistic moments that appear to open and close the film. Nonetheless, director Dougal Wilson hasn’t allotted any time for filler, as even transitional moments are larded with whimsical gags. Banderas is in flashbacks that feature him as multiple characters, and Olivia Colman gets a musical number that’s better than the entirety of Wicked and Emilia Pérez combined.
Paddington in Peru is also aware of what fans of the franchise seek. It has a clownish scene of physical comedy as an effective opening scene, even if its importance to the narrative is tangential. Familiar characters have cameos, and while the ending doesn’t offer an emotional inflection point on the level of Paddington 2, it's still as wholesome as one could expect from the third installment in a family-oriented franchise. It’s a shame there aren’t a dozen Paddington films.