Why this Dora’s worth exploring
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (PG, 102 mins)
Directed by James Bobin Reviewed by James Croot ★★★★
Dora (Isabela Moner) is used to facing deadly creatures on a daily basis – life-threatening perils at every turn.
Growing up in the South American jungle, the now teenage ‘‘explorer’’ loves nothing better than being chased by a herd of pygmy elephants, or playing games with her primate companion, Boots.
However, when her parents (Eva Longoria, Michael Pena) decide to step up their search for the ‘‘lost’’ ancient Inca city of Parapata without her, Dora is left facing the most hostile environment of them all.
California’s Silver Lake High School is not for the faint-hearted and Dora’s naivety, innate positivity and relentless good spiritedness do not go down well.
Even her beloved cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg) begins to distance himself from her. A field trip to the Natural History Museum changes everything, though.
Dora, Diego and two classmates – valedictorian-in-waiting Sammy (Madeleine Madden) and social outcast Randy (Nicholas Coombe) – are kidnapped by a gang (seemingly headed by New Zealand’s own muss-cle man Temuera Morrison) keen to find Parapata for themselves.
Trapped back in South America, Dora will have to use all her skills to help them escape – and stay alive.
Almost 20 years after the muchloved animated series Dora the
Explorer debuted, this live-action update does a terrific job of being at once an homage and a parody.
The tone is set by an opening public service announcement from a Benicio del Toro-voiced Swiper the Fox, who informs us that ‘‘everything you are about to see is true – expect foxes don’t swipe’’.
From there we’re hilariously transported into Dora’s world where, like the cartoon, she talks to Boots, her backpack and – much to her parents’ consternation – an invisible audience (‘‘Can you say severe neurotoxicity?’’).
For the first 20 or so minutes, we’re treated to a succession of traditional 1980s-esque, fish-out-ofwater comedy (California Man, Big, Back to the Future) tropes, as Dora struggles to fit into her new surroundings, before the movie transforms into a Jumanji-meetsThe Goonies-by-way-of-Raiders-ofthe-Lost-Ark-style adventure. But there’s a freshness and vitality about the story (created by a trio whose previous credits include Puss in Boots, Captain Underpants and, um, Monster
Trucks) – a willingness to embrace and mock the more wacky elements of the original Dora show.
Having worked with The Muppets and our own Flight of the Conchords, director James Bobin infuses the tale with plenty of terrific verbal and sight gags and a clutch of memorable musical numbers.
There are Dora-esque ditties about ‘‘digging a poo hole’’ and ‘‘it’s OK to freak out sometimes’’, and the final dance number includes inspired lines like ‘‘there were times when it was scary, I think I may have dysentery’’.
As Dora, Moner (Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Instant Family) is the film’s ace, selling the character’s foibles and strengths and providing plenty of arch laughs from beneath those trademark bangs.
The best franchise reinvention since