Reel Talk with Julia

In Paddington in Peru, maybe the road to El
Dorado was the friends (bears?) we met along the way

By Julia Kelm

Paddington in Peru (2025) is the newest installment of the Paddington trilogy, featuring Ben Whishaw reprising his role as Paddington Brown, the very polite, marmalade-loving bear. The tale follows Paddington and the rest of the Brown family as they go on a trip to Peru to find Paddington’s aunt, who has mysteriously disappeared from the home for retired bears.

I saw this film at the Minor Theater in Arcata. They were kindly giving out free posters of Paddington in Peru, so I obviously took one. It now resides in my room next to a poster of Bob Dylan — as they intended, I’m sure.

This movie had a pretty high bar to reach following Paddington 2 (2017) — which it did not meet, unfortunately. However, that does not mean that this movie was not fun or as full of heart and whimsy as the first two.

Paddington in Peru is basically a fish out of water story, taking Paddington out of London and into the jungles of Peru. It was still entertaining, don’t get me wrong. 

For me, what makes Paddington so endearing is its cozy cottage core vibe, something the other previous two films did so well.

Outside of the general plot of the film, Antonio Banderas and Oliva Colman deliver a memorable and stellar performance.

Banderas plays the ship captain, Hunter Cabot, who is haunted by his past ancestors — who are also played by Banderas — and has a desire to find the treasure in the mysterious El Dorado. He’s just so silly and goofy in this movie, and the recurring theme of characters wanting to eat Paddington is also amusing.

Colman, who plays the suspicious nun working at the retired bear’s home, is probably one of the finest living actresses still performing. Somehow, she always gives an amazing performance, even in less serious films like Paddington in Peru.

A notable part of the film, and something I found surprising, was its unexpected core message of adoption, being an immigrant and the lost heritage that communities often face when assimilating. 

Something that is often overlooked about Paddington is his Latino roots. Considering how extremely British he is, it’s very easily forgotten. 

Paddington in Peru focuses a lot on Paddington’s lore, with the ending showing us exactly where Paddington came from and reconnecting him with his culture to an extent. 

Immigration really shouldn’t be politicized, but this film’s messages seem important — especially right now. 

I should also point out that this film is viewed through the lens of the colonizing British, so take all that with a grain of salt. I think it’s worth mentioning for a kid’s film, these messages are leagues ahead of the AI crap kids are probably watching instead. 

If you’re already a fan of Paddington, then you will likely have a delightful time watching this film. If you haven’t seen anything from Paddington, then a movie marathon should definitely be on your calendar. 

Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”