“Aunt Lucy always says, ‘You can take the bear out of the jungle, but can’t take the jungle out of the bear.’”
I am ashamed to admit that until a few months ago, I had never seen any of the three “Paddington” films. My younger sister has always loved Paddington and had been looking forward to this latest Paddington film ever since it was announced. She asked for me to take her to the theater to watch it, but she first forced me to drop everything and watch 2014’s “Paddington” and 2017’s “Paddington 2,” and I am so glad that I did. They were so joyful and uplifting to watch, true examples of pure movie magic. We sat down in our seats and watched the movie, and we both had a really fun time.
The plot picks up after “Paddington 2,” where Paddington (played by Ben Whishaw) decides to visit his Aunt Lucy (voiced by Imelda Staunton, who you may recognize as Dolores Umbridge from 2007’s “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”) in Perú. His family, consisting of Mr. Brown (played by Hugh Bonneville), Mrs. Brown (played by Emily Mortimer, recast from Sally Hawkins), Judy (played by Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (played by Samuel Joslin) join him on this trip.
When they arrive at the home of retired bears, a Reverend Mother (played by Oscar-winning actress Olivia Coleman) informs the family that Aunt Lucy has gone missing in the Peruvian jungle. They decide to charter a river boat captained by Hunter Cabot (played by Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (played by Carla Tous), who secretly wishes to find El Dorado: the lost city of gold. Together, their journey continues through a series of wacky and charming adventures.
While Paul King, the director of “Paddington” and “Paddington 2,” did not return for this film, his replacement, Dougal Wilson, did a fine job. However, the film does not quite live up to the heights the first two movies achieved. Hopefully with the announcement of the fourth “Paddington” film, the series can return to its past triumphs.
The loss of Sally Hawkins is also quite notable, leaving the Brown family dynamic feeling a little off this time around. Everyone gives fine performances, but something is missing. The film is still greatly enjoyable on its own merits, and many people will still have an amazing time watching it.
This is a nice warm hug of a movie that is fun for the whole family. My final rating for “Paddington in Peru” is a heartwarming 7/10.

P.S. My sister also asked to try marmalade after watching this film, and it is actually quite good! I myself have made a few sandwiches with it, and I would recommend it!