While not a spoof, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is still full of humor and not afraid to both reference and poke fun at the original animated series. Isabela Moner excels in bringing the character to life. The story itself is funny, action-packed, full of life lessons, and sure to offer something for viewers of all ages.
In today’s age of reboots and live-action remakes, did you ever think to yourself, “Wow, you know what we need? Live-action Dora! That would be great!” Well, someone did, and it happened. And, might we add, to a surprisingly decent effect.
Or maybe you saw the CollegeHumor Dora sketch with Ariel Winter in the title role. If you haven’t, check it out here – it’s worth two minutes and sixteen seconds of your day. Ultimately, it has nothing to do with this review, but it’s still funny seven years later.
Regardless of where the idea came from, live-action Dora is here. While not a spoof of the show, the movie is still full of humor and not afraid to both reference and poke fun at the original animated series. Isabela Moner excels in bringing the character to life. The story itself is funny, action-packed, full of life lessons, and sure to offer something for viewers of all ages.
Check out Paramount’s official description – “Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner, Instant Family) for her biggest challenge yet – high school. When her parents mysteriously disappear while searching for the Lost City of Gold, Dora must swing into action and lead a group of ill-equipped high schoolers on a wild quest to save them. Hold on for a high stakes mission as Dora and her new friends navigate the jungle, outrun treasure hunters, and solve ancient puzzles to unlock the mystery of the fabled city.”
Directed by James Bobin, Dora and the Lost City of Gold runs 102 minutes. In addition to Moner, the film stars Eugenio Derbez, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria, Benicio del Toro, Jeff Wahlberg, Madeleine Madden, Nicholas Coombe, Temuera Morrison, Q’orianka Kilcher, and Danny Trejo.
Again, this is a live-action adaptation more than a spoof. However, the story is full of humor and action. Kids, adults, viewers, non-viewers of the show – everyone should be able to find something about this movie that appeals to them.
The movie opens with six year old Dora (Madelyn Miranda) and her cousin Diego playing in the jungle. With them are characters most viewers will know instantly like Boots, Map, and Backpack. Viewers will quickly realize that these characters exist primarily in Dora’s imagination. Her backpack and map are simply inanimate objects, and Boots, her pet monkey, does not talk . . . or does he?
At dinner, Dora asks an imaginary audience to repeat new words after her. Her parents (Pena and Longoria) are concerned, but they hope it’s just a phase she will grow out of soon. Diego, meanwhile, has to leave the jungle to return to his parents in the city.
The movie jumps ahead ten years and introduces Isabela Moner as a teenage Dora. Moner excels in the role and never falters in portraying Dora’s optimism, desire to help others, and eagerness to explore and learn. That much pep and bubbliness could easily be grating to the audience, but it never is with Moner.
Dora hasn’t quite grown out of the talking to audiences phase, but she now has a handheld camcorder that she takes on her explorations. She and Boots spend their time exploring the jungle. Dora and her parents are hoping to discover Parapata, the Lost City of Gold. After Dora gets into trouble during one of her explorations, her parents decide it would be safer for her to explore a new world: high school in the city.
She is sent to live with Diego (Wahlberg) and her Abuelita (Adriana Barraza) in the city. (Reviewer’s note: The movie really just glosses over the fact that she is forced to leave Boots behind. This was probably an attempt to keep the tone from getting too sad, but I was still not okay with this decision.) Dora’s bright and optimistic view does not fit with her new world. Even Diego, she is sad to see, is no longer as creative and imaginative as he used to be. As he tells her, “We’re all just trying to survive high school. It’s a horrible nightmare.”
Dora’s differences keep her from fitting in, and in turn, draw negative attention to Diego as well. Only Randy (Coombe), another social outcast, thinks Dora is cool. Dora is immediately disliked by Sammy (Madden), the smartest girl in school who feels threatened by Dora’s vast knowledge of the world. On a school field trip to a museum, the four students are forced to work together when not chosen for anyone else’s group. While exploring the basement, the team is kidnapped by a group of mercenaries who are tracking Dora’s parents. The race is on to find the Lost City of Gold and save the day!
The story does a nice job of introducing characters to balance Dora. The four lead characters don’t always agree, but the story allows each one of them to take time to develop and grow.Throughout the story, Diego remembers how to have fun, Randy develops some self-confidence, and Sammy learns how to connect with others. Even Dora grows as a character as she earns how to explore a world entirely different from any she has known before. By the end of the story, viewers see a fairly cohesive and well-balanced team.
While Moner nails her role, Michael Pena is also a delight. This is a versatile actor who always seems to deliver a strong performance. Here, he is primarily used for comedy. His explanation to Dora of what to expect in the city is one of the movie’s biggest laughs. However, he also has a few emotional scenes that resonate. Also memorable is Benicio del Toro who perfectly delivers Swiper’s “Oh man!” every time.
The race to find Parapata is long and action-packed. Many of Dora’s friends manage to make an appearance throughout the journey, and the movie weaves in many references to the original animated series. Some of these are far more blatant and obvious, such as a scene that takes place in a field of hallucinogenic poppies.
Despite likely looking like a children’s film at first glance, the movie is written for a slightly older audience than the animated series. Dora faces rejection from her peers, being separated from her family, and the fear of not knowing if her parents are safe. She is essentially kidnapped while on a field trip. The movie also includes more intense and suspenseful action scenes and a ruthless villain driven only by greed. These elements, while slightly more “adult” for a Dora story, help to sell the movie to audiences of any age and keep the story from ever being too boring or dull.
The movie’s only real flaw is the long running time. The opening act is long, but this is necessary to introduce Dora, her parents, her transition to high school, and her new classmates. However, the journey to Parapata seems to be filled with puzzle after puzzle after puzzle. This will likely entertain younger viewers, but it does add significantly to the run time.
Overall, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is an entertaining film for viewers of all ages. Even if you haven’t seen the animated Dora series (how?), the jokes will still work. Isabela Moner excels in the role of Dora, and the rest of the cast also deliver strong, entertaining performances. All in all, this is a fun, rewatchable movie.
Is There a Scene After the Credits?
It wouldn’t be Dora without some version of the celebratory “We Did It” song. Here, Dora and her friends dance and sing to “Hooray We Did It” as they humorously recap their adventure.
Also – While not really a scene, the Fiesta Trio from the animated show make a quick cameo after the final credits.
Special Features
- All About Dora (8:40) – Even if you haven’t seen the show, you know who Dora is. Isabela Moner discusses bringing the iconic explorer to life by making her unique, funny, and optimistic, yet still totally relatable.
- Dora in Flower Vision (4:16) – Look at the movie magic of the poppy flower field scene.
- Dora’s Jungle House (3:45) – Part home, part laboratory, and part museum, Isabel Moner takes viewers on a tour through the set and construction of the family’s jungle house.
- Bloopers (2:12) – Explore the outtakes from shooting.
- Can You Say Pelicula? (4:33) – Eugenio Derbez talks about making a family movie and filming his own stunts.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes (13:11) –
- “Dora Hates Chores”
- “Rave Music”
- “Bathroom Break”
- “Time for Bed”
- “Bedtime Partners”
- “Markers on the Map”
- “Alejandro Thinks They are Lost”
- “They are on the Right Path”
- “Randy’s in Love”
- “Swiper’s Speech”
- “Abuelita’s End Title Song and Dance”
This release offers some standard but fun special features. The standout features is “All About Dora.” It draws many connections between the movie and the TV show, provides insight from the cast, and looks closely at the character of Dora herself. “Dora’s Jungle House” goes more in-depth on set construction and practicality than most special features tend to do. The deleted and extended scenes don’t really add anything that the movie needed, but it is both fun and creepy to see the Boots puppet and unfinished special effects in these scenes.
Takeaway
Dora and the Lost City of Gold is an excellent live-action adaptation of an iconic kids’ show. The movie tells a pretty good story while cleverly weaving in references to the animated show throughout. Isabela Moner is fantastic as Dora and keeps the character from being too unrelatable or unlikeable. This is a film that the entire family can enjoy.
