106 min | PG | February 14, 2025 | Sony Pictures Releasing
Paddington goes to Peru and the franchise maintains its improbable winning streak. Dougal Wilson steps in for Paul King and delivers exactly what’s needed.
The Paddington films should not work this well. A CGI bear in a duffle coat navigating the modern world through relentless politeness and marmalade sandwiches. The premise is absurd. The execution is precise. This third entry sends Paddington and the Brown family to Peru to find his missing Aunt Lucy, and the film earns every emotional beat without begging for them.
Ben Whishaw returns as the voice of Paddington with the same gentle earnestness that made the first two films work. Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer taking over for Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, all return and settle back into their roles with ease. Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman join as new characters and both understand the tone. No winking. No irony. Just full commitment to a story about a talking bear.
Dougal Wilson directs his first feature after Paul King departed, and he respects what came before while making the film his own. The Peruvian jungle locations give the story visual scope. The adventure beats are staged clearly. The emotional core about family and belonging never gets lost in the spectacle.
The franchise remains the gold standard for family entertainment that refuses to talk down to children or bore adults.