‘Dora the Explorer,’ a modern-day ‘Nancy Drew’

Nickelodeon Studios isn’t exactly known for adult entertainment. This is their 15th feature film based on a television show and almost 20 years after the original “Dora the Explorer” TV show. Their primary objective is to make enjoyable, kid-friendly entertainment. Any carry over into the adult world is simply a bonus. By now, Nick has learned how to make quality features with adorable yet believable youngsters.

More important, kids of all ages can relate to Nick’s characters and their challenges. “Dora the Explorer” has become a modern-day “Nancy Drew” (ask your grandparents). This adventure story features Dora (Isabela Moner) as bright, optimistic and fearless in the most dangerous jungle situations. Most of all, she’s just likable.

The twist is that Dora comes to the city, where this girl-Tarzan is instantly transformed into a wide-eyed fish out of water. The almost all Latino cast delivers several lines of the script in Spanish (with subtitles), but there is no overt cultural message, other than Hispanics are people too. So, that is why the movie was filmed in Australia, whaaat?

Director James Bobin (The Muppets) has created a jungle and lost city universe with a similar feel as “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Although that series was a lot of fun, this is a much lighter fare at every level. Even the villain is a laughable clown. The story begins in the jungles of Peru, where Dora and her parents, played by Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives) and Michael Pena (CHiPs), live in an upscale Swiss Family Treehouse.

There is frequent CGI animation mixed in with the live-action, so Bobin exploits the many opportunities for tight shots of cute critters, including Dora’s talking pet monkey, Boots (voiced by Danny Trejo). The home and jungle setting is presented as a Shangri-La for any kid’s imagination, similar to what we saw in Disney’s recent Jungle Book.

Dora’s parents are on a path to discover a Lost City of Gold for posterity. Her parents explain, “Treasure hunters bad, explorers good.” Having spent most of her life in the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora for her most dangerous adventure ever, high school. Dora is mocked and ridiculed, even by her own cousin, Diego.

Diego explains, “This isn’t the jungle, this is high school, life or death. High school is hard enough without taking care of a weirdo.” Dora replies, “I never felt lonely, even though I was by myself in the jungle, but surrounded by all these people in the city is lonely.” The point is that even seemingly teens can have trouble fitting in.

When Dora and a few fellow classmates are kidnapped and taken back to the jungle, Dora leads Diego, a couple of teens, Boots and a local professor on a live-action adventure to save her parents. In the process of solving the impossible mystery behind the Lost City of Gold, they encounter the requisite wilderness challenges and must navigate a perilous Incan “funhouse.” Thankfully, nobody gets slimed.

The scenery is gorgeous while the thrills and spills are entertaining, but it’s really about this determined young lady. Although the animated version has been about an eight-year-old, this Dora starts there, but actress Isabela Moner is eighteen. Her real challenge was to make Dora’s devoted fans accept this new, more grown character. We believe the optimism and confidence of Moner’s Dora are cheerfully accepted and even celebrated.

“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” is 102 minutes and rated PG for action and impolite humor. We believe the solid premise and leading young lady present an opportunity for a broader audience. Moner carries the movie single-handed, but one of the main characters was hopelessly miscast while another completely overacted to the point of embarrassment and annoyance.

The younger audience noticeably responded to the film as being fun and funny. Without preaching, the strong but simple message was to be yourself and try to do the right thing, even when it’s not so easy. Some of us are still learning that. With that behind us, our next question is, where in the world is Carmen San Diego?

Ron’s Rating: C Leigh’s Rating: B