The most charming family-friendly franchise in recent memory resumes with Paddington in Peru (now on Netflix), the third in a series of wholesome and funny movies based on the children’s book series by British author Paul Bond. These films, about a goofy anthropomorphic bear living with a human family in London, have been critical and popular hits, totaling nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars at the box office, and becoming modern classics of the genre. Following the overwhelming charm of the first two is no easy task, but first-time director Dougal Wilson (replacing Paul King) gives it the old college try, bringing back most of the cast (Emily Mortimer replaces Sally Hawkins in the Mrs. Brown role) for an adventure to Paddington’s South American homeland. Wilson gambles on franchise newcomers Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas to raise the stakes, which is a wise move for a movie that otherwise might not pack the punch of its predecessors. 

The Gist: ’Twas a time when Paddington (voice of Ben Whishaw) was but a wee bear who reached too far for a ripe, plump orange, tumbled into a river and was fished out by the kind old bear he’d soon call Aunt Lucy (voice of Imelda Staunton). He was sooooo cuuuuuute when he was little, scarfing down Lucy’s marmalade sandwiches in but a few bites, his eyes wide and innocent. But that was then, and this is now: Adolescent Paddington wears a blue peacoat and red hat as he slides into a photo booth to take a headshot for his official British passport. It’s a big deal. Granted, Paddington still carries a spare marmalade sandwich under his hat in case of emergency, so things haven’t changed much. But the dude’s a citizen now, and that’s truly something.

Now we catch up with the rest of Paddington’s adoptive family, the Browns: Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) is still an insurance adjuster and Mrs. Brown (Mortimer) is still a lovely painter, but the kids are teenagers now, with Judy (Madeleine Harris) applying to colleges and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) always holed up in his room farting around with his inventions. Paddington, of course, continues to live up in the cozy attic, and housekeeper Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) is still the other unofficial Brown family member. Mrs. Brown sighs that the family just doesn’t do things together like they used to, and this is when you can see the screenwriters’ gears interlocking: Peru flashback. Paddington’s freshly stamped paperwork. A need for some quality family time. How can these three story elements be logically pieced together into a cohesive narrative?

Here’s how – a letter from the Home for Retired Bears in Peru stating that Aunt Lucy is AWOL. This, of course, is concerning for Paddington, so it’s time to put that passport to good use with a good ol’ Brown family vacay into the heart of darkness! They hop a plane and land in Not Quite Darkest Peru, where they meet the head of the old bears’ home, the Reverend Mother (Colman), whose smile is about seven-to-12 percent too deranged to be trustworthy, which is precisely what you want when you hire Olivia Colman for a gig. Paddington and co. find a clue to Aunt Lucy’s potential whereabouts and need a riverboat captain to take them deep into the rainforest, so cue Hunter Cabot (Banderas), who floats into the frame on the prow of his vessel with an old-timey phonograph blasting opera like Fitz-frickin’-carraldo, which cinema aficionados know is not a good sign. But nobody in this movie is familiar enough with classic Herzog to realize this, so up the river they go with Cabot, who believes that Aunt Lucy’s holed up at El Dorado, the fabled lost city of gold. Would it be a shame if Cabot was secretly a treasure-obsessed lunatic? Not in the slightest!

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Today in Sentences I Thought I’d Never Write: Paddington in Peru is Fitzcarraldo crossed with Dora and the Lost City of Gold. There’s plenty of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Apocalypse Now nods here, too.

Performance Worth Watching: What about “Olivia Colman with a seven-to-12-percent too-deranged smile” did you not understand?

Memorable Dialogue: Paddington glares intensely at Cabot, and it burns, oh oh, it burns it burns: “It’s called a hard stare, Mr. Hunter. And it’s for when people have forgotten their manners, and the important things.”

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: The two previous Paddingtons each boasted high-profile stars in scene-stealing supporting roles – quite memorably, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant – and Paddington in Peru adheres to the formula while upping the ante with two terrifically funny performances from Banderas and Colman. This might seem unnecessary at first, but upon further review, the unofficial duel between them goes a long way towards making us forget how tepid and formulaic the plot of Peru can be. Another treacherous Jungle Cru- er, river journey? Another loon obsessed with finding El Dorado and getting rich? Another opportunity to exploit Amazon-wildlife phobias? I yawn like the mouth of a massive river or snake.

But the “but” here is a good “but” – the movie is considerably enlivened by a wimpled and crazy-eyed Colman suddenly strumming a guitar and singing a goofy tune, and Banderas playing all of Cabot’s ancestors who haunt him, most notably an unhinged conquistador who pops up to test his moral fiber like the devil on his shoulder. The real El Dorado gold is in these performances, which will keep adults in the audience chuckling and distracted from the disappointingly shabby plot, which feels cribbed and pieced together from too many other movies, and not quite worthy of Paddington’s status as the current cinema’s most esteemed and sophisticated kid-flick character. 

And there’s another “but,” namely, that Paddington in Peru is for children first and foremost, who may once again enjoy the company of a smallish bear who’s as much a klutzy goof as he is a wise chap, characterized by his gentle mannerisms, adventurous spirit and loyalty to his loved ones. This screen version of Paddington is such an endearing, smartly conceived character, he may be destined to elevate so-so screenplays from here, considering how the first two films are pretty much the apex of modern youth-oriented cinema and aren’t likely to be topped. (The absence of Park, who contributed to the previous screenplays, sure seems significant.) Nothing will stop Paddington from following his heart and being precisely who he is, not even a plot that’s a couple shades too lame and lazy to be of much consequence. Remember, though, it’s not always what you do but who you do it with – and gathering the family to hang out with this sweet and clever little bear is once again worthwhile.

Our Call: The least of the three Paddingtons is still better than most kid flicks. STREAM IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.