"Paddington in Peru", This Year’s Family Easter Film?

With Easter approaching, many families will find themselves together for a weekend, eating, engaging in merriment, and likely looking for something to watch. Countless “family movies” exist but all too often they tend only to be concerned with entertaining the children in the audience. However, the Paddington series stands out for its commitment to being truly “for families” in the sense that none of them are lowbrow films that parents will have to roll their eyes through, they bring something for audiences of all ages. Furthermore, Paddington in Peru partially takes place in a retirement home for older bears run by Christian Nuns so there’s a connection to religion that might be appreciated by those celebrating Easter.

A Visually Stunning Adventure

Paddington in Peru is a sequel to the previous 2 Paddington films but doesn’t require the audience to have seen the rest of the series and works well as a standalone movie. The plot revolves around the titular Paddington and his adopted family traveling back to the adorable bear’s birthplace of the Peruvian Amazon to visit his aunt who it turns out has gone missing. What follows is a fast-paced romp through the Amazon where the charismatic cast finds themself in near-constant peril that’s exciting but not too scary for younger audiences. The film was shot in Peru and Colombia including an extensive scene in Peru’s gorgeous Machu Picchu, a site that is typically not filmed at.

A Backbone of Love and Found Family

Perhaps the most important aspect of Paddington in Peru beyond the fun is the heartwarming themes of found family and embracing new cultures while maintaining a connection with your birthplace. Even though he’s a cartoon bear, Paddington is also an immigrant and the film does a good job of delivering these relatively complex ideas in a way that’s simple enough for kids to appreciate yet still very relatable to adults. Considering the Paddington series’ roots in London, one of the most diverse cities in the world, making an accessible film that can guide children in how to balance their identities as immigrants is genuinely admirable and gives the movie something beyond mindless adventure to leave viewers thinking. Although on its face, Paddington in Peru seems to be a silly kids' movie, hopefully, this short review has highlighted how much more this film has to offer than simply mindless action and humor. When families get together this Easter and are looking for a movie to watch together that will remind them of their love for each other, Paddington in Peru might be the best choice from recent movie history.