DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD – A Review by Cynthia FloresDora and the Lost City of Gold is a great summer treat before school starts. I’m glad that the writers of this script didn’t try to whitewash their Latina heroine. In the beginning, they have adventures like the ones we grew up watching on television before he moves away with his family. The film cleverly shows the progression of seven-year-old Dora and her cousin Diego from children to teens. Now Dora (Isabela Moner) is old enough to attend high school for the first time as she stays with her cousin Diego’s (Jeff Wahlberg) family. Her parents want to keep her safe so they can make the final push in the jungle to find the city of Parapata.
The film is cool enough to acknowledge that there’s something odd about Dora’s penchant for breaking the fourth wall. As when she turns and asks the audience, “Can you say ‘delicioso’?” Or her spontaneous composing of songs for any occasion. I think that nod to the original TV show style makes this transition to live-action film smoother. In fact, I love that the movie permits Dora to remain comically upbeat no matter what the situation. Whether she’s navigating treacherous Incan temples or facing an auditorium of jeering teenage kids at a dance, Dora is still Dora, and that is what makes this movie soar.
I won’t give any spoilers away, but I will say that there is lots of action in this film. Once Dora and her friends are kidnapped by evil treasure hunters the game is on. The bad guys plan to use Dora to track down her archaeology professor parents (Eva Longoria and Michael Peña). They want to force the explorers to take them all to the legendary city of Parapata.
I had the privilege of taking my four-year-old niece Madelyn to the screening for this film. She has grown up watching the TV series, so I wanted to see her take on the film. She was literally on the edge of her seat as Dora, and her friends were full-on into the action of the film. I appreciated that there were no parts in the movie that would give her nightmares later. Instead, it let her watch her favorite explorer grow up a bit without changing completely.
I give Dora and the Lost City of Gold a B+ rating and consider it the Raiders of the Lost Ark for a much younger audience.
Directed by James Bobin
Written by Chris Gifford, Matthew Robinson, Nicholas Stoller, Tom Wheeler
Rated PG
Running Time 1hr 42min
Family Adventure
Wide Release August 9th
Starring: Isabela Moner, (Voice of) Benicio Del Toro, Eva Longoria, Michael Peña, Jeff Wahlberg, Madeleine Madden, Nicholas Coombe
The Selig Rating Scale:
A – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
B – Good movie
C – OK movie
D – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
F – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
