Paddington is a bear. He’s really a very small bear, not even 4 feet tall on his hind legs. But he’s a bear all the same, and that’s what matters. He’s quite the distinctive bear too, always wearing his old, tattered red bucket hat and his blue duffle coat which, to be perfectly honest, is nearly just as weathered. And he simply adores marmalade sandwiches — when was the last time you saw a bear enjoy a marmalade sandwich?
But really, the most distinctive thing about Paddington is that he can talk: nobody properly knows why or how this is the case, but who are you or I to be so rude as to question such matters? Perhaps it’s not very important anyhow.
He arrived in London at Paddington Station — after which he was named — from Darkest Peru, an unexplored, vast land filled with dense jungles and towering mountains. And it’s to Darkest Peru he must return in “Paddington in Peru,” the newest installment in the British film series based on this enchanting character. In it, Paddington (Ben Whishaw) travels to the South American country to visit his old Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), who’s living at the Home for Retired Bears. But when he gets there, the most peculiar thing happens: Aunt Lucy is missing, wandered off somewhere in the Amazon, and Paddington and his human family must trek on an adventure to find her.
Like its two predecessors, “Paddington in Peru” is a lovely film. It’s a joyful project that’s so full of heart and whimsy. I was smiling from the very beginning to the very end and, judging by the reactions of the kids and even adults around me, I’m willing to say I wasn’t the only one. It never quite felt like a children’s film though, of course, it is. That is to say, it’s a film that caters toward children, certainly, but never infantilizes them. There’s a general appeal, across age groups, and the picture is all the better for it.
It’s worth noting, too, that “Paddington in Peru” is truly a funny film. There’s a certain wry, British brand of humor here that, while dry, is never boring. Importantly, it’s also never an ironic or mean humor — if this film is anything, it’s deeply earnest.
If “Paddington in Peru” falters anywhere, it’s in the action — or lack thereof — involving the Brown family themselves. There’s just not much here for our human characters, vital as they are, to do. Ultimately, they’re slightly diminished to a set of recognizable tropes and hardly as fully fleshed out as they should be. I think I might’ve liked a bit more from Gina (Carla Tous), the daughter of riverboat captain and this film’s main antagonist, Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas). Due to specific circumstances, she’s not present for much of the film’s runtime, which felt like a missed opportunity.
But I highly doubt a child would articulate such qualms, so I’m set on endlessly commending the film in spite of them precisely because of its childlike charm. It’s living proof that children's films can be engaging, meaningful and even intelligent without sacrificing all of those things which are attractive to children. At a time when children’s attention spans are startlingly low, and the entertainment industry has taken notice and adjusted accordingly, it’s refreshing for a film like “Paddington in Peru” to retain the utmost confidence in its audience and treat them as equals.
I’ll hardly pretend that this newest “Paddington” movie is at all revelatory, nor will I pretend it’s better — or even as good — as the two before it. But it’s a compassionate film, and one genuinely full of surprises. There’s something for everyone, but while you’re watching it, perhaps keep an ear open to listen to the responses from the children in the theater. If you’re anything like me, you’ll remember that there’s a magic to this whole thing that us grownups might not always see. But the kids will remind you, they’re very good at that. And then, just maybe, by the end you too will believe that bears really do love marmalade and, wouldn’t you know it, a certain exceptional lot of them really can talk.
