Perhaps it's written in stone somewhere in Hollywood that every animated film has to include songs, whether they suit the story or not.
But "The Road to El Dorado" is a shining example of a film that would have been much stronger if it didn't have to pause every 15 minutes for a musical number. The score in this case was penned by Elton John and Tim Rice, but the old "Lion King" lightning has not struck a second time: These ditties are ho-hum instead of hummable and several of them, particularly the ballads, bring the action to a near-total standstill.
That's a shame, since "El Dorado" is an otherwise enjoyable adventure, with a delightful beginning and an exciting finale making up for a somewhat muddled middle. In many ways the plot is reminiscent of Rudyard Kipling's tale "The Man Who Would Be King," which was beautifully filmed in 1975 with Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Like the Kipling yarn, "El Dorado" introduces us to a pair of fortune-seekers, Miguel (voice of Kenneth Branagh) and Tulio (voice of Kevin Kline), who find more riches -- not to mention more headaches -- than they ever dreamed of when they stumble upon a secret civilization.
Escaping a shady past in Spain, the two accidentally become castaways and travel to South America, where a mysterious map leads them into El Dorado, the legendary lost city of gold. Their arrival time couldn't have been better: It seems the citizens were awaiting the appearance of a couple of gods who would help usher in "the time of the jaguar," and Miguel and Tulio cheerfully take advantage of the natives' hospitality.
The first portion of "El Dorado" is by far the funniest section of the film, featuring a highly amusing episode at sea, some bouncy banter between our heroes and the intoduction of a saucy, sinuous thief named Chel (voice of Rosie Perez) who provides a bit of romantic interest. El Dorado itself is introduced in a glorious sequence that allows the animators to pull out all the stops.
Once Tulio and Miguel have settled in, the movie settles down -- perhaps a bit too much, as John and Rice haul out their maudlin melodies. It's only when Tzekel-Kan (voice of Armand Assante), the blood-crazed high priest, starts to get suspicious of the visitors that the picture begins to regain its momentum. Certainly there's nothing like the unveiling of a spectacular monster and the arrival of a tidal wave to get kids back in their seats.
"El Dorado" comes from Dreamworks, which previously produced the scintillating 1998 feature "Prince of Egypt." Despite some eye-popping effects and luscious colors, this one isn't in the same class, although parents and older siblings who have to accompany little ones to the theater will probably find this much easier to take than "Pokemon" or "Snow Day." "The Road to El Dorado" has its potholes, but it's definitely a scenic route. James Sanford
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