The Road To El Dorado Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
They came for the gold... they stayed for the adventure
In 1517, Spanish-wanted street swindlers Miguel and Tulio's uncanny luck gets them a map to El Dorado and a stowaway passage, albeit in Cortez's stocks destined for floggings and slavery on Cuba. They escape, thanks to the war horse Altivo; a storm brings them on a Mexican shore fitting the map, so they enter the city, where high priest Tzekel-Kan welcomes them as the prophesied gods, accidentally confirmed by a volcanic rumble. Only temple thief Chel sees trough their game, so she's allowed into the scam to steal the golden treasure. They abolish human sacrifices and learn the high-priest rivals for power with the chief, so they play them against each-other. Meanwhile Cortez arrives and follows the tramps' trail. When Tzekel-Kan tricks Tullio into reintroducing sacrifices, the river of blood tradition requires to start the jaguar age, Miguel braves him, making a dangerous enemy who uses black magic having realized they're mortal. Now two major dangers attack the city and its 'patron gods'.
| Kevin Kline | Tulio |
| Kenneth Branagh | Miguel |
| Rosie Perez | Chel |
| Armand Assante | Tzekel-Kan |
| Edward James Olmos | Chief |
| Jim Cummings | Cortes, others |
| Frank Welker | Altivo, Various others |
| Tobin Bell | Zaragoza |
| Duncan Marjoribanks | Acolyte |
| Elijah Chiang | Kid #1 |
| Cyrus Shaki-Khan | Kid #2 |
| Elton John | Narrator |
| Bibo Bergeron |
6.40 out of 10 (6428 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Wonderful!
posted on 08 Aug 2009I loved El Dorado! It's one of my favorite cartoon movies that I have. Miguel and Tulio had me laughing from the very beginning! The characters were very colorful and well developed. I only had a few complaints, one being Chel- she was cute at first but then her dialouge started to get annoying. Also, the movie seemed stuck between trying to please two audiences. There were some pretty off scenes (the almost-sacrifice, cutting his hand, backsides exposed, Miguel and Chel's make-out session...etc) that you usually don't find in kid's movies. But then other times, the humor would be aimed at younger kids. Lasty, the computer animation was a bit choppy, but not horrible. But overall, it was an awesome movie! 9/10
A heart warming tale set against the backdrop of genocide!
posted on 02 Aug 2009If Disney has taught any kind of lesson about making cute animated films about historical events, it is that we should simply not make them at all.
Inaccuracies aside, a cartoon that takes a cheerful look at the European colonization of the America's is looking for trouble.The Road to El Dorado opens up in 15th century Spain where two street punks
become accidental stow aways on a ship bound for Cuba. The captain of the ship is the nasty Captain Cortez, and when he finds them he orders them to be flogged and then kept prisoner to be sold as indentured servants when they arrive in Cuba. Our two grifters, Miguel and Tulio, escape with the Captains prized horse in tow, and end up one step ahead of their captor, on the island with the fabled City of Gold. They search out the city, find it, and then try to swindle the villagers who see the pair as gods. I honestly believe that this film should be judged on two levels. We should be looking at the animation, which is incredible, however, we should also be looking at the story, which, I hate to say, has a profound effect on how I feel about the movie as a whole. Dreamworks produced this picture, and there is no doubt that they have managed to achieve the level of animation that Disney, the kingpin of all cartoon factories, has made famous, but they still have several lessons to learn. The story is not only banal, it is slow moving and anti-climactic, the good versus evil thing seems to fizzle out. Our heroes are almost as bankrupt morally, as our villains, and they never quite learn their lesson in the end. The Road to El Dorado has a couple of cuddly critters, yet neither manage to tug at my heart strings. The horse, who was crusty when owned by the ruthless captain, becomes a loyal, if not temperamental ally. And then there is this possum who somehow decides to go along for the ride. Elton John writes and sings the music attached to this film and I hate to say it, but its awful. I won't be looking for him to sing any of these lifeless tunes at next years Oscars. And then there is the gay sub-text. Oh yes, if you look carefully ... if you really want to see it, it's there. I forgot to mention that our grifters, with swishy voices provided by Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branaugh, are toned, tanned and maned to the hilt. The scandal surrounding this film is the hot tub scene, where the boys eagerly rush naked into the steamy water. In reality it should be no big deal, but if that sells tickets, then who am I to argue.Personally, I would suggest passing on The Road to El Dorado, only because of the lousy story. I would not suggest it for children, only because I doubt they would be interested. On the other hand, high praise to the animators, and my fingers are crossed in hopes that they be given a decent script for their next big venture.
One of the best movies for both children and adults!
posted on 31 Jul 2009When I first saw this movie, I was in the 7th grade in my history class. I thought this was going to be just another kid movie like the others, but I was wrong. This movie had both wondering moments, and funny moments. That's what I like about it. This is one of the best children movies ever. Like (2001) The Emperor's New Groove, and (2001) Monsters I.N.C.. All these movies are so funny, and have that childish thought in it, so I gave them all, and especially this movie a 10/10. I think you'll enjoy this movie too, if you just give it a chance.
Good
posted on 27 Jun 2009This is a very good movie. About the language, a little language isn't going to hurt anybody. About the nudity, you didn't see anything, so why does it matter? I don't like movies with nudity, and I like this movie. We watched this movie in school, and we were twelve years old, and some of us were eleven. And it is PG, so parents were warned. The most adult movie I've seen is "Titanic," and it wasn't that bad, either. 8/10
I should have watched this before. Love the animals.
posted on 27 Mar 2009I had a number of reasons for not watching this film before now. First it was by Dreamworks. I had avoided their previous films because I thought they sacrificed characters and plot for the sake of CGI. Also I like cute animals and they did not seem to include them. (Ants aren't cute.) Second I do not like Kevin Kline. Third I saw a bad trailer. I could not have been so wrong about it.While browsing at my local rental store I noticed the video cover. There was an armadillo clinging to a horse's tail. This persuaded me. The start was rather shaky but from the moment the horse appeared I loved it. The characters were good fun especially the armadillo, the horse and Miguel. There were one of two bad songs but that didn't matter. The CGI was kept to a minimum, there was a decent plot and plenty of humour. I won't be so quick to judge in future. 9/10
People are Missing the Most Important Point.
posted on 07 Feb 2009Of course, i was missing it too, until about fifteen minutes in.Okay -- the title is "THE ROAD TO El Dorado" Hands up, everyone with whom that rings a bell.No?Okay -- its stars are two fast-talking con men who get out of trouble by faking fights with each other,and who *almost* play pattycake at a point.Still no bells ringing?How about if i point out that, at one point, our heroes' images are briefly morphed into the faces of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby for about two frames?Right.This is a tribute to/animated version of those hilarious (if you're in the right frame of mind) "B" comedies starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby (and Dorothy Lamour in a sarong -- does Chel look any more familiar, now?), all of which were entitled "The Road to..." somewhere or other.Nothing in them was meant to be taken seriously, and very little in this film is.I have to agree with a number of reviewers who say, with varying degrees of indignation, that this is not a kids' film.Duh.It wasn't meant to be. It was meant to ba a general-audience, PG-rated film.WILL you people PLEASE get it through your heads that "animated" does not, necessarily, equal "kids' movie"?Animation is just another film-making technique, to be used to make any kind of film the animator wants to make, and if you think that animation is automatically for kids, check out... oh, say... "Akira" or "Fantastic Planet" or "Heavy Metal"."Road to El Dorado" is an excellent all-ages film, (with the caveat that is IS a PG-rated one, and that you ought to think about what you want your kids to watch) and anyone who sees anything bad or prurient in the scenes that everyone has been complaining about should take a close look at themselves...
Colorful and witty pictures, with impressive animation. *** out of ****.
posted on 05 Feb 2009ROAD TO EL DORADO / (2000) ***By Blake French DreamWorks Picture's "Road To El Dorado" is an adventuresome journey into the lives of two nomads in the midst of poverty and trouble. Miguel and Tulio are the lifelong friends with very different personalities. We first meet them gambling riches for a map to El Dorado, the secret city of Gold. They win through creating. Therefore Tulio and Miguel devise an improvised escape leading them to hiding in barrels boarding a ship. When the captain discovers the stowaways he is not happy-but at nightfall the friends escape from captivity once again. This is when they become accustomed to their new friend, a horse. As the three pondering souls drift about the massive sea, they begin to lose hope. Just when everything seems hopeless, however, Tulio and Miguel hit the shore, which just so happens to be the island inheriting the road to El Dorado. "Road To El Dorado" certainly has an action packed, fast paced opening, which works well. We do lose character development, however. The filmmakers obviously presume audiences will relate to Tulio and Miguel through assumptions of lifestyles and cultures. The main characters are believable, colorful, and provoke some interesting and funny moments.Miguel and Tulio stumble upon the city of gold after meeting a seductive and mysterious young woman named Chel. At El Dorado, the two drifters are mistaken for all powerful gods by the town's sadistic sorcerer, Tzekel-Kan, who convinces the high Chief they are truly miraculous immortals. Miguel and Tulio dream of riches, so play along with the city's hypothesis. With money on their mind and danger lurking beneath every motive, Tulio and Miguel must figure out a way to inherit the riches before the townspeople discover their real identity. Throughout the production, the story moves along quite steadily. All the events are connected with a strong narrative drive. The movie never explains a few crucial plot nuggets, however, like why the natives presume Tulio and Miguel to be all powerful gods, or El Dorado's reason for existence. The second act stumbles slightly due to the lack of impact of several unnecessary scenes. The sequences do propel the story forward, but do not serve a real dramatic purpose. "Road To El Dorado" has an effective villain, a character who is muscular and demonic in appearance and gradual in his development of evil. He contains hidden powers and mighty strength, all elements we come to expect modern day bad guys to occupy. DreamWorks' animation is very impressive in "Road to El Dorado." The landscapes are detailed and visually enticing. The ocean's vast appearance is overwhelming. Previous achievements in DreamWorks' animation include "The Prince of Egypt," and "Antz." Although "Road To El Dorado" is not as mature as "The Prince of Egypt," it still offers an acceptable variety of humorous moments and entertaining characters. The musical numbers performed in this feature are not memorable nor very involving. But the film as a whole contains a lot of energy and wit. I did not the like the ending, which felt rushed and inconclusive. Still, "Road to El Dorado" is a movie with enough effective material to be worth watching, not purchasing.
Nice Movie...
posted on 06 Jan 2009This movie-The road to El Dorado is a very comedy show where you can enjoy it from the comfort of tour sofa and will not fall asleep. With a colorful plot where anything impossible is possible to happen.The voice in and the characters portrait is a very good combination and the playfulness of the horse. All sort of feelings also comes into play. Friendship,betrayal...it shows that friendship is the most important thing to happen and that suggesting to viewers out there watching to keep up the relationships with their friends and not break it up. I give this show 10 stars out of 10, also because of the animation way it was done, the songs were very matching to what is on the screen. I recommend viewers out there to watch this show.You are never too old to watch this movie.
Enjoyable comic adventure
posted on 25 Nov 2008"The road to El Dorado" is a fun-filled, exciting ride for the whole family! Okay, maybe there were too many musical numbers, but that's not too much of a problem, though. The chemistry between Branagh and Kline as the two protagonists, Miguel and Tulio, are comical, as is the sparkly Rosie Perez. I have read reviews in which the critics mentioned the "supposed" sexuality between Miguel and Tulio; well, regardless of what the critics say, I believe that anyone will enjoy "El Dorado." Rating:4 out of 4
What were they thinking?!
posted on 20 Sep 2008Just saw it today. It was fun for me (Dad) and my 11-year-old son. Nice visuals, and just about the right length.However, I don't understand why any producer saw it necessary to insert mild swearing ("let's get the hell out of here.") into the script of an animated movie! I know kids hear it all the time, but it added nothing good to the movie and was a negative point for my family.
Greatest animated film ever!
posted on 14 Sep 2008First things first, I am 56 years old and I have to say that I adored this movie. It didn't seem childish or silly at all, on the contrary it had language and dialogue that my 6 year old grandson wouldn't understand! The plot was exciting, the characters deep. Towards the end when I thought that Tulio and Chel were leaving Miguel for good, tears sprang into my watery blue eyes. I almost couldn't stand it! The part in which the chief played ball with the village children was so adorable! The movie wouldn't be complete without it.I also loved the song, "It's Tough to be a God" because I couldn't keep from tapping my foot! It was so exciting!!!! All in all, The Road to El Dorado is an awesome animated film and a masterpiece!
Exciting Movie!
posted on 04 Sep 2008I remember watching this movie a while back on a VHS. I remember eating Smores while watching this. Anywho, since it was so old, I don't remember much but I will try at my best to explain.Two young men are running from people and ends up getting on a boat. They get caught and then escape with a horse who loves apples. They find an island and one of them remember hearing about a place called El Dorado. They accidentally discover it and people think they are Gods. They are proved wrong by an evil man. But in the end, that one evil man is caught and locked out of El Dorado.I hope I can get the time to watch this movie if my sister has it on DVD. I recommend this movie for all ages. It was sort of funny, exciting, and great for kids.
The Road to El Dorado
posted on 15 Aug 2008Following Antz and The Prince of Egypt, Dreamworks Studios created this third animated adventure film. Basically, it is 16th Century Spain, and two wanted swindlers/con men, Tulio (Kevin Kline) and Miguel (Kenneth Branagh), manage to win themselves a map with directions to an island where apparently El Dorado, the city of gold, is located. Escaping from a ship as stowaways, they and a horse get shipwrecked onto an island in the New World, and it just happens to be the island on the map, so they follow the map to find the secret city, only to be taken to it by force by the natives. With their foreign appearance, and looking like some figures on a rock, they are worshipped by the people as gods, and with the help of Chel (Rosie Perez) they manage to keep up this pretence, while they plan their departure with all the gold they can get. There is the usual disagreement, and it looks like only one of them will leave the island, but it is resolved, and in the end, they escape with no gold (apart from the horse's hooves), but at least the bad guy gets what he deserves, and Chel of course. Also starring Armand Assante as Tzekel-Kan, Edward James Olmos as Chief, Jim Cummings as Cortes, Frank Welker as Altivo and Saw's Tobin Bell as Zaragoza, with narration by Sir Elton John. The animation may not be up to the standard of Disney, there are some chatty sequences in between, and a little bit of a cheesy story, but with some CGI added, at least two action bits, and two appealing lead characters by two good actors, there is some fun to be had. Worth watching, at least once!
A fast paced, hilarious film
posted on 09 Aug 2008DreamWorks' "The Road to El Dorado" was a lot more comedic than their last film "The Prince of Egypt". The animation was colorful and the voice-overs were great! ONE of the best films of the year SO FAR. The music by Elton John and Tim Rice was great, not to mention the background score by Hans Zimmer. However, the music from the "Lion King" had a lot of radio play plus the fact that more people went to see it. That's why more people remember the music. To this movie, the music is great but I don't think it will be as memorable. In the end it was incredible and I would give it 3 out of 4 stars.
Almost as good as Disney
posted on 24 Jul 2008I have always been a person who preferred Disney movies out of all animated movies but this movie comes pretty close to the Disney standard.I am also the first to admit that I am only judging the Disney standard on movies i have seen and i haven't seen them all. This movie had impressive dialogue and Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline did a good job of the character's voices. It also was surprisingly funny and wasn't just a kids movie as it had some older humour in it.The storyline was also somewhat original for an animated film. The only down side was the rather repetitve music which could get quite annoying but i suppose you just have to grin and bear it.All in all a good movie which i would recommend to people.
Worth Watching (Possible Spoiler)
posted on 06 Jul 2008This was a well animated film. The images are crisp, the colors are vivid.
The characters are amusing for both children and adults. The story-line isn't anything particular new. Unlikely heroes find a lost city and end up sacrificing their own self serving goals to save the day, revealing that they truly are good people when push comes to shove.I felt that the Elton John songs were a little campy and weak, but nothing that had me sticking my fingers in my ears. A few of the numbers were very fantasia like, which I felt was out of place in this particular film. The non-fantasia like musical numbers are good.The film is cute. The characters are like-able - I in particular found myself more entertained by the horse and the armadillo at times - and intelligently done. This is one I might keep away from the littlest kids, but for the ones in school I think they can probably handle everything in the film. Parents might want to watch this one first themselves, because they probably have the best idea of what their kids can handle.Watch this film! Enjoy it!
The Forgotten Movie
posted on 30 Jun 2008The Road to El Dorado is an underrated Dreamworks creation which came out and left in haste.The plot centres around two tricky Spanish swindlers, Tulio and Miguel, who manage to get their hands on a map of the City of Gold, ElDorado. After a long voyage, the stowaways find El Dorado, where they are treated as Gods. But their scam is endangered by the suspecting vile priest Tzekel-Khan.Voice acting is very good, especially Armand Assasnte's, who voiced Tzekel Khan. The priest gives me shivers every time I watch the movie. And speaking of him, there are some interesting characters, like the good Chief, who cares about the people, Cortes, the terrifying conquistador, the two main heroes themselves, who have different views, but one goal and Tzekel-Khan, the religious fanatic who strongly believes in sacrifices.The animation is superb, El Dorado is extremely well done, a colorful Utopia with unique wildlife, along with the surrounding jungles. Almost all the songs (several in total) are Elton John songs. They're catchy.Of course, the movie isn't perfect. The main flaw is that the entire plot is based on ridiculous coincidences. Tulio and Miguel HAPPEN to get a map and then HAPPEN to get on the boat that HAPPENS to take them to a place which HAPPENS to be the place indicated on the map.Also, some moments are extremely odd and, once again, are based on coincidences. But, overall, the movie is very good, a forgotten treasure with excellent animation, hilarious moments and a cool villain.Final Score: 3.5/5 or 7/10
Solid Gold!
posted on 08 Aug 2009"The Road to El Dorado" is a highly underrated movie that is absolutely fantastic. The Story: Miguel (voiced by Kenneth Branagh) and Tulio (voiced by Kevin Kline) are best friends who also wanted conmen. They play a game of Craps with some sailors. They keep on winning because they use a loaded dice. One of the sailors bets a map of the lost city of El Dorado in The New World. Miguel & Tulio win the map, but then the sailors find out that the dice they were using is loaded. They both escape but are then chased by a bull. They (seemingly) safely escape onto Cortés' ship, but are soon caught by Cortés' men and taken to the man himself in stocks. Cortés (brilliantly voiced by the most excellent Jim Cummings) thinks that they're stowaways and says that he's going to sell them to a plantation in Cuba. Miguel and Tulio end up escaping with Cortés' horse, Altivo, onto one of the longboats, but end up famished out at sea. When they think Miguel, Tulio and Altivo think they're about to die, they end up on an island which turns out to be El Dorado. The men find there way to the city and are mistaken for gods. But, it soon turns out to be trouble in paradise for Miguel and Tulio because El Dorado's priest, Tzekel-Kan (voiced by Armand Assante), keeps on demanding sacrifices and, upon finding out that Miguel & Tulio are mortals, sets out to destroy them, while amorous Chel (voiced by Rosie Perez), who wants in on the mens' plan to take the gold and run, seduces Tulio and Cortés is on the island and is making his way to the city fast. All of this ultimately puts Miguel & Tulio's friendship to the test.A great family flick that will somehow appeal more to adults than kids but kids will still love it.