Mixed Reviews for ‘Paddington in Peru’: Charming but Lacks Original Spark

The newly released Paddington in Peru has received mixed feedback from critics over its opening weekend, being described as “charming enough” yet lacking the magic of its predecessors. The third film in the beloved series follows Paddington Bear on a heartfelt journey back to Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy.

Fans were pleased to see familiar faces return, with Ben Whishaw reprising his voice role as Paddington, alongside Emily Mortimer and Hugh Bonneville. However, while the film brings nostalgia and warmth, critics suggest it falls short of the series’ established high standard.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian commented that the movie was “just as jolly as the previous two films, but not really as funny,” comparing it to a “special episode of a TV sitcom that takes the cast to the Costa del Sol.” Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter noted that while it didn’t capture the “absurdist wit and decidedly dark edge” of the earlier films, it was “serviceable enough given its limitations.”

Nick Curtis of The Standard offered a more critical view, awarding the film two stars and remarking that it “misses the easy charm, the fluency and the icy sliver of jeopardy” that appealed to audiences of all ages in the original movies. He also noted that the film’s pacing felt “ponderous and slow.”

Despite these critiques, Paddington in Peru still manages to charm audiences with the lovable bear’s adventures, even if it doesn’t fully capture the magic that made Paddington a cultural icon since his on-screen debut in 2014.