Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Paddington in Peru.
Paddington in Peruends with a family twist and a major decision made by the titular bear. Family is at the center of the thirdPaddingtonmovie’s storyasPaddington (Ben Whishaw) and the Browns search for Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) in Peru. Before living in London with the Brown family, Paddington was raised by the bears Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) in the jungles of Peru, which must now be traversed to find the missing Aunt Lucy. This change in setting makes it necessary for Paddington to take more of the lead than the Brown family.
Some ofPaddington in Peru’s new charactersare more concerned with finding the fabled city of gold known as El Dorado than they are in finding Aunt Lucy, but the two missions become intertwined. What follows is a thrilling and ultimately heartfelt journey that feels as though Paddington and the Browns are on anIndiana Jones-style adventure. This includes the plot twists inPaddington in Peru’s endingabout the bear’s family history and what he decides to do after these revelations.
He Was Born Among The El Dorado Bears
Image via Sony Pictures
Paddington was believed to be an orphan before he was found and raised by Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo. The opening scene inPaddington in Peruseems to confirm this when a young Paddington falls into a river after trying to get a delicious-looking orange and is rescued by the two bears who become his guardians. However,Paddington in Perureveals that he was not an orphan before this and that he was originally from the community of bears known as El Dorado.
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He was not on his own before falling into the river, but was living among the bears of El Dorado, and this is where he was born. El Dorado is an orangery, which explains the orange that Paddington was trying to reach before his fall, and gives further weight to his lifelong love of marmalade. After finding El Dorado, and discovering that the bears there are his biological family, he spends time with them as they make marmalade, and it momentarily seems as though this location will become his new home.
A Bracelet Is Integral To The Retcon
Having Paddington be descended from the El Dorado bears retcons what was previously established in thePaddingtonfranchiseabout his family history. He now has a past with family before Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo that was not incorporated into the previous movies.Paddington in Perumakes this retcon work through the importance of a bracelet that Aunt Lucy wore and that Paddington begins wearing. Antonio Banderas' character, Hunter Cabot, notices Paddington wearing the bracelet and recognizes it as the key to finding and entering the mythical city of El Dorado.
Antonio Banderas also plays Hunter’s ancestors that haunt him inPaddington in Peru.
The bracelet does end up being the key to gaining access to El Dorado. More importantly, it is revealed thatall the bears born in El Dorado have bracelets like this one, and young Paddington had this bracelet on when Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo found himall those years ago. The revelations surrounding El Dorado and the bracelet recontextualize what the characters and the audience previously knew about Paddington and his family tree, although there are still questions about Paddington’s past that can be explored.
The Mystery Of Paddington’s Parents Continue
Paddington in Peru’s backstory shows where he came from, but it does not answer who his biological parents were and what happened to them. They are seemingly not among the bears at El Dorado and none of the bears there reveal any new information about their fates.Paddington 4’s storycould be a potential avenue for this mystery to be answered, with Paddington using his newly discovered relatives to search for his parents and to be reunited with them. This search could potentially take the story outside of London or Peru during the franchise’s fourth cinematic installment.
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Even though Paddington decides not to stay in El Dorado, he remains connected with his newfound relatives, who visit him in London duringPaddington in Peru’s post-credits scenes. These relatives likely already know who Paddington’s biological parents are and what happened to them. The fourth movie does not have to follow a search for the parents, and the El Dorado bears may simply tell Paddington information about who they were and what happened to them. Such information can provide closure and help Paddington feel further connected to his heritage.
Why Paddington Doesn’t Choose To Stay With The Bears In El Dorado
There Is An Importance Difference Between Paddington’s Tribe And His Chosen Family
AsMary Brown(Emily Mortimer) and her family watch Paddington making marmalade with the El Dorado bears, it initially seems as though he will be staying with his new family. Paddington takes off his signature red hat and blue coat, making him fit in with the other bears. With Mary having to accept that her children Judy (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) are growing up, and that they are moving onto new stages in their lives, Paddington staying with the bears seems as though it thematically makes sense for the story being told.
It is equally important for Paddington to remain connected to the family he has chosen for himself, which are the Browns.
Nevertheless, Paddington chooses to return to London with the Browns instead of staying in El Dorado. Paddington explains thatthe El Dorado bears are his tribe, but the Browns are his family. Where Paddington comes from is important, as is being connected to these roots, which he refers to as his tribe. At the same time, it is equally important for Paddington to remain connected to the family he has chosen for himself, which are the Browns. After everything Paddington and the Browns have shared throughout the past three movies, it would have been disingenuous to suddenly leave them.
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From a franchise standpoint, Paddington returning to London with the Browns also works better than staying in El Dorado. There are not many narrative opportunities to explore in El Dorado. More potential lies in London and in other locations where Paddington feels more like a fish out of water and where his innate goodness positively influences other people. Staying in El Dorado would have felt like a definitive ending. Instead, there are now limitless possibilities for what Paddington and the Browns will do next, especially after their daring adventures duringPaddington in Peru.
