‘Paddington in Peru’ review: Third time unlucky for the cuddly bear

Did Sally Hawkins, who appeared in Paddington and Paddington 2, sit out the third film because she knew?

It is with immense sadness that we announce that Paddington in Peru, though adequately winsome and chuckle-worthy in parts, doesn’t quite match up to its illustrious predecessors. The anthropomorphic bear’s latest outing stars Emily Mortimer in place of Hawkins and has a new director, Douglas Wilson, trying to fill Paul King’s large shoes.

Paddington in Peru takes the ursine specimen with the mien of the well-behaved British public school student back to his homeland. Paddington (voiced by Ben Wishaw) is summoned by the Mother Superior at the centre for old bears where his beloved aunt Lucy lives.

The Mother Superior (Olivia Colman) informs Paddington that Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton) has gone missing. The Browns – Henry (High Bonneville), Mary (Emily Mortimer), Judy (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) – along with their housekeeper Mrs Bird (Julie Walters) go along.

In Peru, the group meet the raffish sailor Hunter (Antonia Banderas) and his daughter Gina (Carla Tous). Adventures on land, in water and the air ensue, all of them suffused with the jolly British humour we have come to expect from the series.

Inspired by Michael Bond’s best-selling children’s books, the previous movies were heart-warming fairy tales about...

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