As a long-time fan of Paddington, I must admit that my expectations for “Paddington in Peru” were sky high after the sheer brilliance of its predecessors. Having grown up with the charming bear from darkest Peru, I eagerly anticipated this new adventure.
The much-anticipated sequel featuring the beloved character, Paddington, doesn’t reach North American shores until January, but with its UK premiere happening this week, early reviews suggest another charming addition to the series. Originating from author Michael Bond’s pen over six decades ago, Paddington has become a mainstay in children’s literature. Previous successful and well-received films, “Paddington” and “Paddington 2”, have already been released, and fans are excited for the next installment titled “Paddington in Peru”.
The movie titled “Paddington in Peru” made its entrance on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 91% rating, based on 22 reviews. For a family film, this is quite remarkable. However, it falls short of the “Paddington” franchise’s previous achievements, as it trails behind the original’s 97% and the acclaimed “Paddington 2” with its 99%. With additional reviews imminent, it seems plausible that the score for “Paddingting in Peru” will decrease rather than increase to align with its predecessors. The consensus among critics is that it is a notch below both the original “Paddington” and the cherished “Paddington 2”, even among those who found the movie enjoyable.
Nicole Austin of MovieMaker gave the film three stars and wrote, “While Paddington in Peru doesn’t quite capture the charm and magic of the second installment, (sorry Paddington, please don’t break out the dreaded Hard Stare) there’s undeniably still bags of heartwarming moments and delightful adventure to enjoy.”
As a movie enthusiast, I’d say Peter Bradshaw’s review in The Guardian puts it this way: “The third Paddington movie is a pretty solid choice for the holidays. It’s consistently amusing, but you might notice that the jokes aren’t as frequent as before, and moving our beloved bear away from England feels like a bold step that could be a bit risky.
In a less favorable critique for “Paddington in Peru,” William Bibbani from The Wrap stated, “It’s truly regrettable that the Paddington movie disappoints with its foul odor. As predicted, it falls flat and becomes the forgettable junk we initially assumed these films would be. Despite some emotional depth, the latest film is overshadowed by clichéd dialogue and tiresome filler material. In fact, there’s an excessive amount of this padding, almost like a mountain of it.
In a review for Total Film, Leia Latif commented that the movie, directed by Dougal Wilson, seems heavy and slow. The comedic situations Paddington finds himself in appear forced, and the humor feels overexplained, as though the writers assume younger viewers might not get it easily.
David Ehrlich from IndieWire may have succinctly expressed the film’s mixed reception in his C+ review, stating, “Paul King’s leftovers are more delicious than the majority of family films we’ve seen in the past six years.
Great Expectations for Paddington’s Return
Critics think Paddington in Peru is enjoyable but not as good as its earlier films, and a new team working on it might be why.
Paul King, known for directing both “Paddington” and “Paddington 2,” has moved on to work on “Wonka,” leaving the director’s position open. Stepping into the role is Douglas Wilson, who specializes in music video direction. The writing team for “Paddington in Peru” has also undergone changes. James Lamont and Jon Foster, previously involved with the Nickelodeon series “My Adventures With Paddington,” have taken over as lead writers, joining forces with Mark Burton from “Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” They are replacing Paul King and Simon Farnaby. Original cast members, including Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington, have returned, but some key elements seem to be missing in this much-anticipated third installment, with Sally Hawkins stepping away from the role of Mrs. Brown, now filled by Emily Mortimer.
It’s intriguing to consider how the overseas debut of Paddington in Peru, happening a full two months ahead of its U.S. premiere, might impact its potential earnings at the domestic box office. We’ll see if the somewhat divided audience response could potentially affect its performance in the United States.
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2024-11-05 01:32