22/15
The director of the previous two films, Paul King, has decided not to direct this installment
Chronology
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, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey. However, he pitched the idea for this third film and was on board as an executive producer. Featured on The Graham Norton Show: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). OK, Mrs.
Brown has gone in a new direction
For those who don’t know, previous incumbent Sally Hawkins said it was time to move on. I tried to sympathize with her, but to me Emily Mortimer is just an older product of the lovely girls’ school in London. I know the show has moved on, but Emily’s initial moves are irritating, flat, and uninspiring. For a few minutes I thought, Oh no! I tried really hard to sympathise with her but later in the film she progressed in a strange way… the least they could have done was give her a meaningful script, she seemed too much like a wife who doesn’t say much.
Let’s be fair
Sorry Em! Same with Madeleine Harris who plays Judy, maybe next time she’ll have more lines for both of them. She may have tried to be Sally Hawkins at times, I’m not sure, but she had some very big shoes to fill and Sally was a smashing success. They all fulfilled their roles very well in the end. Anyway, the lovable Peruvian finds himself this time taking the lead and coming to the rescue of the family members.
Forget about this if you have healthy phobias of certain creatures (not snakes)
This journey takes him across the world to guess where… A family member is in trouble and the oldest madness and deadly sin is the cause of all the evil. The scenery in the far away place is breathtaking, just beautiful, it inspired me to go there, as is London which is sadly happy. There is plenty of hilarity in the film, action and tears too, but very young children, of not very brave disposition, will find the show not so warm, scary in parts, I thought so at times. Visually it is as fantastic as the previous films, while the script is at some point flat and a bit predictable, the mysteries unlocked were simple enough for a five year old to solve… aha… the target audience. Haha… this does not take anything away from the impact of the film by special effects, and one in particular is deafening.
Well… a glamorous character from the last film makes an appearance, let’s just say I don’t think it’s the end
Bonneville seems to have had a hair transplant, I am not sure, but as always, he is putting in a great performance, as are the Walters and some great new characters in the story.