--- title: "Paddington in Peru: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/paddington-in-peru/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/paddington-in-peru" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Paddington in Peru (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 18 reviews: 10 positive, 7 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics agree on the shape of this one: a third Paddington film that is pleasant, warm and noticeably less funny than the two before it. The praise clusters around Olivia Colman’s grinning, singing Reverend Mother, picked out again and again as the best thing in it, with Antonio Banderas a close second, and around the film’s sweetness and its ideas about home and belonging. The reservations cluster just as tightly. Nearly every review notes the change of director and writers and finds the jokes thinner, the plot more conventional and the anarchic streak of the earlier films missing. The spread is narrow, with most landing somewhere between decent and good. The Evening Standard dissents hardest, calling it ponderous and suggesting the bear be retired, while HeyUGuys stands alone at the other end with unqualified enthusiasm. The Guardian speaks for the middle: perfectly decent holiday entertainment, short on magic. ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/4/3. 5 November 2024. Praises the well-executed threequel for its stylish direction and emotional callbacks, but notes it doesn't surpass the originals, offering solid entertainment for fans. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/paddington-in-peru) ## Radio Times — Dave Golder Rating 4/5. 4 November 2024. Finds it non-stop fun with surprises, close to but not quite matching the predecessors, highlighting inventive comic moments and a feel-good story about multiculturalism. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/paddington-in-peru-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Ross McIndoe Rating 3/4. 18 November 2024. Paddington in Peru resettles the meaning of home with charm and marmalade, offering a multifaceted and modern idea of Britishness while delivering confectionary cinema that is sweet, light, and emotionally affecting. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/paddington-in-peru-review/) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2024. Paddington in Peru is a bouncy, unobjectionable and pleasant adventure that raises plenty of smiles but is a tiny bit bland and does not reach the heights of its predecessors. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/paddington-in-peru-review/) ## Total Film — Leila Latif Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2024. The film is a welcome return for Paddington and the Brown family on their journey to Peru, though it may be the weakest entry so far. Olivia Colman stands out as pitch-perfect in her role as the Reverend Mother. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/family-movies/paddington-in-peru-review/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2024. The critic finds it pleasant kids' fare but lacking the anarchic sparkle of its predecessors under a new director and writers. Olivia Colman's villainous nun provides some compensation in an otherwise conventional quest narrative. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/paddington-in-peru-review-1236198939/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2024. Calls it a fun but more formulaic adventure sequel, the least striking of the series, with brisk pacing and prestige cast but lacking the wit and sophistication of prior entries. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/paddington-in-peru-review/5198794.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2024. The third Paddington film is a jolly but less funny family adventure that takes the bear back to Peru; it is perfectly decent holiday entertainment with strong support from Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas but lacks the gag density and magic of the previous entries. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/nov/04/paddington-in-peru-review) ## The New York Times — Natalia Winkelman Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2025. The critic says the film cannot measure up to Paddington 2 despite its charms, with a somewhat rote journey of self-discovery and a script that lacks subtlety. It still offers a worthy experience for the furry lead. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/movies/paddington-in-peru-review.html) ## The AV Club — Matt Schimkowitz Rating C+. 12 February 2025. Still sweet as marmalade but twice as messy; the third film overloads the sandwich with hijinks and lore, resembling Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but the bear’s charms remain tasty as ever. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/paddington-in-peru-review) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2024. The critic describes it as a good-hearted but predictable instalment in the furry franchise, noting the adorable retro styling but lamenting the lack of hilarity and emotional depth on Paddington’s South American adventure. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/reviews/paddington-peru-good-hearted-predictable-instalment-furry-franchise) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2024. A change of director and writing team leaves the film feeling slightly flat and short on jokes compared to its predecessors, though the production design and Paddington's charm keep it merry. It lacks the anarchic humour and originality of the earlier entries. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/paddington-in-peru-review-3362412) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2024. The third outing shows distinct signs of franchise fatigue and feels ponderous and slow under new director Dougal Wilson. It lacks the easy charm and genuine jeopardy of the Paul King films, making it time to retire the bear from the screen. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/paddington-in-peru-review-olivia-colman-ben-whishaw-b1191337.html) ## Empire — Nick de Semlyen 4 November 2024. This threequel delivers laughs, charm and new villains but feels like something intangible is missing compared to the first two films. It is perfectly fine, with the new director and Peruvian setting pulling focus from the bear at times. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/paddington-in-peru/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich 4 November 2024. The third Paddington movie isn't bad, but director Paul King clearly took the series' magic with him; it loses its way as Paddington looks for his roots in a sequel that struggles to match prior entries. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/paddington-in-peru-movie-review-1235061942/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Leslie Felperin 4 November 2024. The critic finds it charming with spectacular scenery, child-friendly adventure, and Olivia Colman’s manically grinning nun performance, but less eccentric and original than the predecessors, more accessible to younger viewers, and serviceable given its limitations. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/paddington-in-peru-film-3-review-dougal-wilson-1236052827/) ## The Times Rating ★★★☆☆. 10 November 2024. The film is an entertaining and endearing yarn worth seeing but lacks the originality of its predecessors, feeling more like a summer blockbuster than a classic Paddington outing despite strong cameos from Olivia Colman. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/paddington-in-peru-review-movie-olivia-colman-rgfn8zmht) ## Vulture 14 February 2025. Even if it’s the weakest of the Paddington movies, it succeeds thanks to the series' innate sweetness; Olivia Colman gives the standout performance as the Reverend Mother with her maniacal cheerfulness. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-paddington-in-peru-bites-off-more-than-it-can-chew.html) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Rating 5/5. 4 November 2024. The critic delivers a strongly positive verdict on this third Paddington outing as a heart-warming and exciting new chapter that brings the story full circle. They single out the emotional exploration of identity, belonging and family for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/paddington-in-peru-review/) ## Deadline — Stephanie Bunbury Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2024. The critic praises the film's continuation of the magical story of the bear welcomed by strangers, highlighting the change of setting to Peru and Olivia Colman's singing nun performance as standout elements. The verdict is that it remains magical and enjoyable despite the new director. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/11/paddington-in-peru-review-olivia-colman-antonio-banderas-1236166060/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2025. The film does not reach the heights of the previous two entries but remains a worthwhile and charming adventure. The critic praises the focus on family dynamics, the heartwarming themes of immigrants finding a new home, and strong comedic additions from Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas. [Read the review](https://collider.com/paddington-in-peru-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2024. The critic finds it a step down from Paddington 2 but still a very good movie that delivers the expected Paddington feels, inventive visuals, quirky gags, and heartwarming message, praising performances especially by Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a62750565/paddington-3-review/) ## /Film — Rafael Motamayor Rating 6/10. 15 November 2024. The critic finds the film a merely decent but underwhelming sequel that fails to match the magic of its predecessors. They single out Olivia Colman’s performance and some inspired animated and slapstick sequences for praise while complaining about its squandered themes and lack of genuine Peruvian flavour. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1714376/paddington-in-peru-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/paddington-in-peru.md