About the film (courtesy of Paramount Pictures):
Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner) for her most dangerous adventure ever – High School. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego (Jeffrey Wahlberg), a mysterious jungle inhabitant (Eugenio Derbez), and a rag tag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents (Eva Longoria, Michael Peña) and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost city of gold.
I would say that I’m not the ideal demographic for Paramount Pictures’ live action adaptation of Nickelodeon’s cartoon version of Dora the Explorer, which ran for a total of eight seasons starting in 2000. That said, I spent many hours watching the show with my daughter who was the perfect age for the television series. So, I would argue that I am uniquely qualified to give proper insight to Dora and the Lost City of Gold from many perspectives.
Director James Bobin comes into this beloved children’s franchise and makes it relevant for a theater-going audience. The first smart move was securing a lead that could properly sell the idea of what Dora would grow into as she reached her teenage years. Enter Isabela Moner as the mid-teen realization of that idea. With her ever-expanding resumé working in big studio hits such as Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) and Instant Family (2018), she has a very familiar face. Next up would be bring in a few recognizable names to assist in adding even more legitimacy to them. Michael Peña and Eva Longoria check that box quite nicely as Dora’s parents. Adding Benicio Del Toro and Danny Trejo to the credits as voice talents to CGI characters is just icing on the cake.
The most important aspect that James Bobin brings to the table is a fun story that plays to Dora’s television past as well as the years to follow. Dora and the Lost City of Gold covers this and more as the story plays out. You will absolutely be subjected to the classic themes of the past. Dora (Moner), along with Diego (Jeff Wahlberg), Sammy (Madeleine Madden) and Randy (Nicholas Coombe) by her side, get comically nostalgic over and over again. And fear not true fans of the original, Swiper (voiced by Benicio Del Toro) and Boots (voiced by Danny Trejo) get their iconic moments in the sun. And yes, there are villains.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a laugh-out-loud silly escape that does exactly what it’s suppose to do for your entertainment dollar. The little ones should love it, and the parents won’t be bored. I’d even venture to say that those willing to swallow their teenage-to-twenties “I’m too old for this nonsense” pride, would also have a entertaining time out at the theater. No this isn’t a Tomb Raider intensity type movie, but it has just enough light action, clean comedy and solvable puzzles to keep audiences entertained. Follow the map to the nearest theater today to check it out.
