20/27
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives in the Bear Retirement Home. With the Brown family in tow, an exciting adventure begins when a secret takes them on an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this part. However, he came up with the idea for this third film and was involved as an executive producer. Seen on The Graham Norton Show: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). If you’re like me and think the first two Paddington movies are among the best of all time, you’ll find this movie both entertaining and disappointing. Since it’s not about how Paddington adjusts to life with a family in London, or how a normal family adjusts to life with a bear, the film loses its original charm, and certainly its humor. This is just another jungle adventure movie…but with a bear. It has a different vibe – more sentimental and noticeably less witty. While the first two were hilarious to a decrepit Marx Brothers fan like myself, this one is definitely more of a family film, clearly aimed at kids. I could say we need more Browns and their neighbors… I could also say we need Sally Hawkins, but what’s the point? We had all of that in the first two and as they were…dare I say perfect, there would be no point in trying to copy them. So yes, this one is different, it’s horribly over-sentimental at times and not nearly as funny, but it’s still Paddington. Routine family fun instead of hilarious, whimsical cuteness.