If I were to describe Dougal Wilson’s “Paddington in Peru” in three words, I would say it is suspenseful, heart-warming and fun. It makes for a great family night movie. 

The movie follows a bear named Paddington summoned to a bear retirement home in—you guessed it—Peru. His Aunt Lucy had sent him a letter asking him to visit. However, when he arrives, it turns out she has gone missing. Determined, he sets out with the Brown family, who had graciously taken Paddington in in the first movie, to find her, but they come across many obstacles along the way. 

The film has a 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is why I was surprised when I arrived at the theater to see only a handful of people scattered throughout the seats. Considering how high of a rating the film has across many platforms; the audience was pretty scarce. I’m not sure if it was due to it being almost a month since the release date or because I went on a weekday, but it was definitely less than I expected. According to TheNumbers.com, during the first week of release “Paddington in Peru” was ranked second in theaters and made almost $13 million that week. By the weekend I went, the earnings were almost a quarter of what it had been initially, and the rank had dropped down to fifth, explaining the vacancy in the seats.  

Going into it, I expected an adventure/mystery movie, but it was so much more than that. I was surprised at how many worthwhile messages were placed throughout the movie. The theme of family was prevalent throughout the film, acting as a reminder to those watching of the importance of prioritizing those close to you over anything else. It reminded me of when my parents would read me books at bedtime and ask me to name the moral of the story, so this movie sparked nostalgia for me. It is sure to garner smiles and laughs.  

“Paddington in Peru” is a sequel to “Paddington” and “Paddington 2.” Since I hadn’t seen the first two, I had someone who had watched the preceding movies accompany me. Throughout the movie, I heard scattered laughter at certain scenes, to which I was informed were references to the first two movies. I did not understand the references, but they did not take away from the experience of the movie. The plot is completely separate, so you can still enjoy it without prior exposure. However, for those who have seen both “Paddington” movies, the references can be appreciated.  

One thing I enjoyed was the amount of plot twists in the movie. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and collective gasps were let out every time something new was revealed. You could never predict what was going to happen next and it was exciting trying to determine what was to follow. The acting was very exaggerated— how it typically is in a kid’s movie—but it was well done to the point that the comedic relief characters were more than hilarious, and the villains were unnerving. 

Something that could have been better for me was the pacing. It was very unrealistic how some characters suddenly had changes of heart. Some parts that were dragged out or shortened were unnecessary. Other than that, I had no complaints. 

Overall, “Paddington in Peru” is a great movie to watch with friends and family. People of all ages can enjoy this film, as was seen by the wide variety of ages at the theater, from families with young children, to couples, to even individual adults immersed in the story.