'Paddington In Peru' Goes a Little Off Course, But Still Worth the Trip

The calendar gods (and Sony Pictures) have given us all the greatest gift of 2025 — the third cinematic adventure of Paddington Bear. Paddington in Peru is the very much needed and appreciated next chapter about the life and times of this very kind bear with a marmalade sandwich habit. This installment picks up a few years after the events of Paddington 2, with Paddington (voiced by the pitch-perfect Ben Whishaw)  still living in the loft of his adopted family, The Browns, in London. 

Well-settled into his new life, he’s even recently received his official United Kingdom passport. That fortuitously dovetails with a letter from the Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman), who runs the Home for Retired Bears in Peru, where his beloved Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) resides. The letter informs Paddington and the Browns that Lucy seems depressed and withdrawn and keeps asking for Paddington. Deeply concerned, Paddington’s whole family agrees to take a family vacation to South America to figure out what’s wrong, and boy, do they get into all kinds of shenanigans. 

While retaining the comedic and heartfelt tone of the first two films, Paddington in Peru broadens out the scope and scale of the franchise by leaving London and exploring the mystery and dangers of Paddington’s home of origin. While the locale change slightly impacts the vibe and charm of what makes these films such delightfully British-centric stories, there is a real purpose to the globe-trotting that reinforces Paddington’s ongoing understanding of the importance of chosen and found family. 

If you’re not aware, there has been some creative furniture swapping since the massive success of 2017’s Paddington 2. Paul King (The Mighty Boosh), the writer/director of the first two films, only developed this story and then left the franchise to play with Oompa Loompas and Timothée Chalamet in Wonka (2023). He handed over the screenwriting duties, and the directing responsibilities were given to noted music video director Dougal Wilson. 

Also, there’s a cast change with the matriarch role of Mary Brown (established by Sally Hawkins) being transferred into the able hands of Emily Mortimer. While she’s very sweet in the role, Mortimer doesn’t quite capture Hawkins’ eccentric, artsy warmth embodied in the murals and interior design that underscores the magical feel of the Brown family.

As for the human family around Paddington, they’re all back, and the kids are now startlingly grown. Judy Brown (Madeleine Harris) is on the cusp of entering college as a future reporter. Jonathan Brown (Samuel Joslin) is a typical teen boy, huddled in his dark bedroom surrounded by his inventions that allow him to game and snack more efficiently. Sadly, the script doesn’t make much space for either actor when it comes to dialogue, to the point where it feels purposeful. Both characters are present throughout the film, but they barely speak, which is unfortunate because they were so wonderful in the prior films when they had emotional scenes with Paddington.

As for the adults, Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) is desperate for a promotion from his new boss (Hayley Atwell, employing her funniest flat American accent), who wants him to earn it by “embracing the risk” in life. Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) is still tinkering about the house. And Mrs. Brown (Mortimer) is feeling the isolation and sadness of their disconnected independence which is why she’s the biggest advocate for their trip to Peru. 

Paddington in Peru really takes off the moment that Coleman’s kooky Reverend Mother grabs a guitar — a la Maria (Julie Andrews) in The Sound of Music — to sing the jaunty travel montage diddy, “Let’s Prepare for Paddington.” Coleman has clearly studied the fabulously unhinged performances of Nicole Kidman as Millicent Clyde and Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan in the prior films, and then said, “Hold my pint.” Throughout, Coleman is a master at accenting even the most mundane lines with a slightly batty delivery, and the film flourishes for it. 

Suffice it to say, when the visitors arrive in Peru, they discover that Aunt Lucy has disappeared. Paddington and the Browns immediately go into rescue mode as they dive into the jungle, paws first, securing the help of Peruvian tour boat captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (Carla Tous). Together, they chug towards all kinds of physical threats and broad comedy as they pull apart the threads of an unraveling mystery involving an ancient tribe of Peruvian bears and the lost gold of El Dorado. 

Director Wilson wisely leans into Paddington’s prowess with physical comedy in plenty of jungle hijinx scenes, and visual effects company Framestore makes those moments very believable. Their team of animators continues to improve their emotive abilities and fur animation to the point where you can almost forget that Paddington is entirely a computer-animated character. The mix of their work and Whishaw’s outstanding vocal performance ensures Paddington remains a benchmark of incredible CG character creation.

In the latter half, the film does get a little bloated with too many action set pieces, to the point where it almost gets too far afield from what a Paddington film feels like. However, Wilson gets focused once more and masterfully pays off the many story threads into a poignant series of emotional reveals that elicit those welcome tears that make these films so cathartic and special. In a world that desperately needs the message of kindness and compassion inherent to these films, Paddington in Peru rises to the challenge and finally makes its way there. Let’s hope there are more chapters to come.* 

(*Also, stay to the very end of the credits for a little extra joy.)

Paddington in Peru debuts in U.S. theaters on Friday, February 14, 2025. A fourth movie is already in development.