Paddington in Peru

It’s this unembellished emotional simplicity that makes the continued tales of Paddington so wonderful. It is also what makes them essential.

It’s less a sequel than a spin-off, but that gives it more freedom to just be a silly good time.

Dougal Wilson is not the problem. Rather it is the disastrous screenplay by three people who should know better.

Paddington in Peru is a satisfying sequel, delivering what fans would hope for in terms of laughs, action, whimsy, and — well — hope.

As did King before him, Wilson revels in whimsy without drowning in it, and he finds the franchise’s sweet spot of cleverness, poignancy, elaborate physical comedy, witty wordplay, goofy musicality, and just the right amount of sentiment.

The innate sweetness of the series carries it past figurative and literal rapids and into shenanigans involving bear carvings, a bear temple in the mountains, and a secret bear community.

Colman is even more amusing as the retired bears’ caretaker. She’s infallibly cheery even when what she is saying contradicts her positivity, making the Reverend Mother one of the film’s highlights.

Paddington in Peru retains the warmth and magic of its predecessors with a heartfelt entry that will have young viewers eager to explore the many wonders of our world, both in person and through the magic of storytelling.

Outside of Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas' performances, I was not a fan. The Paddington character has actually gotten worse.

I quite enjoyed this. It's not as fun or insane as Paddington 2 but there's enough charm here to make this an entertaining watch.