The Paddington Bear movies are based on a children's book series written by Micheal Bond that has 29 books published from 1958 to 2018. So sixty years. The last book has published posthumously.
So, you might be saying, if the movies are based on a children's book series, wouldn't the films be for children. Yes, the movies are aimed at children But Paddington is such a refreshing, guileless, polite character, it is fun for adults too.
In the first movie, Paddington moves from Peru (there's bears in Peru? Google AI says "Peru is home to the Andean bear, also known as the spectacled bear.") to London to find the explorer that found him in Peru. Instead, he is found by the Brown family in Paddington Station and they adopt him. They name him "Paddington" because his bear name is too hard for humans to pronounce. While in Peru, Paddington developed a love of orange marmalade. And pretty much everywhere he goes, he sings the praises of orange marmalade. It's gently funny. No one is made fun of or put down.
The second movie is the best of the three. If you only want to watch one Paddington movie, make it Paddington 2. But you'll want to watch Paddington so you understand the background. Paddington 2 even got a call out in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent movie starring Nicolas Cage.
The third movie, Paddington in Peru, is enjoyable. But with a director change and a recasting of Mrs. Brown, seemed to have lost some of its charm. It's still a good movie and worth watching. And you'll laugh. Some of it is implausible, but that's okay.
Watch the Paddington movies. You won't regret it. And apparently, there will be a fourth one.
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