THE ROAD TO EL DORADO
A DreamWorks release 

review by Joseph B. Mauceri

SYNOPSIS: A plot that can best be summed up like a pitch - It's a Hope and Crosby "Road Picture," set in a Latin American "Lost Horizon" location, and a Disney villain.

REVIEW: Dreamworks' THE ROAD TO EL DORADO features a talented crew of Disney trained animators. So it is of little surprise at how hard this picture tries to be a Disney Animated Feature, but this is no "Tarzan." The film feels like a Disney film circa late 1970 to early 1980, when the studio was going rough a transitional period. Part of EL DORADO's problem is a lack of an intrinsic harmony, due to vacillating adult and childish themes.

EL DORADO suffers from a central villain. The duo is perused by Cortes, and confronted by the bloodthirsty high priest Tzekel-Kan. Tulio and Miguel are mistaken for "gods," and con the Indians into giving them gold tribute. Which is okay in the end, because in keeping their scam alive they can keep the blood letting desires of Tzekel-Kan at bay. In the meantime, Cortes is constantly lurking over the next horizon. The film holds back any real resolution as both villains are simply put off their coarse and not really thwarted.

EL DORADO tries to hard to be a big picture, but has no heart. Without any preexisting source material there is nothing for the audience to latch onto and bring to the film to bolster the thin characters and plot. With the big musical numbers and sweeping landscapes, the thinly veiled characters and plot render it much to do about nothing.

In a recent interview on the NBC "Today Show," Elton John mentioned that they were going for more adult songs. While they might be, they are also quite unmemorable. I've sat in on enough screenings where kid's come out reciting catchy phrases and singing memorable tunes. Other then the song from the film that's been blasting constantly on the local radio stations, there is not a memorable song in the bunch. In the screening I attend there wasn't one boy or girl humming a tune or singing a song. Although, there were a few who were yawning.

I think the thing that surprised me the most, especially as a Italian American, was the lack of a real Latin American presence in the film. EL DORADO beings in Spain and travels across the Atlantic to Latin America on an Armada headed by Cortes. So why are the only characters with Spanish accents the Indians? We've all seen actors like Antonio Banderas do comedy and sing. I can remember only a few years ago when there was an uproar on Broadway because Caucasian actors were playing Asian characters. I don't know, but I found it somewhat troublesome. Also, the music has only the slightest hint of Spanish or Latin American themes.

In the end DreamWorks' THE ROAD TO EL DORADO is less then the sweeping memorable epic that it should have been, not to mention a possible strong link for the film company with the vast Latin American population.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
www.roadtoeldorado.com

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