Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen , based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky, aged-up adventure has positive messages.
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Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 48 parent reviews
What's the Story?
DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD starts off showing a young Dora (Madelyn Miranda) enjoying life with her parents (Eva Longoria, Michael Peña) and her cousin Diego (Malachi Barton) in the jungle—until Diego and his parents move "to the City." Young Dora looks directly at the camera, asking viewers to repeat words in Spanish, and believes that her monkey Boots talks to her, just like on the show. But in the movie, her parents consider it a quirk of her being homeschooled. A decade later, a now teen Dora (Isabela Merced) makes a breakthrough discovery that leads her parents on a mission to Peru to unearth a legendary Incan city. While they're gone, they send her to live with Diego (Jeff Wahlberg) and his family in Los Angeles. For the first time in her life, Dora has to attend public school with kids who are decidedly uninterested in her earnest curiosity and friendliness. During a field trip to a museum, Dora and her friends are kidnapped and taken to Peru—but they escape with the help of Alejandro (Eugenio Derbez), a friend of her parents. Together they try to find her parents and the city of gold.
Is It Any Good?
This surprisingly funny, earnest adaptation of the beloved bilingual kids' show features an unwaveringly positive teen version of Dora. Although it's unclear precisely to which audience Dora and the Lost City of Gold will appeal—teens nostalgic for the Nickelodeon series they grew up watching? younger fans curious to see an aged-up protagonist?—one thing is immediately obvious: It's incredibly well cast. Peruvian American Merced doesn't just look like Dora with her expressive brown eyes and signature bangs; she nails the precocious, generous, and inquisitive young explorer's personality. And Longoria and Peña are caring and comedic as Dora's parents, who have ambivalent feelings about their little girl growing up but remain supportive. Their warm household dynamic is a joy to watch, especially for bilingual viewers who speak both English and Spanish with family and friends like they do.
The supporting roles include some big-name Latino actors, including slapstick master Derbez, who's also a producer; Mexican superstar Adriana Barraza as Dora's abuelita; Benicio Del Toro as the voice of Swiper the thieving fox; and, in a single hilarious cameo, Danny Trejo as none other than the squeaky-voiced Boots. Wahlberg (Mark's nephew), whose mother is Dominican, is promising as cousin Diego. But some of the movie's jokes are overly predictable, there's an unnecessary (but super low-key) romantic subplot, and the relationship between Dora, Diego, and their two classmates isn't as compelling as, say, the one between the teens in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Still, the Australian forest doubles nicely for the Amazonian rainforest, and the action sequences are just perilous enough to be tween friendly without being too scary. It's always clear that Dora and her pals will be able to proverbially yell "We did it! Hooray!" at the end. Watch through the credits for a cute bonus number featuring Merced, who gets to show off her musical theater skills.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about which Dora and the Lost City of Gold characters are role models. How do the characters demonstrate teamwork, communication, compassion, courage, curiosity, and perseverance? Why are these important character strengths?
What do you think of the teen version of Dora? How is she true to the spirit of the animated Dora's personality?
What do you think of Dora's bilingualism? What impact does speaking both English and Spanish have on her in both her household and her social life? Are there any languages you might like to learn?
Is it realistic to think that a high schooler who's earnest, kind, and innocent would get picked on and ridiculed at school? How does Dora handle the cynical behavior around her?
What do you think of the encounter between Dora and the Quechua people? What can we learn from her during her interactions with their queen?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 9, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: November 19, 2019
- Cast: Isabela Moner , Benicio Del Toro , Michael Pena , Eva Longoria
- Director: James Bobin
- Inclusion Information: Latino actors, Female actors
- Studios: Paramount Pictures , Nickelodeon
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Adventures
- Character Strengths: Compassion , Courage , Teamwork
- Run time: 102 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: action and some impolite humor
- Last updated: September 6, 2024
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