(After a powerful snap from Red Diamond's infinity gauntlet, it succeed to resurrecting the universe in half. Once everything is back to normal, Anthony was laying on the ground, he gets back up and notices his town is overgrown from plants and sees everyone are returning from the dead, whether they're aged or not. But for Anthony, he stays in same age)
Anthony: *looks around* What happened here? Am i remember or something?? *but not before he see a ticket of a movie based on educational kid show* Huh... A movie based on Dora the explorer, im not entirely sure if this movie is gonna be good. I mean, i can be that bad as TTG movie right?
*More than 1 in a half hour later*
Anthony: Huh... It was... not bad...
(review starts)
Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.
you know, making a movies based on the animated shows is rather a risky idea if they have to follow faithfully, unless if they're one of those people who had no idea how to adapting from the show, like "Bratz: the movie", "Mr. Magoo" or even the infamous "The last airbender". But making a movie based on educational kid show, its rather unlikely to make, especially for taking seriously, but also make sure it stays lighter tone for the kids, right?
"Dora and the lost city of gold" is a 2019 adventure film directed by James Bobin, produced by Kristen Burr, then written by Nicholas Stoller, Matthew Robinson (for screenplay) and Tom Wheeler (for story)
When we first heard the project of a movie based on famous educational kid show called "Dora the explorer", it has a very unlikely reaction. This film was originally to be done with Michael Bay, but thankfully he has no involvement, so it was Kristen Burr for this movie. Its no secret that we though that this movie is gonna be very bad when it comes to an adaption of educational show to PG-Rated version either Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider. And before you ask, when i was a kid, i grew up with animations from Disney and occasionally some animated educational kid shows like Blue's clues and maybe Dora the explorer.
So, with all that said, will this movie is worth of educate, or is this film that our wallet got robbed by Swiper the fox?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
For a movie about Dora the explorer, its gonna be obvious that the story is a typical adventure in the jungle to the lost civilization? Well, yeah, but in PG.
It started on childhood imagination where Dora and her cousin Diego loved going on adventure in the jungle for exploration. But unfortunately, it was time to moving on from Diego to going US. Fast forward to 10 years later, Dora grew to teenager, where she still enjoys to live in the jungle for again, exploration. However, her parents are planning to bring her to US for high school. But one day, while in school, she along with her old cousin Diego, Randy and Sammy got kidnapped by mercenary to Inca, which not only they kidnapped Dora's parents, but also plan to hunting a treasure at the lost civilization, its up to Dora and her fellow teens to saver parents and treasures once and for all.
I find the story itself is not bad, its your typical adventure story in the jungle, but instead of get the treasure, its to save the treasures from the mercenaries. However, the movie has a mixed execution, especially from the beginning, since Dora is an explorer, what's the point to sending her to school? Being an explorer is sorta like a job, despite she's a teenager. I know its rather nitpicky for Dora going to school when she's a teenager, which is true, but again, she's a freakin explorer in South America! Sorry for nearly reaching my boiling point for the film's logic. Anyway, but it also have a good execution, its use of a heart of this movie. Its not all just an adventure, its all about be nice and normal person to have some friends rather than being stuck in the past without going too much in front of students. Not to mention, the movie also have a jokes, they're... Pretty slaptsticky and rather childish in the same time. Though i did chuckle at some moment, but i find the joke is rather too childish.
The story is rather descent with a good heart, but sometimes it could be poorly execution for a logic of Dora's path and some childish jokes.
The Presentation
Since the film's budget is nearly 50 million dollars, you think the presentation maybe look good right?
For starter, the filming location is no secret that it was filmed in Australia from Queensland to Gold Coast, which i guess it because they made the film slightly cheap as possible than filing in US, since its rather expensive in this country, specially with New York and Los Angeles. So in other words, they filmed in Australia to pretend that it takes place Inca and US. Though in fairness, its a nice location choice, specially in Gold Coast, it looks beautiful in the jungle.
The setting of the temple and in the traps looks rather interesting, but the puzzles seems to be pretty easy to solving from cranking the gears to guessing the leavers. This is feels like a puzzle games. Not to mention, some of them has a generic obstacles like sliding, a boulder, throwing darts, flood of water and crumbling ground. They look cool and kinda fun for the action scene, which i find it ironic that our heroes doesn't get hurt from various obstacles. Because its a PG movie, we don't want to include blood and death, i understand its for family movie, but pretty ironic that no one got hurt from the darts or sorts of ways.
Even though most action scenes are done practical, but it also uses a CG effect, but i find the effects are pretty video game-ish, whether is the plants or even the animation of Boots the monkey, which i though Boots is done in motion-capture, but reality, he was done in CG, but rather not in fun way, i understand its for a sidekick with playful and humor. And they did a same thing with Swiper the fox, and to be honest, he looks not bad i think, but at least he's not as nightmare inducing as early trailer of Sonic the hedgehog movie.
But one good thing about the effects, is that it also using a digital hand-drawn animation, which i have to give a credit, its nice what they brought us here. It looks fun and colorful. But of course, the hand-drawn scene has a big quality, since the budget is bigger than the show itself.
The presentation itself is rather a double-edged sword, with nice location and the hand-drawn scenes, but its rather too easy and simple from the traps and puzzles and the CG are rather cheap at the time.
The Characters
We expecting if the characters could have some big development what we're routing for, well its yes and no.
First is our titular hero Dora (played by Isabela Moner), i find her in this movie version is not bad, she's adventurous, cheerful and rather "know-it all". Even though that i though she's gonna be a typical "Mary-Sue", but it also develops her to not just a "be yourself", its more about be with with friend with anyone without being too imaginative. But in fairness, i'd give a credit that Moner did a fun work for her role. As for her monkey friend Boots? Well, he's just there as a helper with our heroes.
Next we have Diego (played by Jeff Wahlberg) who used to be Dora's best cousin before his life was changed teen years later. Though i find him to be pretty dull and boring that he has no personality when he grew up. Even though he does get better, but i find him to be forgettable.
Then we have Randy (played by Nicholas Coombe) and Sammy (played by Madeleine Madden), unlike Diego who looks pretty boring, but these too are the most generic side characters of the movie, where Randy is a nerd of science, video games and movies and Sammy is a spoiled B****. Not to mention, when we're in adventure, they're always whining of "I don't wanna die!!" or "I wanna go home!!!". I mean for the love of god, stop being such an annoying brats just wait while in the adventure and then ready to going back home, instead of B****ing about!!
Again, sorry for my limit...
And then we have Alejandro Gutierrez (played by Eugenio Derbez), who's said to be an explorer and a friend of Dora's parents. But i find him to be over the top and rather silly of his personality and probably predictable to be a bad guy, since he looks like he's wearing for treasure hunting, something like that.
While the rest is not much else to say, there Dora's parents like Cole (played by Michael Pena) and Elena (played by Eva Longoria ), which i guess its because they want to including some of our familiar actors. In the movie, they're just appears for building up to our main hero Dora. Then we have the group of mercenaries, they're pretty much as a typical treasure thieves, though i find it ironic that they have Swiper the fox (played by Benicio del Toro), but don't bother him, he's a typical thief who ended up being a punching bag. And it also including old woman (played by Isela Vega), who's basically a character helping our heroes for the lost civilization.
The characters are rather average, likely some have a great performance like Dora, but most of them just comes off as boring or even generic.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall, "Dora and the city of lost gold" is rather a above average film, the story is pretty descent, the presentation could be good and bad and the characters are mixed bag for so. From before, i was expecting to be so bad that its unwatchable like one animated film based on the show from last year that made me into a nuclear meltdown, but with this one, its not the worst movie i've ever watched. Though its not perfect, but just an above average film. I know this is film that i was aim for the kids and some nostalgia fans from the early millennium.
So, if you're a fan of educational kids show or any adventure films, i'd say give this one for you. But if you;re like me, maybe we should stick to Indiana Jones or maybe in video games like Tomb Raider.
For my rating, il give this one 6/10. Its not bad, but kinda nothing special.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
(review ends)
Huh, im quiet surprised its not a bad start after i was like disappeared. But how, how did i turned myself into dust from the incident...?
To be continued...
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