Olivia Colman plays a singing nun. I’m almost ready to say that’s all you need to know Paddington in Peru: Olivia Colman, a living English treasure, enlists Julie Andrews to lead a series of singing and dancing in an alpine meadow that tells us the hills are still very much alive. It’s no spoiler to say that her pastor mother proved to be less than perfect in the mortal sins department, at least those involving lying. That’s actually the best thing about it: The singing nun in the naughty corner.
Paddington, Peru is the third movie adaptation of Michael Bond’s famous children’s stories. That’s all well and good, actually, and not just Coleman’s homage to the von Trapp family. Directing duties passed from Paul King to Dougal Wilson, who may not have King’s Midas touch for physical comedy, but he kept the ship steady. The story elements, for example, are recognizable: We’re on another treasure hunt, with another charming villain and more slapstick scenes where Paddington is mistaken by the way everyday objects work. The only difference – an admittedly startling difference – is that we’re no longer in postcard London. We’re in the Andes, looking at Machu Picchu.
The adventure begins quickly. Paddington receives a letter from Peru telling him that his beloved Aunt Lucy has inexplicably disappeared from her cabin in the jungle at the retirement home for retired bears. Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville), who is heavily criticized at work for not taking enough risks, is convinced that the entire family must go to Peru to search for her, braving tarantulas, piranhas and other measurable dangers. With Mr. Brown in his new wardrobe and the holiday risk-taking, they’re sure to find her in no time.
He let the continents change PaddingtonThe production designers, this time headed by Andrew Kelly, double down on their stunning creativity. The Home for Retired Bears, run by musical nuns, resembles the gentlemen’s club on the island in the early Bond films: Think reed furniture, the melancholy whiff of empire and the slightly sinister air.
Then we’re all aboard Captain Cabot’s boat, a marvelous confection of brass fittings and polished wood, heading for the river. It turns out that Aunt Lucy has gone in search of the lost Inca treasure in El Dorado; Captain Cabot (Antonio Banderas), haunted by the greedy ghosts of his ancestors, is determined to conquer them.
The dramatic characters are comfortably familiar. As Paddington, Ben Whishaw’s slightly plaintive voice blends seamlessly with Pablo Grillo’s furry animation. Has the hero ever been more irresistibly adorable? Bonneville, as the ineffectually boastful Mr. Brown, always gives the impression of having a whale of a time. The Brown children (Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin) are 10 years older than they were at the beginning, but they’re still reassured; the perverted Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) continues to attack misbehaving electricians with a giant wrench.
The other characters are new, but we immediately see where they fit. Banderas essentially serves the same purpose as Hugh Grant Paddington 2: It’s over the top and it doesn’t get any better. In fact, the established Paddington archetype is so strong, we barely notice that Mrs. Brown is now played by Emily Mortimer instead of Sally Hawkins. Mortimer is stunted and mummified while Hawkins was fickle and reckless, but she enters so well – or perhaps the slot itself is so well designed – that it seems like she was always there.
On the other hand, the new story (written by Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton) takes us into new territory. We all know that Paddington Bear arrived as an immigrant with no papers, except for a sticker that says “Please look after this bear”, and was adopted and protected by the Brown family. This movie begins with the arrival of his new British passport, making him a citizen at last. However, even on that happy day, he feels the weight of another home when he looks at the Inca sculpture in the antique shop owned by Mr. Gruber (Jim Broadbent). The cloud of the past becomes overwhelming in the Peruvian jungle, and Paddington is able to trace his roots for the first time.
A torn bear, a divided self; it is the immigrant experience, conveyed without condescension but in a way that even very young children can understand. And at the end of the mission, he faces a dilemma – where does he belong? – even as Brown reaffirms their love for him. I admit I cried a little.
It doesn’t matter if this movie is too much like the last one, which was warmed up. In fact, that’s exactly what you want: The third time around, the story of a little bear welcomed by strangers remains magical. And if you’re looking for modernity, there’s Olivia Colman, running around on top of a mountain dressed as a nun. You know you want to see that.
Title: Paddington, Peru
Distributor: Studiocanal/Sony
Release date: November 8, 2024 (UK)/January 17, 2025 (US)
Director: Dougal Wilson
The book: Mark Burton, John Foster, James Lamont, Paul King, Simon Farnaby
Ejaculate: Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Carla Toss, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas and Ben Whishaw.
Rating: r
Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes