Review: 'Pattington in Peru' bear-ly keeps the franchise afloat, but still fun for all

Sony Pictures Releasing, 2025.

Everybody loves Pattington, the Peruvian talking bear that winds up living a proper British life in London with his adopted human family, the Browns. So much so, that he's appeared in nearly 30 books since 1958, when he first appeared in the classic  novel "A Bear Called Pattington," by author Michael Bond.

This is the first Pattington film since Bond's death in 2018, and the third in the surprisingly great film series that has not only been a success at the box office, but also with critics ("Pattington 2" held the rare 100% RottenTomatoes rating with over 250 reviews, until some boob famously posted a rotten score, surely to grab personal headlines).

Grade: B

So it's only natural that we would arrive at "Pattington 3," presenting itself titled as "Pattington in Peru," but something about this chapter feels...off. Not only is the setting no longer in Great Britain, but a major character is oddly recast (portrayed by Sally Hawkins in the first two films, the role of Mary Brown is now played by Emily Mortimer).

Worst of all, the cleverness and charm of the first two chapters seems to be missing. First time director, Dougal Wilson (best known for creating corporate videos for Apple) doesn't seem to know how to breathe new life into these characters. The scenic shift - bringing Pattington back to his native Peru for an adventure to find his missing Aunt - seems to be the best that the filmmakers can do. It's an old trope (think "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," where the only thing left to do is change the location) and it just falls flat, in comparison to the first two films.

Granted, however, those first two films were better than they had any business being, and the bar has been set quite high. On its own merits, "Pattington in Peru" is fine...it's not garbage, but it's not all that memorable either. Kids will enjoy it, and parents won't pull their hair out. That alone, puts it above many other "family" films of recent years.

Besides Emily Mortimer as Mary, the other actors joining the fray this time around include Antonia Banderas and Olivia Colman. Banderas is clearly having fun, given a character who is tormented with greed, passed down to him like a genetic disease by his many ancestors (all of which are played by Banderas), who keep appearing in visions. Colman plays a nun at a home for elderly bears, and its no spoiler to say that she ends up with some ulterior motives. Coming on the heels of the performance given by Hugh Grant in "Pattington 2," these new characters seem slight, but there are a few surprises for those that stick around into the end credits.

"Pattington in Peru" could have been better, but really they've already overshot the target with how successful the films have been thus far. This was a safe and generic entry, but if there's any one - or any bear - that could pull us back to theaters and endear us to endure inevitable future chapters, it's Pattington.

Grade: B

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family.
Run Time: 1 hour 43 minutes.
Rated PG.

Starring: Ben Wishaw (voice of Pattington), Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Imelda Staunton, Samuel Joslin, Madeleine Harris, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman.

Directed by Dougal Wilson (feature-film directorial debut).

Based on the books by Michael Bond.

"Pattington in Peru" is in theaters everywhere on Friday, February 14th, 2025.