In the recent history of children’s films, one of the most unexpected joys has come from a British bear. 2014’s Paddington and 2017’s Paddington 2 showed the charms of the unassuming — and accident-prone — Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw), who won the hearts of his adopted family, the Browns, as well as anyone who was fortunate enough to have seen the films.

Now, in Paddington in Peru, Paddington has been summoned back to his original home of Peru after his aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) goes missing from the Home for Retired Bears, led by Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman). Paddington and the Brown family - father Henry (Hugh Bonneville), mother Mary (Emily Mortimer), daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris), son Jonathan (Samuel Joslin), and grandmother Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) - all make their way around the world to try to hunt her down.

Once there, they are aided in their quest by Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), a boat captain. Cabot, who is helped by his daughter, Gina (Carla Tous), is only too eager to help after he discovers that Paddington possesses a bracelet that might reveal the location of the legendary El Dorado and its vast gold treasure. This leads to an adventure even greater than the one for which Paddington and the Browns had signed up.

The announcement of the third film was met with some trepidation since Paul King, who wrote and directed the first two films, would not be returning. Thankfully, new director Dougal Watson and a trio of writers have retained enough of the magic that made the series a success thus far. The formula isn’t all that difficult to replicate - you pair Paddington’s low-key nature and bumbling ways with the supportive Browns and a nefarious character or two - but it’s the execution that can be tricky.

Like the previous films, the power of many of the jokes come from how straightforwardly they’re told. The Britishness of most of the main characters means that they often come straight to the point, and it’s this bluntness that makes what they’re saying even funnier. The filmmakers pair this with sight gags and other elements which are also obvious, but in a very good way.

The one thing that does come up short is the details that King and his team did so well. The adventure, while entertaining, seems to lack the same whimsical specifics that made the first two films so fantastic. There are a few key reveals along the way that might have had more of an impact if they were accompanied by a little more clever storytelling.

Whishaw, as always, gives an understated performance that somehow makes Paddington even cuter. Bonneville and Mortimer (stepping in after Sally Hawkins declined to reprise her role) make a delightful pairing, and Walter is the spitfire she usually is. The addition of Colman and Banderas elevates the film even further, even if their roles are not as great as previous one-off stars like Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.

Paddington in Peru is the third best film in the series, but only because the first two films made it nearly impossible to measure up. With characters that keep the laughs coming and a story that’s good enough, the film has plenty to give to justify it coming back for more sequels in the future.

---

Paddington in Peru is now playing in theaters.