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Paddington in Peru Bites Off More Than It Can Chew
Fortunately, adorable talking bears have big appetites.
While Paddington Bear is emblematic of Britishness, from his love of marmalade to his duffel coat to his unfailing politeness, he came from South America — more specifically, “darkest Peru,” an origin story that smacks of a colonial era where whole swaths of the world could be consigned to gloom on a map based on their impenetrability to foreign explorers. Instead, it keeps its focus on the Browns, now headed up by Emily Mortimer, who replaces Sally Hawkins as matriarch Mary, as they accompany Paddington on a vacation-cum-rescue-expedition involving the legend of El Dorado, a bunch of nuns, and Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas), a riverboat captain who turns out to be descendant from a long line of rapacious Spanish gold-seekers. Mr. Gruber (Jim Broadbent), the antiques store owner, warns the bear that “becoming a citizen of a country, while a wonderful thing, can lead to mixed feelings.” But if Paddington does feel conflicted over where he belongs, or over having lost touch with his family’s beary roots, it’s never explored.
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