28/25
The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this part
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who is now residing at the Retired Bears Home. With the Brown family in tow, an exciting adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey.
However, he pitched the idea for this third film and was involved as an executive producer
Presented in Graham Norton and the Fans: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). If, like me, you agree that the first two Paddington films are among the best films ever made, this will be an enjoyable read but also a disappointment.
It is just another jungle adventure film… but with a bear
As it is not about Paddington adjusting to life with a family in London or how a normal family adjusts to life with a bear, it loses its original charm and certainly its humour. It has a different atmosphere, more sentimental and noticeably less funny.
We had all that in the first two and since they were… dare I say, perfect, there would be no reason to try and copy them
While the first two were hilarious for an old, decrepit Marx Brothers fan like myself, this is definitely more of a family film clearly aimed at kids. I might say we need more members of the Brown family and their neighbours… I might also say we need Sally Hawkins, but what’s the point?
Routine family entertainment rather than quirky, funny cuteness
So yes, this one is different, it’s sometimes horribly overly sentimental and nowhere near as funny, but it’s still Paddington.
