Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw and paired with Alexandra Oleshko in the Russian version, receives two important documents at once. A British passport arrives alongside a note from the abbot of the Peruvian bear nursery. The message expresses Aunt Lucy’s longing for her cub and her embarrassment about admitting it. Paddington and the Brown family—Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin and Julie Walters—decide to travel to Peru to visit the cub. When they arrive, a troubling discovery is made: Aunt Lucy is missing somewhere in the Amazon. They enlist a shady riverboat captain named Hunter Cabot and his daughter Gina to help on a rescue mission.
Pedro Pascal has spoken about the emotional impact of Paddington on screen, saying he cried during the film and that Paddington 2 ranks among his top three since Face Off and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes have kept the signal strong for years, with only a handful of dissenting voices in a long run. In seven years since its release, the film earned two negative reviews out of about 250, yielding an almost perfect approval rating.
Paddington’s namesake Justin Brown, who offered a negative assessment, admits he remains unsure the film captures the spirit of Michael Bond’s books. Another critic, Eddie Harrison, argues that King’s two films did not fully honor the multicultural heart of the original stories, a key idea behind the bear’s adventures. Harrison suggests that many 2010s family films overlook race and identity while telling hopeful tales about a good bear cub.
The third Paddington movie shifts the balance. It marks a departure from the director who guided the first two installments as he steps back after the second film; he leaves the project while teaming with Simon Farnaby on Wonka, Roald Dahl’s celebrated universe, with Timothée Chalamet. Dougal Wilson, a long-time commercial and music video director, takes the helm. King remains a contributor to the script, while the film assumes a more production-forward stance and a clearer sense of franchise identity. A post-credits moment features Hugh Grant, playing with a running joke about a new Paddington project, hinting at further films and even a musical adaptation planned for the near future.
Many observers note that the third film uses the Paddington premise to explore immigration in a more explicit way, even if the intent remains debated. Some critics praise the attempt to address belonging in a changing world, while others question the clarity of the message. Director Wilson has a history of provocative storytelling, including a 2010 short that drew controversy for its satirical take on environmental activism, a piece that sparked debate when released by activists and later provoked discussion about the line between satire and advocacy.
On the surface Paddington 3 invites a different kind of cross-talk by pairing Whishaw’s warm performance with the presence of Colman and Banderas, while also nodding to Whishaw’s broader filmography, including collaborations with other European artists. The story lines intertwine with Murray-like whimsy and a touch of social reflection, but the heart remains the bear’s steadfast kindness. In the end, the film offers a compassionate take that resonates with adults while preserving the gentle appeal that has drawn young viewers to Paddington since the first chapter. The Amazon’s lush landscapes provide a contrast to London’s familiar comforts, and the film leans into a sense of journey and discovery that defines the franchise for new audiences.
Original title: Paddington in Peru
Premiere date: November 8, 2024
Release date in Russia: 28 November 2024
Duration: 106 minutes
Manager: Dougal Wilson
Casting: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslyn, Karla Tows, Imelda Staunton, Hayley Atwell, Hugh Grant