29/35
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now lives at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, has decided not to direct this installment. However, he pitched the idea for this third film and was involved as an executive producer.. Featured on The Graham Norton Show: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). With "Paddington" now happily furnished with “Brown”; family and full of his own British passport, all is going well until he receives a letter from faraway Peru. Mother Superior of the bear nursing home (Olivia Colman) is concerned that “Aunt Lucy”; loses the plot a bit. Aware that she is gradually moving away, mother "Mary" (Emily Mortimer) decides that what they all need is the excitement of a trip – so they head into the jungle. There they meet “Capt. Cabot " (Antonio Banderas) who runs a local riverboat with his daughter "Gina" (Cala Tous) and who agrees to take them on a cruise. They arrive at their destination only to find that the elderly bear has disappeared and soon find themselves in the middle of some nefarious machinations that could lead them on a perilous journey to the famous El Dorado. The thing is, of course, with a legendary treasure to find, "Paddington" he’s not sure who he can trust as the trail takes him deeper and deeper into the wilderness! This is a fun adventure, but it’s a bit slow, the humor isn’t that plentiful and the plot is a bit derivative, not enough bear and too much ‘Jungle Cruise’; (2021) meets “Sound of Music”; (1965) to it. I thought Banderas and Colman got a little bit of everything, and it also wasn’t quite the comfort of family-driven escapades, with much less chance for Ms. Julie Walters to be actively involved. The narrative is just a little disjointed without the charm of the two previous cinematic outings for Michael Bond’s character. It’s still a watchable and enjoyable family film, but I’m not sure I’ll remember it for long. Stick around for the credits – there’s a nice little cameo from you know who.