Dora and the Lost City of Gold

“Explore is her middle name.”

Filmology Rating: 2.75 out of 4

Dora and the Lost City of Gold was directed by James Bobin and a screenplay from the man who brought us 'Neighbors.' Having spent the majority of her younger life living in the jungle, an older Dora must deal with living in a big city and going to High School with her cousin, Diego. That is until her curiosity gets the better of her. Dora, Diego, and two friends from school get kidnapped by men looking for Dora's parents who are on the verge of an archeological breakthrough. 

When word of this film got out a few years ago, it was something to be dreaded. However, it is not a joke when I say that this live-action 'Dora' film is one of the best films of a summer full of dissappoint. 
When one approaches a film like this, you cannot make this with a straight face and get away with it. The film was very self-aware of its absurd existence in the way that 'Batman: The Movie' from 1966 was aware of theirs. 

This is a hilarious film. When I say that, I mean that it's a film where you laugh along with it, not at it. The film is very meta about the television show and make very amusing references to it. If you're a kid, you will enjoy this film on the surface level. But if you're older, you do catch the satirical and campy elements. 

This entire film works because of Isabela Moner as Dora. She is perfect for this role. She plays a rather fish-out-of-water character and the execution raises this film's concept out of the depths; she makes the entire film. 

The major issues come down to pacing. The second act really does trudge. Often characters stumble onto things rather than have one clue lead to another. Also too much walking around the jungle. I also wish Michael Pena was utilized more. He had some earlier highlights when him and Dora share a moment breaking the fourth wall. 

The composers should be recognized as well because I really do like the music. They have very similar motifs to John Williams. They have expressed interest in working on a 'Star Wars' film. Seeing that John Williams is not getting any younger, I would love to see them get the opportunity to work on a large-scale picture.

The villains don't really do much either. They are unimportant and show up sporadically to keep Dora moving through the boring jungle.

This film, along with 'Child's Play', prove to be the secret gems of the summer. For this being a very disappointing summer (Lion King, Hobbs and Shaw, Godzilla 2, Aladdin, Dark Phoenix, Men in Black), 'Dora' is a film I would gladly see twice and welcome sequels. It was just too fun.

Rating: See It

-Nolan