Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8025 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-05-07
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Animated, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Dutch
• Dubbed in: Dutch, German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 89 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In its third foray into animated features, The Road to El Dorado, Dreamworks came up with something unfortunate: the routine animated picture. Plagued with production problems (it was originally conceived as a mould-breaking 12-rated adventure), the likable film is a Hope/Crosby-style road picture about two scallywags who stumble upon the Latin American paradise of El Dorado, the mythical city with riches of gold. Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline are quite fun as Miguel and Tuilo, two Spanish con artists who are shipwrecked in the New World with a scene-stealing horse. The pair follow a map to the secret city where their loyalty will be tested: do they return home rich men or continue to live in this paradise? Of course there are some obstacles: a high priest (Armand Assante) is locked in a power struggle with the benevolent chief (Edward James Olmos) and the perfunctory girlfriend (Rosie Perez) puts the two friends at odds. Like too many of the animated features of its time, The Road to El Dorado impresses only on a visual level (it's drenched in gorgeous greens and golds). The story and Elton John's songs are quite forgettable; only Branagh and Kline's playful banter keeps the film alive. Slick and light, it's a fine 83-minute entertainment for ages 5 and up, including the non-discriminating adult. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com

Special Features
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Dutch\German
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 Dutch English German
Dolby Digital 5.1
Behind The Scenes Featurette
Basics Of Animation
Directors Commentary
Music Video
Booklet With Production Notes
Dutch

Synopsis
Tulio, Miguel and their horse Altivo, go in search of treasure in El Dorado, the lost city of gold. Upon their arrival they are mistaken for gods by the inhabitants and are treated to all the riches they could ever want.

Customer Reviews

An Under-rated Gem
I am so glad to find that other people love this as much as I do. Was buying it for my 3 year old godson because my boys (and I) loved it so much and reading these reviews brought back memories of my sons dancing round the living room and making me replay the songs over and over again, and of me spluttering tea with laughter at some of the jokes. I loved all the Hope and Crosby Road to ... films and wished that Branagh and Kline would do some more animation versions or remake them as they had a great chemistry. In my view an absolute classic family film.

Underrated as a great "buddy movie"
First the good: Branagh and Kline do an excellent job at breathing life into the two main characters, Tulio and Miguel. "The Road to El Dorado" is at its heart a buddy-movie, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the two voice-actors had so much chemistry together. They performed well with an excellent script which was consistently light and often hilarious. The artwork, particularly for El Dorado itself, is breath-taking, with quite possibly the most beautiful, detailed backgrounds I've ever seen in any film. When Tulio and Miguel sailed though the archway to get their first glimpse of El Dorado, I think I actually gasped out loud! The representation of the gold as well is very impressive and realistic, even seven years on. I really couldn't rate it highly enough, and were I judging the film on this alone, I'd have no hesitation about giving it full marks.

The story and characters are quite well fleshed-out, although naturally the usual contrivances of all films are employed to get the heroes to their destination. Real conflict comes into play, however, and I will give the film its dues by saying that I was genuinely torn as to what I wanted to happen. Fans of action films set in "lost civilisations" - "The Mummy" and the Indiana Jones oeuvre spring to mind - will find this very easy to love.

The DVD itself comes with some decent features as well: an interesting director's commentary and and a fairly entertaining "making of" documentary. The subtitles don't always match the dialogue exactly, but only real sticklers for accuracy will care about that, I imagine!

Now the bad: While the landscapes were really beautiful, the characters themselves weren't quite so satisfying. There is limited range in both their physical appearances (a big head with a small, pointy nose describes most of them) and facial expressions. The story seems to lose itself in the final act, with a ferocious beast which doesn't quite seem to fit in with the Aztec (or Mayan, or Incan - the film never makes clear what people they are) civilisation. The ending too is a little unsatisfying. A huge disappointment were the songs written by Elton John. They are entirely unmemorable - with perhaps the exception of the slightly catchy "It's Tough To Be A God" - and often I felt even detracted from the film.

I don't wish to become too involved in the potential "conquerer/savage" discussion, so it's suffice to say that "El Dorado" handles the problematic area of the European settlers' treatment of the South American natives as well as it conceivably could. It is apparently set in a world where racial conflict is near-unknown: Tulio thinks nothing of the idea of taking the native woman Chel back to Spain with him, for example. The two civilisations are even able to understand one another from a start - something I found rather jarring (especially after Disney's "Pocahontas"'s relative success at showing the American/European language divide). While all this perhaps does not quite ring true, the film makes no real claim to be telling "real" history, and by editing out the less savoury truths, only then does the story become suitable for young children.

Overall, and in spite of my criticisms, this is a really wonderful film. I'd place it in my "top five" animated films of all time. From the gorgeous backgrounds to the excellent characters, this is a film which the entire family ought to be able to enjoy!

Impressive.
A splendid romp from start to finish, The Road To El Dorado drags animated features into the 21st century.
We have an original and interesting story which overpowers the formula plot and keeps one amused and acutely aware throughout.
The performances from all of the cast are flawless but Brannaugh and Kline truly shine and exibit their skills with the mastery and class that one expects from such talent.
The soundtrack really is superb and is not the usual bland and over produced fare that we usually endure in an animated feature, we have the ever reliable Hans Zimmer showing off his heavenly composition skills providing a meaty atmospheric score.
The songs too are in the hands of masters with Sir Tim Rice penning the lyrics and Sir Elton John lending his unique expertice in the music and arranging fields.
The songs are sublime and have tunes which dance up and down and tickle your ear drums, and the words are insightful and thought provoking.
Overall, this film has it all, A good story, Top drawer acting, excellent direction, wonderful and genuine comedy, outstanding visuals, inspired soundtrack, and most of all this film is the first in it's genre to be honestly enjoyable for all ages.