Paddington na Amazónia

Whishaw, through vocal inflections alone, makes you believe he is every furry inch the earnest, clumsy, well-mannered, not too easily riled Paddington. But "Paddington in Peru" belongs to Olivia Colman.

The principle font of whimsy from the first two movies, Paul King, has moved on. In his directorial debut, Dougal Wilson steps in and soldiers on, but he can't quite summon the same comic spirit. Still, "Paddington in Peru," bright and buoyant, will do.

With wit, wonder, warmth, and a few wink-wink nods to the Indiana Jones movies, it's further evidence of this franchise's cute and cuddly preeminence.

It's the windy, offbeat, hairpin-turn detours that Paddington in Peru takes on the way to them that makes this threequel such a dopamine overdose. A few up-the-sleeve aces help, of course.

I can't deny that "Paddington in Peru" still has enough charm and humor to recommend it. Additionally, wrapped inside all the action sequences is a story about an immigrant finding an equal balance between his birth and adopted homelands.

While this batch might have too much sugar and not enough fruit, Paddington In Peru still makes a satisfying bite, even if it leaves one's hands a little sticky.

If "Paddington" hinges on blundering and "Paddington 2" on relentless civility, the third stages a more personal journey of self discovery.

Like the others, this latest entry in the Paddington saga is visually enchanting, charmingly funny, surprisingly wise, and genuinely heartwarming. I admit I teared up near the end.

It's still the trilogy's second-best entry - and that's no back-pawed compliment.

The performances are admirably committed, the scenario likably loony, and the jokes come in swift succession. "Paddington in Peru" also probes, with an earnest and childlike sincerity, the feelings of home and dislocation hinted at in its title.

During an extended action climax that might stand as a separate movie titled Indiana Jones and the Jar of Marmalade, Paddington in Peru departs from its quiet storybook roots to become somewhat predictable if still amusing kids' entertainment.

"Peru" has high-class actors hamming it up and a genuine feeling of warmth at its core, though for stretches it feels somewhat adrift as it plods through a plotline that is a bit beneath our most distinguished bear gentleman.

Having attained the heights of "Paddington 2," this third installment can only float downward ever so slightly.

"Paddington in Peru," the third film in the franchise that's rapidly becoming my favorite cinematic universe, doesn't quite reach the levels of lovable lunacy reached by "Paddington 2", but it's a joy all the same.

The innate sweetness of the series carries it past figurative and literal rapids and into shenanigans involving bear carvings, a bear temple in the mountains, and a secret bear community.

As did King before him, Wilson revels in whimsy without drowning in it, and he finds the franchise's sweet spot of cleverness, poignancy, elaborate physical comedy, witty wordplay, goofy musicality, and just the right amount of sentiment.

Paddington in Peru is a satisfying sequel, delivering what fans would hope for in terms of laughs, action, whimsy, and - well - hope.

Dougal Wilson is not the problem. Rather it is the disastrous screenplay by three people who should know better.

It's less a sequel than a spin-off, but that gives it more freedom to just be a silly good time.

It's this unembellished emotional simplicity that makes the continued tales of Paddington so wonderful. It is also what makes them essential.