32/14
Brown has taken a new direction
Scenario
Paddington returns to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who is now residing at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey. The director of the previous two films, Paul King, decided not to direct this installment. However, he pitched the idea for this third film and was involved as an executive producer. Featured in Graham Norton I liked: Billy Crystal/Emily Mortimer/Hugh Bonneville/Pharrell Williams/Michael Kiwanuka (2024). OK, Mrs.
For a few minutes, I thought, Oh no!!
For those who don’t know, previous incumbent Sally Hawkins said it was time to move on. I tried to warm up to her, but to me Emily Mortimer is just an older product of the London School for Lovely Girls. I know the show has changed, but Emily’s opening moves are annoyingly monotonous and uninspiring. I tried really hard to warm up to her, she did develop strangely later in the film… the least they could have done is give her a meaningful script, she seemed too much like a little wife who doesn’t say much. Sorry Em!
Let’s be fair
Same for Madeleine Harris playing Judy, excellent more lines next time maybe for both of them. She may have tried to be Sally Hawkins at times, I’m not sure, but she had big boots to fill and Sally was a smash hit. They all played their roles very well in the end. So anyway, the lovely Peruvian finds himself this time taking the initiative and coming to the rescue of family members. This journey takes him through the art of Lahndan 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 mischief.
the target audience
The scenery in the far off place is stunning, simply beautiful, inspired me to go there, as well as London which is terribly happy. There is plenty of hilarity in the film, action and tears too, but very young children of a less than courageous disposition will find the show not quite as warm, and scary in parts, I thought so at times. Visually it is as fantastic as the previous films, while the script is somewhat flat and a bit predictable, the mysteries unravelled were simple enough for a five year old to figure out… aha… Haha… that doesn’t take anything away from the CGI impact of the film and a particularly deafening one.
Forget it if you have healthy phobias of certain creatures (not snakes)
Bonneville looks like he’s had a hair transplant, I’m not sure, but he is, as always, giving a great performance, as are the Walters and some great newcomers to the story. Hey… a glamorous character from the last film makes an appearance, let’s just say, I don’t think that’s the end of it.