Get the popcorn out! Two big blockbusters hit cinemas this week: the warm and cuddly Paddington III and the big and muscly Gladiator II. Much like the Barbenheimer face-off of summer 2023, behold now the winter of Gladdington 2024.
It’s hard to think of anything more cinematically British than Paddington and the Brown family, inhabiting with gusto the misty-eyed notion of Blighty as some Union-Jack buntinged, posh twit/jolly Cockernee merry-go-round of warm hearts, stiff upper lips and Victoria sponge.
But as the name of the third instalment reveals, the film takes its leave of Britain’s shores and moves the action to Peru, where our little ursine friend is searching for his beloved Aunt Lucy who has mysteriously disappeared. Our reviewer Jane Barnwell found Paddington in Peru to be a heartwarming tale of kindness, community and family, with messages of tolerance towards difference and diversity. As long as it ends with a lovely song and dance routine, I’ll be happy.
