Paddington in Peru 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Paddington in Peru 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Once more, still with feeling.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 18, 2025

Arriving roughly eight years after the outstanding Paddington 2 (an eternity, as far as sequels go), Dougal Wilson's Paddington in Peru offers a more adventurous take on the material paired with other behind-the-scenes differences; chiefly among them is newcomer Wilson taking over the reigns from director Paul King, not to mention a new Brown matriarch in Emily Mortimer, filling in for Sally Hawkins. Although said differences might normally spell trouble for a franchise, Paddington in Peru's overwhelming sense of comfortable familiarity carries it safely through this third lap. This film may not reach the heights of its predecessor and can't be fairly compared to the 2014 original, but I can't imagine many established fans resisting what's ultimately a fun and entertaining family adventure.

Like both previous entries, Paddington in Peru is the type of film that can be enjoyed by the whole family but clearly caters to younger audiences with a winking style that telegraphs character motivations and story clues. It begins with the revelation that Paddington's Aunt Lucy, still residing in Peru's Home for Retired Bears, misses her beloved nephew and has been acting strangely so the Brown family, who have grown apart during the kids' teenage years, decide that a visit is in order. Upon their arrival, the Browns are greeted by head nun The Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) and told that Aunt Lucy has fled in search of... something. Sadly, in recent days a few personal effects were found including her special bracelet and a broken pair of glasses. As the nuns are practically forbidden from venturing out into the jungle, Paddington and his family decide to search for her themselves, chartering a boat and tour guide in handsome Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina (Carla Tous). It's immediately obvious that Hunter has other motives, however, many of them spurned by his curious ability to communicate with long-dead relatives who all have one thing in common: a desire to find the lost city of El Dorado and a treasure trove of gold within its walls.

Paddington in Peru's mystery unfolds naturally, with occasional revelations and discoveries setting the stage for what proves to be a more action-packed adventure than both previous installments. It's got a solid "A" story in the Browns' dangerous trek through the Amazon in search of a landmark known as "Rumi Rock" (Aunt's Lucy's last-known location, according to her helpfully available journal), which even finds certain family members briefly separated after a sudden and unfortunate incident on board Hunter's boat. Between major story beats we also return to the Home for Retired Bears, where the Browns' dutiful housekeeper Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) investigates some rather fishy behavior from The Reverend Mother including a secret room behind her pedal organ. While these separate paths intersect a little sooner than expected, their shared goal is still Aunt Lucy's safe rescue, wherever that may be.

It's all in good fun, of course: despite brief flirtations with genuine danger, Paddington in Peru smartly plays it safe to ensure even the youngest audiences will have a good time. A playfully light touch is taken with almost every aspect of this material, just as it has with previous entries, and this gives the film a comfortable atmosphere that long-time fans might compare to a belated family reunion: it takes a little time to warm up, obviously, but settles into a groove soon enough. (Even the new presence of Emily Mortimer as matriarch Mary felt mostly natural despite their different takes on the character, though as usual the human Browns still feel more like secondary supporting characters most of the way.) That said, the only real drawback here -- for adults and even more discerning kids -- might be the predictability of it all, which includes Paddington in Peru's reliance on familiar narrative beats and a syrupy-sweet coda that wraps everything up in a neat little bow while hinting that a fourth adventure might be in the works.

I loved almost every minute of it either way, and Paddington in Peru also played perfectly well for the rest of my family. It's also arrived unusually early on home video, as the film debuted in American theaters only three days before Studio Canal's Blu-ray and 4K combo pack editions of the film were released in the UK. This 4K edition in particular will be of interest to US buyers for that reason, as it's not only region-free by default (the Blu-ray is Region B-locked, however) but Sony Pictures, the film's American distributor, has not committed to a domestic UHD release yet. In addition to this stand-alone combo pack, Paddington in Peru is also available as part of Studio Canal's excellent 3-Film Collection that also includes the 4K-debuting Paddington as well as a slightly tweaked UHD edition of Paddington 2.

Paddington in Peru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced directly from the 4K disc but have been downsampled to 1080p/SDR and thus should not be considered an accurate representation of quality in terms of brightness level, color, and detail.

As the only film in the Paddington series finished in true 4K, you can bet your boots that Paddington in Peru had a very good chance to score perfect marks with Studio Canal's new UHD presentation. Indeed, this disc checks all the boxes for a quality presentation and likely meets or exceeds most theatrical showings with a pitch-perfect 2160p/HDR/Dolby Vision transfer that easily handles everything that's thrown at it. The obviously more exotic locales on display during this film make it an ideal candidate for UHD, as deep greens and bright colors are prevalent during many scenes with lush foliage and tropical plants, standing out alongside familiar elements of the series' reliably colorful cinematography and production design. Fine detail is quite impressive with textures leading the charge, from occasional close-ups of animal fur and clothing details to background items like stones, dirt, and craggy tree bark. Obviously there's a certain flatness to certain scenes more heavily sweetened by CGI, but Paddington in Peru nonetheless sports a largely deep and inviting atmosphere that helps to draw viewers into its new and mysterious locations. As usual given its visual pedigree, the format's HDR10/Dolby Vision capabilities, and the obvious benefits of HEVC encoding on a triple-layer disc, the end result is a carefully modulated and precise presentation that runs extremely smoothly at a consistently high bit rate from start to finish with no perceivable compression issues. In short, buy with confidence.

Paddington in Peru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Indeed, this Dolby Atmos mix -- which automatically folds down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 if your receiver doesn't support the newer format, although a separate DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track is also included -- does a good amount of heavy lifting while unavoidably achieving a much different end result than both previous films in the series. Jungle canopies obviously have a different sonic feel than busy London, although in both cases the "sonic bubble" atmosphere comes alive with discrete channel effects and clear dialogue no matter the location size. But while earlier films certainly flirted with action, both real and implied, Paddington in Peru takes that notion literally on numerous occasions, from a raging river boat incident to numerous chase scenes and one even involving a boulder, Raiders of the Lost Ark-style. This gives more ample opportunities for Atmos' object-based surround capabilities as well as the height channels, which are put to good use during flyovers, one specific weather event, and where treetop jungle life is concerned. It's therefore a more "showy" film than the other two, which translates to a literal and figurative higher audio threshold that largely rises to the occasion; only once or twice did I wish for a greater sonic presence, such as an emergency plane crash that doesn't pack the expected wallop. Even so, this is a solid effort that the wide majority of fans will really enjoy.

Paddington in Peru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As usual, the included bonus features are disappointingly light and surface-level. Sony has yet to announce Paddington in Peru's extras for the forthcoming domestic release, so it's unknown how these will ultimately compare.

• The Home for Retired Bears Tour (1:54) - Madeleine Harris (Judy Brown) shows us the cozy set.

• Browns' House Tour (2:33) - Hugh Bonneville (patriarch Henry Brown) does the same for the Browns' house.

• The Making of Paddington in Peru (14:04) - Several key members of the cast and crew -- including actors Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, as well as director Dougal Wilson, co-writer Simon Farnaby, and producer Rosie Alison, just to name a few -- offer a quick but entertaining overview of the production, from early development to shooting, visual effects, and more.

• The Story of Paddington in Peru (1:33) - A short and rather pointless run-through of the story.

• "Let's Prepare for Paddington" with Reverend Mother (3:07) - An extended sing-along version of the lively musical number heard early on in the film.

Paddington in Peru 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dougal Wilson's Paddington in Peru may not reach as high as its predecessor but comfortably expands the franchise's boundaries. Despite a new person in the director's chair and a different actor portraying Mrs. Brown (Emily Mortimer), it uses a similarly polished formula of charm, whimsy, and heart that this series is known for while stretching its legs with a much broader approach towards action and adventure. Available either on its own or as part of Studio Canal's space-saving 3-Film Collection, this is a solid 4K home video effort with outstanding A/V merits but the extras leave something to be desired. US buyers are urged to import either one, as Sony won't be releasing Paddington in Peru domestically for several months and a UHD edition isn't even guaranteed. Highly Recommended.