The Road to El Dorado

Sometimes a film’s sentimental value can make it one of my favorites and such is the case with “The Road to El Dorado”. It is my favorite non-Disney animated film. My brothers and I used to act out scenes from it and then I went to live in the Philippines for two years. I found myself living out many scenes found in this movie such as walking through the jungle, using a banana leaf as an umbrella and having fun among the people to name just a few. I also used to sing the songs from this movie while in the Philippines. Because of the fact that both the film and that Asian country had some Spanish influence, the connection between the two is stronger. I feel that this movie gets its heart from its characters & well-written songs and both these elements reinforce the story. The comedy is well acted out and the theme of the importance of friendship speaks to all.

Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, who helped write “Aladdin” and would later write “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “National Treasure”, did a good job on this film also. I love it when filmmakers mash two or more things together and create something original. In this case, you have the premise of Rudyard Kipling's book "The Man Who Would Be King" being combined with a Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road to.." movie scenario. I believe that Elliot and Rossio were a big part of making the two main characters come to life because they really carry this movie. Tulio and Miguel’s opening scene clearly illustrate who they are and what their relationship is. As they argue over the map, we understand that Tulio loves his gold while Miguel loves adventure and risk. They contrast each other well and this makes them successful at ripping people off as well as getting out of trouble. Kevin Kline performs well the character of Tulio as a schemer and brains of the operation while the Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh has the passion as well as the flamboyance to portray the enthusiastic and dreamer Miguel. The story is humorous mostly because of how well they play off of one another. This wasn't the first movie that Kline and Branagh acted in together. They were also in "Wild Wild West". Usually you see these types of characters (Tulio and Miguel) in a supporting role such as Rosencrantz & Guildenstern or Merry & Pippin. To have two sidekicks in the lead roles is a fun twist and makes the story more humorous as these two losers are mistaken for gods. The two characters work so well together that when their friendship is in crisis, you feel concern. The main characters continue to create a better story in that at the end they put aside their grudges towards each other because they realize how important their friendship is. They also both put aside their criminal nature (at least until the city is saved) for the good of the people of El Dorado but at the same time, their personalities don’t change. Tulio comes up with a plan to save the city but he must sacrifice his stolen gold to do so. Miguel uses his charm and enthusiasm to befriend and lead the people against the villain but in the end, he must leave them in order to save them. Tulio and Miguel’s influence on the story is where you get heart and joy from watching the movie. In role of Dorothy Lamour, you have Chel as voiced by Oscar-nominated actress Rosie Perez. Chel may be a temptress and inadvertently almost splits up Tulio and Miguel, but she does add flavour and humor to the flim.

The Oscar-winning songs writers from “The Lion King” reunite in this film thanks to former Disney employee Jeffery Katzenberg. They do a good job in moving the story forward with songs such as “The Trail We Blaze” and “Friends Never Say Goodbye”. Tim Rice’s lyrics are intelligent while Elton John’s voice becomes a type of narrator in the film. Elton’s melodies are also catchy. Hans Zimmer does a fantastic job in converting these songs so that they fit in with the style of the movie. Just like with “The Lion King” it is hard to choose just one favorite out of all of them.

It is a shame that Dreamworks stopped making 2D animation. As good as “Shrek” was, it unfortunately overshadowed both “The Road to El Dorado” and the beautifully-made film “The Prince of Egypt”. Many companies saw the same trend with their films and all have switched over to computer-animated films. It seems that only John Lasseter at Disney understood the important fact that it is not the tools that make a film great but rather the people working those tools. In the case of “The Road to El Dorado”, you have experienced artists who created a nice movie that really speaks to me personally. The story is good but the characters and the songs reinforce it. This is an example of a movie where for me the ending is bitter sweet in that I won’t see those characters again until the next time I watch the movie. At least for me the film’s spirit lives beyond the TV. Any long trip is an adventure when it starts with listening to “The Road to El Dorado” soundtrack.

4.5 Stars out of 5