Paramount+ Adventure Brings Beloved Cartoon Character To Life
The last few years have seen numerous cartoon classics brought to the big screen in live action, from The Lion King, to The Little Mermaid, and even Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians. One 2019 film, however, completely reinvented a decades-old educational cartoon character, offering a bold new adventure for the perpetual child. The film in question, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, shows Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer take on a multi-national adventure, and is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Dora And The Lost City Of Gold
Dora and the Lost City of Gold opens on the titular toddler as she traverses the jungle with her explorer extraordinaire parents, her cousin Diego, and her faithful monkey sidekick, Boots.
Along the way, she is aided by the assistance of her imaginary friends Backpack and The Map, who help her to make sense of the landscape around her. Though she is highly adept at hiking, adventuring, and thwarting the efforts of thieving foxes, Dora’s basic scholastic skills tend to fall by the wayside, as she is raised outside of the traditional public school system.
A Decade In The Future
Flashing forward 10 years into the future, we learn that Dora’s parents have uncovered an ancient city, rife with hidden dangers and many exciting treasures.
Though the now 16-year-old explorer pleads with her parents to tag along, they decide its best to send her on a different kind of adventure, by enlisting her in a Los Angeles school while they take on the lost city of Parapata.
As the story of Dora and the Lost City of Gold kicks into high gear, the young woman finds herself leading a group of classmates in an expedition to the mysterious land, and even saving her parents from a gang of violent mercenaries.
More Uncharted Than Uncharted
While Dora and the Lost City of Gold is definitely a movie made with children and families in mind, I was actually shocked at how good this film is on its own merit.
In fact, I would argue that it does a better job bringing the overall vibe of the Uncharted video game series to life than the poorly-received 2022 Uncharted film starring Tom Holland.
The adventure, spectacle, and unique problem-solving exhibited by Dora in this surprisingly well-crafted movie goes far beyond what she normally endures in her standard 2D cartoon.
The Critical Reception
I was first drawn to watch this movie when I saw the over-the-top trailer, which features one moment in which Dora whips out a knife, startling her friends.
I jested to my own friends that the teenage iteration of Dora seen in Dora and the Lost City of Gold would not hesitate to cut a man from his shoulder to his abs, though I was shocked at how true this concept rings in the PG adventure.
It should come as no major surprise that critics and audiences alike got a kick out of the film, as Dora and the Lost City of Gold currently touts an 85 percent certified fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 88 percent general audience score to match.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
For those interested in checking out the live-action adventure, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is currently streaming on Paramount+. Though Nickelodeon has since reverted Dora back into child form for the latest iteration of the franchise, it would certainly be entertaining to see the Isabel Merced version of the character continue traversing through the jungle, while teaching us the Spanish translation of threats of physical violence.
