Paddington in Peru: Movie Review

Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman
Director: Dougal Wilson

It's easy to cynically dismiss the latest Paddington film.

A movie that at its heart is swathed in unbowed cynicism and eternal optimism, Paddington has always been a ray of cinematic sunshine about the good-natured bear winning over the villains of the piece. This latest is no exception to the rule - and even manages to throw in a parody of the Sound of Music and an Alien homage as well.

When Paddington hears his beloved Aunt Lucy has disappeared from the retirement home she lives in in Peru, he sets out with the Brown family to find out what exactly has occurred.

With the thinnest of plots and the penchant purely for jungle-set interludes and excursion ahead, Paddington in Peru does not quite reach the lofty heights of the previous outings (though a deliciously unexpected ending utterly delights). But what it does do, is provide solidly entertaining family fare - as long as you're willing to forego the slower start to proceedings. 

With plenty of sight gags and mini sequences thrown in initially, Wilson's film reminds you of the slapstick nature of the bear before settling into something more akin to a BBC TV Christmas special where the normally cosy family heads to foreign climes.

But with scene-stealing appearances from Colman as the smiling and seemingly sinister Reverend Mother and a scenery chewing outing from Banderas as the Captain of a boat tormented by his ancestors, there's much to enjoy throughout once you get past the endurance of the earlier stages.

In amongst it all though is Whishaw as Paddington - a vocal performance that's as comforting as the fur that flowers all over Michael Bond's bear himself. Filled with warmth and heart, it's easy to see why this version of the infamous character has gained so much traction. 

And while there's plenty of strong arguments to say that this franchise probably needs resting now, and that the unbridled English cynicism about a bear whose dream to get a passport and travel to a world that doesn't necessarily want him has plenty of Brexit parallels and has a thumbing the nose to current political elements, it's hard to overlook the fact this slice of marmalade-led escapism has a cinematic syrupy goodness that's impossible to resist.