Paddington in Peru

It’s this unembellished emotional simplicity that makes the continued tales of Paddington so wonderful. It is also what makes them essential.

It’s less a sequel than a spin-off, but that gives it more freedom to just be a silly good time.

Dougal Wilson is not the problem. Rather it is the disastrous screenplay by three people who should know better.

Paddington in Peru is a satisfying sequel, delivering what fans would hope for in terms of laughs, action, whimsy, and — well — hope.

As did King before him, Wilson revels in whimsy without drowning in it, and he finds the franchise’s sweet spot of cleverness, poignancy, elaborate physical comedy, witty wordplay, goofy musicality, and just the right amount of sentiment.

The innate sweetness of the series carries it past figurative and literal rapids and into shenanigans involving bear carvings, a bear temple in the mountains, and a secret bear community.

If you were a fan of the first two movies, then there's a very good chance that you'll also be charmed by this third entry, which is just as amusing, entertaining, and engaging as what we've gotten before.

...[Paddington in Peru is] a family-friendly jungle adventure that places Paddington and the Browns in the middle of an unexpected quest. Unfortunately, the film lacks momentum for most of its runtime, with the screenplay offering few exciting moments.

Paddington in Peru isn’t the cinematic masterpiece the first two original films were, but it’s still an undeniable delight and proof that we should have at least ten of these films to follow our beloved bear through each of his endeavors.

Colman is even more amusing as the retired bears’ caretaker. She’s infallibly cheery even when what she is saying contradicts her positivity, making the Reverend Mother one of the film’s highlights.