The Road to El Dorado (2000) 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Featuring the vocal talents of Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Kline, Rosie Perez, Armand Assante and Edward James Olmos.
"The Road to El Dorado" is a bumpy one, filled with potholes and ruts.
DreamWorks latest animation offering is pale and a tad old-fashioned especially in lieu of the advances showcased in rival Disney's "Tarzan" of last summer.
It also is disappointing coming on the heels of DreamWorks magnificent "Prince of Egypt," which was a splendid mixture of animation, story and song.
But "El Dorado's" main problem is in the screenplay. Any story set in 1519 that uses the common vernacular and contemporary jargon is a victim of lazy writing.
Perhaps it was done purposely for the young children who are the movie's target audience. But hearing one Spaniard say to his amigo, `I want in on the scam,' rings false.
"The Road to El Dorado" seems to have been inspired by the old Bob Hope-Bing Crosby-Dorothy Lamour series of the 1940s and ‘50s, in which the intrepid trio visited such exotic places as Zanzibar, Morocco, Singapore, Utopia, Rio, Bali and Hong Kong.
At least those movies had some wit and style, most supplied by Hope and Crosby's ad-libs.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for "El Dorado." The film seems to meander along at a pleasant pace.
Even the vocal talent cannot elevate this substandard production.
Kevin Kline is Tulio and Kenneth Branagh is Miguel, two lowlifes who accidentally wind up on a ship heading for the New World. Miguel has won a map in a crooked dice game showing the way to the fabled gold city of El Dorado.
Arriving in the New World, the two set out to find the city, which is rather easily accomplished.
Along the way they save Chel (Rosie Perez), an Indian maiden, and show up the evil medicine man, Tzekel-Kan (Armand Assante).
Unlike the Hope-Crosby tandem in which Bing was the brains while Bob was usually the cowardly victim, there seems to be no clear delineation between Tulio and Miguel. Only Miguel's blonde hair differentiates them.
Perez, unfortunately, is totally miscast. You can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but you can't take the Brooklyn out of the girl. Every word she utters shatters the illusion the filmmakers are striving to create.
The songs by Elton John and Tim Rice also are unremarkable, nowhere near their compositions that helped make "The Lion King" such a success.
Overall, "The Road to El Dorado" will satisfy the very young and undemanding in the audiences. The older youngsters and adults may find this adventure a bit of a bore.
A lot of roadwork is needed to successfully pave the way to this "El Dorado."
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net
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