Why So Blu?

Paddington In Peru (Blu-ray Review)

It goes without saying that many of us grew up with Paddington Bear in some form.  Be it books, TV or even now films, the marmalade loving, rain hat sporting bear has been a part of many a childhood forever now. The film series has been a warm and pleasant surprise not only commercially but critically as well, with Paddington 2 legitimately becoming one of the best reviewed films of all time.  2024 brought us Paddington In Peru which was another critical success, and a sleeper hit in theaters. While not a monumental achievement like its predecessor (how can you top perfection, right?), the film is still a glowing representation of the sweet as marmalade personality inherent to the character.

Film

Full of Paddington’s signature blend of wit, charm and laugh-out-loud humor, Paddington In Peru finds the beloved, marmalade-loving bear lost in the jungle on an exciting, high-stakes adventure. When Paddington discovers his beloved Aunt Lucy has gone missing from the Home for Retired Bears, he and the Brown family head to the wilds of Peru to look for her. The only clue to her whereabouts is a spot marked on an enigmatic map. Determined to solve the mystery, Paddington embarks on a thrilling quest through the rainforests of the Amazon to find his aunt…and may also uncover one of the world’s most legendary treasures.

Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) has been enjoying his time in London with the Brown family (led by Hugh Bonneville and Emily Mortimer).  By now, time has passed long enough for the children to be teenagers.  As they’ve grown and their parents are digging deeper into work, Paddington is now finding himself more occupied with thoughts of where he truly belongs.  Receiving the letter from his Aunt Lucy gives him a perfect reason to go to Peru, where he came from.  This is also a great excuse for the Browns to take a vacation.  The whole “doing-your-own-thing” bug has bitten the family and it’s a prime time to get together and bond.

When the family arrives at the Home for Retired Bears, they meet Reverand Mother (Olivia Colman) who lovingly welcomes them. She gives Paddington some clues, including a pair of Aunt Lucy’s broken glasses and a bracelet.  These both give Paddington some idea of where Aunt Lucy may have gone.  Beginning his journey into the wilds of Peru, Paddington wants to go alone, but The Brown family decides to tag along.  Grandma (Julie Walters) decides to hang back with the Retired Bears, because she suspects something may be fishy there.

Deciding to take a trip upriver, Paddington and the family hitch a ride with boat captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas) and his daughter Gina.  They quickly learn that Cabot is on a search for El Dorado, the lost city of gold.  His obsession derails the search for Aunt Lucy, but in the process, puts Paddington on the path to finding his homeland. This also uncovers some secrets that were possibly not meant to be uncovered. At this point, Grandma and Reverand Mother get involved too.  Reverand Mother gave Mrs. Brown a tracking device, and so she’d been keeping tabs.  Taking the Home’s rickety plane, the pair swoop in to rescue Paddington and crew from Cabot.

It turns out though, there may be a few more plot twists – Nothing scary or too revealing of course, but not wanting to spoil them or the rest of the film for those who haven’t seen it, I’ll stop detailing the plot there and just say, the rest of the film has some thrilling elements that are fit for the family, but still will give you moments that will make you excited, make you laugh and even make you emotional.

Paddington In Peru is the type of film that you love to watch.  It’s a comforting watch that from the moment it begins you feel engrossed in.  The way it’s been filmed is very cozy with bright colors and a sunny sense of pacing.  Nothing feels slow or contrived either.  The characters are fully fleshed out and interesting, even the ones that are there in minor roles.  Paddington himself is a charmer with his sweet disposition.  Even though he is a CGI character, he has a lot of soul, and it shows through on screen.

While I was wholly charmed by Paddington In Peru, I do realize it was preceded by Paddington 2.  Therefore, I know it’s not nearly as charming or excellent as that film.  So, it’s a step down from there, but not by much.  You get a wonderful film with wonderful characters going on a cute and somehow also exciting adventure.  There’s nothing threatening or overtly scary either, so there’s no risk in showing your children the film, and that’s a nice thing too.  Fans of the series will no doubt love this entry and want more.  I for one am going to count myself as one of those people.

Video

Encoding: MPEG-4/AVC

Resolution: HD (1080p)

Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

Layers: BD-50

HDR: N/A

Clarity/Detail: Paddington In Peru has already debuted on physical media elsewhere already, and in 4K no less. Sony has released the film with a flawless 1080p Blu-ray, with lovely looking colors and the beautiful cinematography on display with great sharpness and detail.  Despite not getting a 4K release stateside, this release is nothing to complain about.

Depth: Depth is handled with great care, with camera movements handled with fluidity and cleanliness.  Focus never appears shoddy or inconsistent and effects work even has a mostly natural appearance as it moves within the frame

Black Levels: Blacks can go deep without giving in to crush or losing detail.

Color Reproduction: Colors throughout the film are vibrant and beautiful.  Teals, blues, reds, greens, and oranges are all lush and full bodied.  Blacks and browns even have a character to them that is usually not as eye catching.  The color palette here is very warm and inviting to the eye.

Flesh Tones: Flesh tones are natural and for some characters a bit sun kissed but well intentioned.

Noise/Artifacts: Clean.

Audio

Audio Format(s): English DTS HD-MA 5.1, Spanish, English Audio Description, French 5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish, French

Dynamics: Dynamically, to my ears anyway, this mix sounds like a fold-down from an Atmos mix.  Nothing wrong with that, as this is still a modern sounding mix, with plenty going on and nothing to complain about except maybe that the Atmos track could’ve been on the Blu-ray.

Low-Frequency Extension:  Rushing rivers, tumbling rocks, plane engines and a rousing music score make the subwoofer come to life quite a bit in this fine family film.

Height: N/A

Surround Sound Presentation: Surrounds keep busy during much of the film, whether sharing the soundstage with ambience or music or some moments of busy action or slapstick, the channels keep busy for the entirety of the film.

Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue sounds excellent throughout.

Extras

Paddington in Peru comes to Blu-ray with a few select extras, mostly tailored to the kiddos in your life.  These will delight them, and maybe you too! The disc comes home in a standard case with a digital code. No slipcover is provided with this release.

Bonus Features:

• “Let’s Prepare for Paddington” Sing Along (HD, 3 minutes) – The song the nuns sing in the film, but you can sing it with them this time!

• Beary Fun Activities (HD, 12 minutes) – Crafty fun for your little ones!

• Set Tour: The Home for Retired Bears (HD, 2 minutes) – Just as advertised!
• Set Tour: The Brown’s House (HD, 3 minutes) – the Brown home explored.

• The Making of Paddington in Peru (HD, 14 minutes) – Standard EPK, but it’s a nice one!

• Sony Previews (HD)

Summary

Sony has furnished Paddington In Peru with a fantastic looking and sounding Blu-ray.  One wishes that we’d been given a 4K option like other parts of the world, but who knows why we didn’t. That minor quibble aside, the Blu-ray is a winner! One hopes we get another fun adventure with Paddington, the Brown family and maybe some new friends in the future. This release comes highly recommended!

Get a Copy of Paddington in Peru HERE

Get All 3 Paddington Films in 4K HERE