This review may contain partial spoilers.

Whether you think of the Paddington films as a relatable, educational kids’ series or an opportunity for an annoying CGI bear to lead the stage, one thing is for certain: Dougal Wilson’s Paddington In Peru gave me hope for the future.

Paddington in Peru, the next installment in the Paddington film series, offers a heart-warming alternative to the prevalent social hazards in our world.

The movie centers around Paddington Brown, a young brown bear, and the nuclear family that he’s been staying with for the past few years, the Browns. Paddington convinces them to travel with him to Peru to brighten up his bear relative Aunt Lucy’s (voiced by Imelda Staunton) stay at a nun-run Home for Retired Bears. The Browns, who are currently dealing with a bit of familial discontent and isolation, jump at the chance to experience something new—together. Before they touch down in Peru, Aunt Lucy leaves the retirement home in search of an adventure, and Paddington and the Browns embark on a wild goose chase through the Peruvian Amazon to find Aunt Lucy.

Paddington and his family take unique approaches to conflict and challenge. During a time of global strife, Paddington takes deep strides to provide a more positive view of the good in the world, through highlighting resilience, trust in others, and support for all.

Similarly to the first two Paddington movies, Paddington in Peru relies on a core theme of resilience. While the film had heavy subtexts surrounding missing relatives, the production team partnered them with relatable and comedic recurring themes from the past two movies.

Part of what drew me to the second movie, my favorite of the series, Paddington 2 (2017) was its innate human-ness, highlighting failure, progress, and eventual success. 

For example, in Paddington 2, Paddington tries to sell his services of window washing to save up money. Even though he is not initially successful—as demonstrated by several scenes of him spilling water and floating off of a building due to a faulty pulley system—Paddington stays committed to his goal and develops his skills, even if it means a bit of water on his hands.

Paddington in Peru continued these slapstick moments to make audiences appreciate the imperfection of the brown bear and to let child viewers know that perfection is not a prerequisite to success.

In addition, the Brown family, Paddington’s main supporters, defend and support Paddington along the way, even if he is not the most linear in his success. 

Throughout their adventure, the Browns were vital to Paddington’s growth as a character—and vice versa. Just seeing a close-knit family was a good start, but how they continued to help and support each other reinforced my appreciation of the family-focused premise.

In the beginning of the movie, Mrs. Brown (Emily Mortimer), the mother of the Brown children and wife to Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville), tries to connect with her daughter, Judy (Madeline Harris), through an old favorite game, travel Scrabble. Even though Judy turns her down to work on her travel journal, Mrs. Brown continues to support Judy in her creative endeavors. 

This kind of supportive and encouraging relationship between the mother-daughter pair foreshadows the welcoming nature of the Browns during their stay in Peru. 

The emphasis on family and the support and hope it brings is shown in the way Paddington often brings up quotes from his Aunt Lucy, who becomes a kind of voice of conscience for the busy Brown family.

In this movie, after the Reverend Mother reveals that Aunt Lucy is missing in the rainforest, Paddington says, “When skies are grey, hope is the way.” Even though the rest of the Browns are a bit worried, Paddington still believes that their trip to Peru is not a loss, and that “hope” is the way to progress.

While Paddington in Peru may be seen as a childish movie that encourages wishful over realistic thinking, I saw a reflection of what the world could be—positive, community-oriented, and hopeful.