By William Coffman, Opinions & Editorials editor

Everyone’s favorite bear returns to his home of Darkest Peru in the latest installment of the beloved bear franchise with “Paddington in Peru.”

 The first installment of the film introduces audiences to Paddington and the family that would take him in as their own. They watch as Paddington gets used to London, and modern appliances, all while an evil Nicole Kidman plays a taxidermist devoted to stuffing the beloved bear.

In 2017’s “Paddington 2,” a film that had a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, we see Paddington has made London his home. The film sees the Browns, his adoptive family, work to prove Paddington’s innocence after he is framed. While Paddington and his new prison friends break free. This culminates in a train chase and a heartwarming reunion between Paddington and his aunt Lucy.

In the new film, some time has passed since the last adventure with the family. Hugh Bonneville returns as Henry Brown, the patriarch of the family. Meanwhile, Emily Mortimer takes over the role of Henry’s wife Mary, replacing Sally Hawkins.

Hawkins is not the only actor from the first two movies to be absent from the third. Paul King, director of the first two installments, left to work on other projects, including 2023’s “Wonka.” He ceded the director’s chair to Dougal Wilson. 

Both Wilson and Mortimer do a good job of taking up the torch from their predecessors, but Wilson doesn’t quite match King’s magic, and it might take audience a little bit to get used to Mortimer in the role.

Samuel Joslin returns as Jonathan Brown, who has developed a bit of a couch potato attitude, while Madeleine Harris returns as his sister Judy, now in the midst of her college search. Also returning are Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird and Jim Broadbent as Mr. Gruber.

Of course, the star of the show is Ben Whishaw as the titular character, and just like the first two films, he delivers an excellent voice performance. Aunt Lucy writes to Paddington asking him to come visit. Paddington and the Browns depart to Darkest Peru, only to find Aunt Lucy is missing. Encouraged by Olivia Coleman, who plays a nun at the Home for Retired Bears, Paddington and the Browns soon embark on an unforgettable and turbulent journey through the Amazon. 

Traveling by boat under the care of Hunter Cabot, a ferry captain and treasure hunter, who is played by Antonio Banderas, and his daughter Gina, played Carla Tous Paddington and the Browns soon realize this won’t be the fun family vacation they were expecting. What follows is a tale of twists, treasure, action and some beautiful moments about home and family that audiences will surely appreciate. 

“Paddington in Peru” doesn’t quite reach the level of its predecessors, but the film still offers a fun, exciting and enjoyable tale for people of all ages. And yes, plenty of marmalade too.