
In “Paddington’s Peruvian Adventure,” Paddington, our beloved bear, has officially become a British citizen, allowing him to return home. However, this journey also brings some concerns, as the film is the first in the series not penned or directed by Paul King. The unique blend of whimsy and wit that made the previous Paddington films charming could potentially be grating when applied to a foreign setting, like shifting from inside jokes to offensive humor.
“Paddington’s Peruvian Adventure” addresses this concern by featuring very few Peruvians on screen, even in scenes set deep in the Amazon, driven by the mysterious disappearance of Paddington’s dear Aunt Lucy from the Retired Bears Home. Instead, it concentrates on the Browns, now led by Emily Mortimer who takes over as matriarch Mary, as they embark on a combined vacation and rescue mission. This adventure involves the legend of El Dorado, a group of nuns, and Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), a riverboat captain with an obsession that mirrors his ancestor’s conquistador past. This obsession is symbolized by recurring visions of his taunting forefather. While this may not be a particularly incisive critique of the colonial legacy, the film seems more concerned with avoiding pitfalls than making a strong statement.