2000
Rated: PG for mild adult themes, and language.
Genre: Animated Kids/Family Fantasy Action Adventure
Directed By: Will Finn, Bibo Bergeron
Running Time: 1:29
Review by: Felix Vasquez Jr.
DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Making-Of
Music Video - 1. Elton John - "Someday Out of the Blue" Behind the Scenes Footage
Trailers
Read Along
Biographies - 1. Cast & Crew
DVD-ROM Game - 1. Brain Teaser
2. Math Game
3. Interactive Adventure Game
4. Pattern-Matching Activity
Downloads - 1. Printable Coloring Pages and Maps
Screensaver
THE ROAD TO EL DORADO

 

The animation is sharp and very fluid with great animated expressions with the characters. Kenneth Branaugh and Kevin Kline are great characters and hold great chemistry. The villain, played by Armande Assante is also very menacing, especially the scene with the giant jaguar. Very cool.

I wouldn't recommend this for children, and I do not normally say that when it applies to an animated adventure film. There are a lot of unsettling sexual references and a little bit of cursing. Expect to hear the words "Hell" and "Crappy" a lot. Think twice before letting your children watch this. For a movie marketed to kids and advertised practically non-stop on the cable channel Cartoon Network, this movie isn't that "kid friendly". Not to mention the lackluster and incredibly dull musical score which made me wretch at times. Another problem with "El Dorado" is it moves w-a-a-a-y too quickly. The plot moves into warp speed. Instead of getting to know the characters, they're already on the journey to El Dorado within fifteen minutes of the film.

Things go way too easily for the main characters of the film. In the beginning the map is siezed easily. A gambler bets the map in the bet... where'd he get the map? Who is he? Why bet something that could grant him unbelievable riches? The journey to "El Dorado" was also w-a-a-y too easy. They bump into the sexy maiden Chel who was attempting to steal gold from El dorado. Tulio and Miguel are mistaken for gods and are easily taken to
El Dorado. My goodness! If only Indiana Jones' adventures were this simple! The enemy is very one dimensional and barbaric.

A lot of giggling and very few segments where we see the villain in his lair. For a movie with a lot of sexual references, and cursing, The villain is defeated non-violently. The plot and story were way too simple which made El Dorado dumb, cheesy, and simple. The ending is as well very unsatisfying. Why didn't the writers of the movie give us, the crowd, time to get to know the characters or feel for them? To show off the "snazzy" animation? Maybe they ran out of ideas? Seems like it, folks.

It's a shame that a film with such talent and imagery behind it ended up being ultimately a waste of time and effort. For a film marketed to children, I was shocked how utterly suggestive it tended to be, but beyond that, there's really nothing worth remembering. With forgettable characters, and performances, it's a waste.

 

 

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