The Paddington bear movies have the rare distinction of the sequel being better than the original, which was also pretty good.
The chances that the third could top the mayhem of sending our ever polite bear to prison are slim, so, wisely, they never really try.
Opening on New Year’s Day Paddington In Peru is as charming as ever but hardly bothers with the slapstick sequences that were an integral part of making the first two movies so memorable.
Paddington has not lost his talent for clumsiness but we see less of it and the choreography feels almost perfunctory.
When Paddington receives a letter from the Rev Mother (Olivia Colman) who runs the home for retired bears where Aunt Lucy resides, it is decided that everyone should head to Peru for a visit.
Colman has a marvellous time giving us the most twinkly singing nun since Julie Andrews but she has sad news to tell, Aunt Lucy has disappeared.
This is the cue for everyone to hire a river boat captained by Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) to try to find her. Banderas shows that he still is a middle-aged woman’s dreamboat and, as they head on up the Amazon, we are given a master class in why getting a bear to steer is never a good idea.
Being the worst of the three films is less damning than usual, because the bar was set so high. There is still plenty for fans of Paddington to enjoy in Peru.