Paddington in Peru was one of the recent releases where I decided to avoid all the promotional trailers before watching it. I wanted to be pleasantly surprised by the charming elements of the movie. Paddington 2 is one of the great sequels that enhances what happened in the original, so I wanted to manage heightened expectations. I am glad I went in knowing nothing because it was a lovely time. This one was still delightful, like the rest. Also, Olivia Colman as the cheeky and carefree nun was a wonderful surprise for me, as was the wild “Embrace the risk” conference room scene toward the beginning. Small moments like these, among others, make Paddington in Peru special.
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Paddington in Peru is an amusing and comforting viewing experience during turbulent times with just consuming the news or catching up on scrolling social media feeds. An escape for viewers as it is for the characters on screen, I had a smile on my face during the entire runtime for this balm on the cinematic soul. The circumstance for the unexpected adventure for Paddington and his family involve searching for his aunt who traveled there. Paddington is told, “All it takes is one candle of faith,” which motivates his journey to find this aunt.
If there is anything to find issue with in Paddington in Peru, it was both light on plot and characterization while heavily referencing other classic movies. There were a few too many references to other movies for my taste. One sequence goes from Indiana Jones to Steamboat Bill, Jr. in less than 10 seconds. This was frustrating because I wanted to see more fun memories with the character instead of reliving old ones. Those elements were lacking in this new one. However, the visual gags sprinkled throughout the movie are a treat, as are the vibrant closing credits, to marginally recommend it.
Paddington in Peru is now playing in theaters nationwide.
