# Road to El Dorado, The (2000)

### reviewed by
Scott Renshaw

THE ROAD TO EL DORADO (DreamWorks) Voices: Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Rosie Perez, Armand Assante, Edward James Olmos. Screenplay: Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Producers: Brooke Breton and Bonne Radford. Directors: Bibo Bergeron and Will Finn. MPAA Rating: PG (mild profanity, adult themes) Running Time: 85 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.

In the last decade or so, animated feature film-making has not just risen from the dead, it has become the most consistently reliable Hollywood genre for creative entertainment. Compare the unqualified artistic successes (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, A BUG'S LIFE, THE IRON GIANT) and solid entertainments (ANTZ, ALADDIN, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT) with the out-and-out duds (QUEST FOR CAMELOT, THE KING AND I ... pretty much everything from Warner Bros. _except_ THE IRON GIANT, actually), and you'll find a batting average any studio would kill for. The "Disney model" has led to films from several studios in which strong scripts and genuine creative energy generate -- pardon the cliche -- fun for the whole family.

It's easy to visualize a live-action version of THE ROAD TO EL DORADO as a colossal failure, clumsily mixing whimsy with huge production values. The animated version, however, manages a multitude of charms. The story begins in Spain circa 1519, where Cortez is about to begin his exploration (and plundering) of the Americas. Enter Tulio (Kevin Kline) and Miguel (Kenneth Branagh) a pair of happy-go-lucky con artists looking for a quick escape after winning a map in a rigged dice game. They become inadvertent stowaways on Cortez's ship, eventually going overboard to make their own way to the American shore. Soon they discover that the map actually does lead to the legendary "City of Gold" El Dorado, where Tulio and Miguel are received as gods come to earth. They also find themselves in the middle of a power struggle between the High Priest Tzekel-Kan (Armand Assante) and the amiable Chief (Edward James Olmos), and divided by the opportunistic native girl Chel (Rosie Perez).

In any number of ways, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO does feel like a too-obvious attempt to mimic Disney's 1990s animated output. Like THE LION KING, the film combines a Hans Zimmer score with songs by Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, among them the catchy (if not instantly hummable) "The Trail We Blaze" and "It's Tough to Be a God." It also brings on board the writing team of Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott, who contributed to the script for ALADDIN. There's even a Disney voice veteran in Kevin Kline, who previously worked on THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. The basic story progression is familiar, and the obligatory musical numbers are feeling a bit more obligatory all the time. It's pretty fair to say that THE ROAD TO EL DORADO doesn't do anything radically different than the dozen or so Disney animated features that have preceded it.

Then again, why mess with success? The makers of THE ROAD TO EL DORADO seem to understand that telling a good story with wit and excitement will be enough to satisfy virtually anyone. They begin with a pair of roguishly likeable protagonists -- well-performed by Kline and Branagh and splendidly animated -- who carry the story effectively. Directors Bibo Bergeron and Will Finn lead them through a series of wild, high-spirited action sequences, unobtrusively combining computer-generated details and traditional cel animation. And the script and the character animation provide more hearty laughs than a dozen recent live-action comedies. Sure, there's a formula to THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, but it rarely seems like those involved are content to let their film feel formulaic. Within the constraints of their genre, everyone is working to keep the film lively and appealing.

THE ROAD TO EL DORADO certainly isn't the most inspired animated film to come down the pike. The third act in particular begins to drag, relying too much on a rift between Tulio and Miguel. The character development is a bit sketchy, the villainous Tzekel-Kan doesn't get enough time to show his villainy and even a toned-down Rosie Perez is still Rosie Perez. It's not a dazzling visual spectacle, and it's not going to move anyone to tears. It is, however, the kind of sturdy, generally smart film craftsmanship that shows up far more often when a world is drawn than when it's photographed. Maybe it's the unique creative perspective of animators; maybe it's the freedom inherent in creating a world from scratch. Or maybe it's just one of those Golden Ages we here so much about but experience so rarely. THE ROAD TO EL DORADO may not be solid gold, but it continues an impressive string of animated features worth spending your silver on.

         On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 gilded artisans:  7.

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