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REVIEW MENU
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QUICK PLOT SUMMARY:
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Animated Musical Comedy -
Two con men win a map to the lost city of gold, El Dorado. When Tulio and Miguel run from angry townsfolk, they find themselves stowaways on a ship of unfriendly sailors. A fun horse named Altivo helps them escape in a rowboat that eventually lands them on the island of their dreams, which is inhabited by natives who are convinced the two con men are Gods.
- WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
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- The MPAA rated this motion picture PG for mild language and suggestive innuendoes.
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FAST FACTS:
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- Release Date
| .... March 31, 2000 |
- Running Time
| .... 83 min. |
- Genre
| .... Animated Musical Comedy |
- Director
| .... Don Paul |
- Story by
| .... Ted Elliot |
- Studio
| .... Dream Works |
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WHO SHOULD SEE THIS MOVIE:
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- AS A DATE MOVIE
- Great Bet -Colorful, musical and romantic enough to encourage new sweethearts to hold hands. Potentially boring enough to encourage a great deal more than hand holding!
- CHICK FLICK
- Maybe -Teen girls and mom groups looking for a movie that’s lacking sex, drugs and violence might enjoy Road To El Dorado. Stereotypes and immoral behavior portrayed in a positive light will probably be a turn off to some.
- GUYS MOVIE
- Poor Bet -A bit too mild and childish to be considered worthy animation for the older guys. Young boys will find this film enjoyable, possibly to the dismay of his parents.
- CHILDREN
- Poor Bet -A PG rating and suggestive themes makes this potentially unsuitable for the little ones.
- TEENAGERS
- Okay Bet -Young teens dating for the first time, or seeking a little more grown up content might be the only group to really appreciate this film. They still like cartoons, but they are starting to giggle at adult innuendoes.
- GENERATION X
- Okay Bet -Decent animation, and the DreamWorks stamp should be enough to get these folks to the theatre to see it. The funny script might keep them there to watch it. However, ten to one they’ll hate the soundtrack
- BABY BOOMERS
- Okay Bet -The cast will draw Boomers in, they will love the sexy cartoon version of Rosie Perez.
- MATURE AUDIENCES
- Great Bet -Grandma and Grandpa will enjoy the fact that the film has a similar theme as the Hope-Crosby Road pictures of the 1940s.
- INTELLECTUALS
- Okay Bet -Intellectuals might find it fun to go see it simply to try and see hidden images in the animation.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE THEIR CHILDREN SEE THIS MOVIE:
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MOVIE DETAILS:
- VIOLENT ACTS
- Extreme - talk of flogging & slavery; men chase them with battle axes and swords; enslavement; a shark eats a seagull; talk of dying; they find skulls, one has a knife in it; leeches are pulled from bare skin; natives carry spears; villagers manhandle native girl; talk of execution; a baby bites Tulio; a man is offered for sacrifice; Miguel gets hit in the head and bleeds; Priest cuts own hand; a man is pushed into a big boiling vat; monster runs rampant, trampling people; fist fighting; bonk to the head.
- SEX/NUDITY
- Very Little - Tulio and Miguel are shown nude from the back side, as they go skinny dipping; Tulio and Miguel have to insist that Chel leave the room so they can dress; Chel rubs Tulio’s back, he calls her “Sweetheart”, rubs her back. Next scene, they are in a back room in a horizontal position, and are rushing to their feet so as not to be discovered; Tulio and Chel kiss open mouthed.
- PROFANITY
- Extreme - A few H-E-double toothpicks, and a “holy ship”.
- TENSE SCENES
- Heavy - Tulio and Miguel are discovered cheating; sword fighting; they land in a bullpen; townsfolk chase them; a horse jumps in the boat with them, forcing them into shark infested waters; they are caught as castaways; they find skulls, one has a knife in it; leeches are pulled from bare skin; High Priest walks in on Tulio and Chel; High Priest uses scary magic while talking to Tulio, and to become even more powerful; monster scenes; the last few scenes.
- IMMORAL/ILLEGAL BEHAVIORS
- Some - Cheating; gambling; talk of flogging & slavery; lying; fraud; theft; cigar smoking; drinking and toasting in a celebratory way, suggesting liquor; horse passes out, hinting of inibriation; deception with hidden agenda; cruelty to animals (they use an armidillo as a basketball!); turning one’s back on a friend.
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OVERALL RATINGS:
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- Entertainment Rating
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- #/5 - There once was a time that animated films were filled with subtle adult innuendoes that kept the grown ups entertained while the kids enjoyed the content geared towards them. We could trust the cartoon flicks to be a safe bet for a Saturday matinee with little ones, by keeping the adult humor way above their heads. When parents hear the DreamWorks people have put out another animated film that features music from the same team that brought us the music for The Lion King, they just might assume the film will be of the same caliber, same quality, same family values. The Road To El Dorado does none of these things.
The story of two con men with a treasure map who find themselves lost at sea, confronted by natives, and eventually mistaken for Gods was much funnier, and a lot more acceptable when it was Bing Crosby and Bob Hope getting the laughs in the old “road” pictures. Remember? It was a smart move on the part of the producers who no doubt recall The Road To Singapore, and the six other “road” movies are still considered one of the highest grossing comedy film series in Hollywood. Unfortunately, there is still something unsettling about The Road To El Dorado.
Maybe it was the gambling that got the two con men their map to the hidden city. Maybe it was the cleavage and skimpy attire of native girl Chel. It definitely was the way Tulio and Chel behaved together that in my mind, instantly vetoed it as a film for kids. Let’s put it this way, Rosie Perez is no Dorothy Lamour! I imagined moms across the nation being asked by their little ones what Tulio and Chel are doing on the floor when the High Priest drops by unexpectedly. I bet I can guess. Tulio even worries aloud about the High Priest finding them “that way”. What way? After watching the previous scene that includes a backrub exchange, knowing looks, and a shared kiss, one can only imagine. Even a very young one can imagine.
So the whole movie felt like that to me. Horribly wrong for kids. Yes, the animation is colorful and full of depth. Yes, there is an adorable horse that steals the show, but even he isn’t given the typical scenes of character development that makes kids want a stuffed version of their own after the movie. The songs are some of the worst drivel I have ever heard Elton John be a part of. The lyrics leave a lot to be desired. I don’t know that I would want my son singing “Its Tough To Be A God” at the top of his lungs all day.
What’s even worse, is knowing the talent behind Road To El Dorado. If you were to make a list of my favorite actors, most of these folks would be on it. Kenneth Branagh, Armand Assante, Edward James Olmos and Kevin Kline are all incredibly gifted actors, so one would think just the lending of their voices would make a family film like this an instant winner. On the contrary, I found myself wishing desperately for the actors to appear in the flesh. The plot would have made for an excellent adventure with this cast... a great island locale, terrific special effects, and a hip revision of Elton John and Tim Rice’s score.
A cartoon with a PG rating just doesn’t make sense to me, it doesn’t appeal to Teens or Gen X-ers in the way Heavy Metal does, or the anime cult stuff. Elton John really isn’t considered cool by this crowd, they would have done better with a soundtrack by N’Sync, Brittany Spears and the Back Street Boys. The content really isn’t appropriate for kids, featuring such themes as gambling, cheating, lying to friends, blasphemy, fraud, and the like. Adults might be driven to the theatres for El Dorado, hoping to see some new animation technology. Even that seems ordinary when compared to recent ground-breakers in animation like Toy Story 2.
In short, I was extremely disappointed by Road To El Dorado. Flawless animation, a cute script, a great cast, but a little too grown up for the kids. I will be upset if I see Road To El Dorado toys targeting children ten and under. Little Chel dolls complete with naval and cleavage. I can see it now…
It is only a matter of time before we begin to hear rumors of naughty images hidden within the frames by clever animators. And don’t even get me started about all the racial stereotypes perpetuated in this film!
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- Children's Value Rating
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- #/5 - Very small children may be swept up by the animation but will be frightened by the magic of the High Priest. Pre-teens may have too many questions about a couple scenes where adult situations are implied. Two counts of profanity.
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Reviewed by C.A. Batchelor Email Me! -- April 4, 2000 / April 5, 2000
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