After James Bond, you could argue that a very polite brown bear could these days be the U.K.’s most recognizable big-screen star — and his most recent adventure just came to Netflix.
Having starred in two family classics, Paddington Bear made his long-awaited return to movie theaters with “Paddington in Peru”, which saw him swap his new home for an action-packed, overseas jaunt.
Yes, this highly-rated third feature sees the national treasure going all “National Treasure” in his former home of Deepest Peru, and if you missed this latest caper in theaters, as of May 15, you can now watch “Paddington in Peru” on Netflix.
The move didn’t seem to come with a ton of fanfare. Netflix tweeted it out, but I can't help but feel like perhaps the movie's arrival got overshadowed by the huge amount of Netflix news we got recently, be that all the recent show updates or the news that Lady Gaga would be coming to Tudum 2025.
Nevertheless, that’s not stopped viewers from checking it out; it’s already crashed into the streamer’s top 10 movies list mere days after arriving on the streaming service.
If you’d spotted “Paddington in Peru” climbing the Netflix charts and were wondering whether to check it out, you can find a little more info about the new movie below.
What is ‘Paddington in Peru’ about?
“Paddington in Peru” was everyone’s favorite marmalade-loving bear’s third big screen adventure and saw him — unsurprisingly, given the title — heading back home to Peru.
He intends to visit his Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. Upon arrival, he discovers that Aunt Lucy has gone missing, prompting Paddington (voiced again by Ben Whishaw) to lead the rest of the Brown family on a thrilling adventure through the rainforests and up to the mountain peaks of Peru to find her.
In addition to Whishaw, “Paddington in Peru” also stars Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Emily Mortimer, Imelda Staunton, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Antonio Banderas, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin and Carla Tous.
Why you need to stream ‘Paddington in Peru’ on Netflix now
If you’re looking for a heart-warming, light-on-its-feet family-friendly adventure, “Paddington in Peru” is the movie to stream. It’s not quite as perfect as its predecessor, but “Paddington 2’s” reputation amongst cinephiles of all ages made it a near-impossible act to follow. Need I remind you that Nick Cage and Pedro Pascal summed up why it’s so good so succinctly in this scene from “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent?”
The “Paddington” threequel still has lots going for it, though; bags of charm, hilarious hi-jinks, and is still a charming watch, It also follows in “Paddington 2’s” footsteps by featuring more all-time comic turns from amazing new stars, this time in the form of Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas.
If you’d like to take a break from Netflix’s many high-octane releases, have some young ones to entertain, or just need a soothing watch, I absolutely recommend streaming “Paddington in Peru” on Netflix now.
Need a second opinion? Well, “Paddington in Peru” still comes highly recommended. At the time of writing, the movie holds a 93% critics score on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, and the Popcornmeter score is not far behind, either (91%).
The site’s critical consensus reads: “Paddington in Peru” whisks away cinema’s politest bear to a fresh setting under new creative stewardship, delivering a most agreeable adventure for the whole family”, and most of the 180+ reviews logged reflect that summary.
For example, Empire’s Nick De Semlyen gave the movie a 2-star review, writing: ”while all of the signature elements are present and correct, right down to the soul-shrivelling hard stare, some of the warmth and wit and dashes of brilliant eccentricity we’ve become used to are absent.
Meanwhile, Vulture critic Alison Willmore said, “even if it’s the weakest of the Paddington movies, it succeeds,” adding: “The innate sweetness of the series carries it past figurative and literal rapids and into shenanigans involving bear carvings, a bear temple in the mountains, and a secret bear community.”
Finally, Variety’s Guy Lodge said it “lacks the anarchic sparkle of its instant-classic predecessors,” writing: “Wilson [...] directs it all with smooth, pacy aplomb and precise tear-milking instincts. But the result isn’t as formally or tonally characterful as the previous films, just as the script, more than before, feels bound to a well-worn template. Paddington belongs to everyone these days, as well he should. But he’s become a little less peculiar in the process.”
In short? “Paddington in Peru” is still more than bearly-tolerable, and deserves a spot on your Netflix watchlist… even if it isn’t quite an all-timer as Paul King’s first two features.
Not sold on “Paddington in Peru,” but need more help finding your next Netflix watch? We can still help.
Be sure to check out our round-up of the best family movies on Netflix and our overall guide to the best Netflix movies for tons more streaming recommendations that are perfect for your next movie night.
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