Paddington in Peru is the third film in the beloved franchise. Seven years in the making, it continues the adventures of the marmalade-loving bear with a new director Dougal Wilson, and a new actress Emily Mortimer to play Mrs Brown, who is struggling to come to terms with her children (played by Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin) growing up and looking at universities.
The film begins with Paddington receiving his official “British” passport—following a comical scene involving a passport photo booth, seagulls, and marmalade sandwiches—much to the excitement of the Brown family. He then receives a mysterious letter from Reverend Mother of the Retired Home for Bears (Olivia Coleman), asking Paddington to visit his sad Aunt Lucy.
The film then sees Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) returning to his homeland of Peru with the Brown family to reunite with Aunt Lucy, only to discover she has gone missing. What follows is a hilarious adventure of suspiciously behaved nuns, riverboat captains, and gold-hunting ghosts, all set in the heart of the jungle-clad Peruvian mountains and rainforest.
Played by Olivia Coleman, the Reverend Mother is the film’s standout character. Her hilarious all-singing, guitar-strumming introduction nods to the Sound of Music, and her phony, jolly but sinister smile plastered to her face, and delight in repeating that “nothing is suspicious” is a fun addition to the franchise’s characters.
The best, most heartwarming part of this film is its notions of belonging. Although Paddington has never shied away from its engagement with the theme of immigration—Paddington himself has been argued to be an “asylum seeker” by some reviews—even one article arguing a immigration lawyer’s perspective on Paddington. Even though we begin the film with Paddington officially receiving a British, post-Brexit passport, the film transports us to his home in Peru. Without spoiling what happens next, let’s just say that, towards the end of the film, we’re not quite sure where Paddington belongs—should he stay in Peru—or go back to Britain, as a newly official British citizen? Paddington contends with his “split” identity - between Peru and Britain in a way that can be related to by many, ultimately concluding that it doesn’t matter where you come from - home can be anywhere as long as it is filled with loved ones. Overall, Paddington in Peru is a wonderful third film in the trilogy - funny and heartwarming - what Paddington does best!