On November 28, a new chapter of 'Paddington in Peru' will be released in Russian theaters. Read our review to find out what the continuation of the most heartfelt franchise of our time turned out to be.

Paddington (voiced in the original by Ben Whishaw), now a British subject, travels to Peru with the Browns to visit Aunt Lucy. The reason for the unplanned trip is a letter from the Mother Superior (Olivia Colman) at the home for retired bears. Upon arriving at the facility, the heroes do not find the bear's adoptive parent there. They set off in search of her, taking Captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (Carla Tous) as guides.

Some things are fashionable, some go out of style, but some are eternal. The latter applies to the series of films about the bear Paddington. And this is a rare case where stability is truly a sign of mastery. It's hard to believe, but it's been ten years since the first part was released. Of course, the film by director Paul King was not the first adaptation of children's writer Michael Bond's books (it was preceded by several animated series incarnations). But it was the 2014 live-action adaptation that elevated Paddington from a purely British cultural phenomenon to a global one.

The franchise about the adventures of the clumsy bear in London has been loved by both critics and audiences. No joke, the second part held the status of the highest-rated film in history on the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes for four years! For all the charm of the film, awarding it such a title is too great an honor, but, to be fair, in the segment of family cinema, it truly has no equal. The first two parts were the ultimate entertainment attraction, the pleasure of watching which can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Fans had to wait a long seven years for the third installment, although the intention to make it was announced back in 2016. During this time, the creative team underwent some changes: director Paul King and the previous screenwriters left the project, and Emily Mortimer was cast as Mrs. Brown instead of Sally Hawkins. Not to say that these changes affected the quality of the film in any way, but in certain aspects, the new film still differs from its predecessors.

If the second part made an elegant nod to Wes Anderson (just look at the prison escape scene in the spirit of 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'!), then the third is filled with references to the most famous works on the theme of treasure hunting — from Disney's 'Jungle Cruise' to 'Indiana Jones' and the video game series Uncharted. By the way, as in the adventures of Nathan Drake, the treasure ultimately turns out not to be what it seems.

The bear himself and his British guardians are not at all interested in finding untold riches — they are worried about the disappearance of Aunt Lucy. Hearing that she went to the Rumi Rock, where according to legend the path to El Dorado begins, they are joined by a hapless gold hunter played by Banderas. It is with his character that one of the best jokes of the third installment is associated.

The fact is that Hunter belongs to the Cabot dynasty, who have been searching for the mythical Inca city for hundreds of years. They all died without finding it, but continue to live in the antagonist's imagination. Quite a crew there: from conquistador colonists to test pilots. All of them are also portrayed on screen by Banderas. The film even has a whole humorous sketch consisting of episodes stylized in different eras, showing the last moments of each of them.

No less colorful was the Reverend Mother Superior, played by Olivia Colman. The fact that she is not all there becomes clear from the very beginning. Her cheerfulness seems too feigned and suspicious. I recall that in the previous part, Hugh Grant donned a nun's habit, and apparently, this is becoming a tradition in the franchise. By the way, he also appears here, albeit in a small cameo.

As for the Browns, who took the bear in many years ago, the long absence from the screen has affected their family. The children have grown up and are preparing to enter college. Their mother is seriously worried that they are about to leave the nest, and she sees the joint trip to Peru as an opportunity to reunite them in a common endeavor. Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) agrees to the Amazon voyage to bring more risk into his life: a classic midlife crisis.

And Paddington himself is still extremely charming, polite, and clumsy. He still suffers from excessive politeness, managing to apologize even to villains while running away from them. His tender attitude towards Aunt Lucy cannot but evoke affection. The motif of returning to one's roots runs like a red thread through the entire plot. Finding himself in his homeland, the clumsy emigrant must decide where his place is — among his relatives in Peru or with the Brown family in England.

Summarizing all of the above, 'Paddington in Peru', despite the change of location and noticeably increased scale, is still the same wonderful cinematic attraction capable of transporting the viewer to a world where love of life and optimism reign, breaking through everything in their path. This is the very notorious 'movie magic'!

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