A tale of two sequels

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Today is Friday, February 14th.

Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Lindsay Mast.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Some new arrivals in theaters this weekend. Here’s arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino.

COLLIN GARBARINO: Perhaps you’re looking forward to a trip to the cinema this Valentine’s Day to see one of the latest releases. If so, I’ve got some good news, and some bad news for you. Let’s start with the good news.

The latest Paddington Bear film won’t disappoint fans of the franchise. The marmalade-loving bear in the blue coat and red hat is one of Britain’s most charming exports, and Paddington in Peru, the third live-action film in the series, captures the essence of what makes the character special.

PADDINGTON: Dear Aunt Lucy, I have very important news. We’re coming to Peru!

Things at 32 Windsor Gardens have changed for the worse since Paddington 2. Henry Brown, the family’s patriarch, is struggling with changing demands at work. The kids, Judy and Jonathan, are growing up and worrying their parents. And Mary, the family’s mother, is pining after the days when the family spent more time together.

When Paddington receives a letter from the Home for Retired Bears saying his Aunt Lucy misses him, Mary sees an opportunity for togetherness and organizes a trip to Peru for the whole family.

Upon arrival, Paddington and the Browns get some unexpected news.

REVEREND MOTHER: I’m afraid she’s set off on some sort of quest.

PADDINGTON: But she knew we were coming.

REVEREND MOTHER: Well, that’s what’s so mysterious.

The family decides to find Aunt Lucy. They’re aided in their adventure by a singing nun played by Olivia Colman, and a riverboat captain played by Antonio Banderas.

PADDINGTON: Excuse me, sir. Is this boat for hire?

HUNTER CABOT: Captain Hunter Cabot. At your service.

This third installment is good, though perhaps not quite as good as the first two. And some viewers might find the story a little too familiar. It doesn’t explore many new ideas. Instead, it sticks to the well-worn jungle-adventure plot points established by earlier films in the genre.

HUNTER CABOT: Your map is the key to finding El Dorado.

Paddington in Peru bears a striking resemblance to 2019’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold, another worthwhile family movie. But I will say that Paddington’s ending offers a satisfying little twist.

Despite its somewhat derivative narrative, the film provides plenty of feel-good entertainment. The humor is rooted in its particular Britishness: You might be able to take the bear out of London, but you can’t take London out of the bear. The slapstick comedy has an understated quality, and the film is almost completely devoid of the crude gags that have become the backbone of kids movies in America. Paddington amuses us because he’s a bear at odds with himself. He’s always making a muddle of things, but he desperately wants to preserve decorum.

PADDINGTON: We have a slight emergency.

In this movie, the Brown family doesn’t spend much time at 32 Windsor Gardens, but the franchise keeps its emphasis on the importance of home and family. Circumstances change and kids grow up, but the lessons we learn from a small brown bear remain the same.

PADDINGTON: I’m coming, Aunt Lucy!

Now for the bad news.

If you were hoping Captain America: Brave New World would be a return to form for the struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. There’s no trace of Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. Instead, his old sidekick, Sam Wilson is playing dress up with Cap’s red, white, and blue shield.

On the bright side, we do get Harrison Ford taking on the role of Thaddeus Ross. He’s got big plans for Sam.

THADDEUS ROSS: Which is why I want you, Captain America, to help me rebuild the Avengers.

Ross has just been elected president of the United States, and Sam must investigate an international incident that threatens to undo the new administration. Ross and Sam haven’t always seen eye to eye in the past, but Sam is willing to see if the newly elected president has had a change of heart.

THADDEUS ROSS: The country needs this.

SAM WILSON: And when we disagree on how to manage a situation, what happens then?

THADDEUS ROSS: Figure it out together.

There’s not much suspense to the film’s central mystery because Marvel bombarded fans with promotional clips in which we see Ross transform into the Red Hulk. Since we already know where things are going to end up, the 90 minutes or so it takes to get there feel very tedious.

Even more tedious is Sam’s relentless speechifying. This new Captain America isn’t a supersoldier, so his fists don’t pack a mighty punch. However, he sure can bludgeon his foes and the audience with self-righteous platitudes. The same guys who wrote the cringeworthy Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are responsible for this film’s script. The political overtones are somewhat subtler in Brave New World, but the humorless scolding is still the same.

THADDEUS ROSS: You’re not Steve Rogers.

SAM WILSON: You’re right. I’m not.

Yeah, he’s not Steve, but we sure wish he were.

This film feels like loosely connected leftovers from other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps the writers should have spent less time on the exposition and more time on the story.

I’m Collin Garbarino.

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