“If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right,” says Paddington Brown in his 2017 sequel film “Paddington 2.” It’s a simple message, but one that’s always worth repeating. Fortunately, Paddington is back to repeat it with his third feature “Paddington in Peru.”

This time around, Paddington and the Brown family are compelled to travel to Paddington’s country of origin upon discovering his Aunt Lucy has gone missing, having embarked on a journey to discover the lost city of El Dorado. Along the way, Paddington uncovers clues about where he came from and has to decide what “family” really means to him.

Following up on one of the most well-reviewed films ever is certainly no easy task, and “Paddington in Peru” never could have lived up to its predecessor. Still, it’s hard to discredit it completely when it offers another entertaining journey full of fun and heartfelt moments.

One element of sequel writing the Paddington films excel at is having the characters age naturally. It feels as though the Brown family has had their own life offscreen between films, from Mr. Brown’s promotion to Judy’s college search to Mrs. Bird’s new to-do list. This helps the audience feel as if they’ve grown up alongside them.

An unfortunate blemish on Paddington’s third adventure is the absence of Sally Hawkins as Mrs. Brown. Her replacement Emily Mortimer delivers a fine performance, but no matter who took up the mantle, it wouldn’t have felt the same. This becomes especially egregious during a critical flashback to the first film in which the camera awkwardly conceals her face.

As far as newcomers go, Antonio Banderas and Olivia Coleman are the clear standouts. Their respective antagonists are great fun, and they both deliver performances that live up to the likes of Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant from the first two films.

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Another change from the first two films that had me approach the theater with trepidation was the absence of Paul King as director. King’s voice was critical in crafting the fun, heartwarming atmosphere that made the first two “Paddington” films so beloved, and I was worried it wouldn’t feel the same without him. However, while new director Dougal Wilson is certainly no Paul King, the atmospheric disconnect between their films is minimal.

Thanks to this movie, I now firmly believe theaters should provide trigger warnings for arachnophobia. Mr. Brown’s subplot about getting over his fear of a particular spider is in good fun, but “Paddington in Peru” non-consensually becomes a horror movie for about a minute to people like me.

The first act is pitch-perfect and everything I could ask for in a Paddington film. Unfortunately, once the family reaches Peru and starts their search for Aunt Lucy, it falls somewhat into tedium. Neither of the previous two films struggled this much with pacing in their second act, and this unfortunate reality means I probably won’t rewatch it as much.

Despite its drawbacks, this is still a Paddington film through and through. I still laughed, I still smiled, I almost cried at the end, and I still left with my heart warmed. I think that’s about all I can ask for these days.