DreamWorks
hits the screen with a lavishly colorful animation about two adventurous
con-men (voiced by Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline) who end up in the
"new world" in search of the legendary city of Gold. They find
it populated by natives torn in their loyalty to a rolly-polly chief
(voiced by Edward James Olmos) and a feared high priest (Armand Assante).
Added are the flirting and scheming native damsel (Rosie Perez) and the
ever-pressing Spanish military force bent on pillage and conquest of the
pristine, pre-Columbian world.
In an interesting twist on
political correctness that often plagues tales about the destruction of
the noble savages, characters from both groups represent good, bad, and
mixed qualities. It is not at all clear which would be worse, living
under the rule of the native priest, or the conqueror. The movie tries
to give a balanced view and shows a faction within the indigenous
culture welcoming the power of outsiders for entirely unworthy reasons.
In any event, the dramatic
tension develops between the cons trying to agree on how to get the
copious gold. Their inclination to abscond is counterbalanced by the
fact that they are mistaken for Gods, which reminds us, loosely but
unfortunately, of Kippling’s The Man Who Would Be King turned
into a film in 1975. The heroes of the Road to El Dorado are on
the quest for challenge that might transform them into something more
than the silly, selfish cons. They make a transition of sorts but far
too little and too late in the film to add the kind of punch and depth
needed for profound engagement.
Great production values are
evident in the animation of the forest and the city of Gold, but Elton
John and Tim Rice failed to produce the hum-able tunes and memorable
lyrics that we remember them for in the Lion King. We suppose The
Road to El Dorado provides some relatively harmless entertainment
for those seeking something to do with the young ones. You'll do OK as
long as you don’t expect much more.
