Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like Paddington in Peru:
Despicable Me 4
Despicable Me 4 carries the same wistful, harmless energy that the other two sequels had, even if that means that they all live inside the shadow of the original 2010 hit. Because despite the limitations brought forward by the original, there were enough new characters and ideas to make worthwhile a movie.
A Minecraft Movie
A Minecraft Movie is a complete misfire—an example of what happens when a studio sees a brand, not a story. It fails both as an adaptation and as entertainment. It’s not funny, not charming, and not visually interesting. It’s just loud, dumb, and disposable. For a game that has inspired millions through endless creativity and player agency, this movie feels like the exact opposite: rigid, forced, and fundamentally joyless.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
I think I like the idea of a Sonic Cinematic Universe more than any of the actual movies within it. That’s not to say the Sonic the Hedgehog films have been without their charms—Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik remains an over-the-top but mostly entertaining presence, and the animated Sonic characters, from Sonic (Ben Schwartz) to Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), translate surprisingly well into a live-action world.
Strange World
It’s not that Strange World is bad, it just should’ve been much better. The movie has a third act with its positives (I particularly liked the main twist that I’ll avoid spoiling in this review, but it gave me some nice food-for-thought), but not enough to redeem a story that takes too long to set up without much fun or promise. Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid lead a mixed voice cast.
The Super Mario Bros Movie
The Super Mario Bros Movie offers an overflowing amount of family entertainment, but at what cost? It sacrifices story to incorporate as much “Mario” as possible – for better or for worse.
Toy Story 4
I was certainly in that camp in 2019, always favoring original stories over rehashes of the same material over and over (I’ll probably act the same way when Toy Story 5 nears because I clearly haven’t learned my lesson). Toy Story 4 quickly expels any notion that it shouldn’t exist – the different themes and new characters actually make the franchise as engaging as ever.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fantastic Mr. Fox is more than just one of the best Wes Anderson movies or one of the best animated movies—it’s one of the best movies, period. A singular work of creativity and charm that continues to inspire, entertain, and resonate.
Dog Man
Dog Man is quick, goofy, and genuinely entertaining—a rare kids movie that doesn’t insult its audience’s intelligence. For viewers expecting a hollow, IP-driven cash grab, this ends up being a pleasant surprise. It’s a mid-tier animated film that punches a little above its weight, and for families looking for something fast, funny, and a little off-kilter, it more than delivers.
How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon is the latest in a long line of live-action remakes that feel more like box office insurance policies than artistic endeavors. Directed by Dean DeBlois, who also helmed the original animated trilogy, this version revisits the well-loved 2010 DreamWorks film, but with real actors, heavier visual effects, and—unfortunately—the same core issue plaguing nearly all these remakes: a lack of purpose beyond profit.
Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t even inflate the tires. But it doesn’t burst them either, and in a genre flooded with big-budget, charisma-sapping clunkers, that might be faint praise—but it’s praise nonetheless. It’s a forgettable but harmless addition to Apple TV+’s library, with just enough star power and personality from John Krasinski and Natalie Portman to make it mildly palatable.