Reviews by:
@the_owlseyes
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How to Train Your Dragon's saga has been a global hit which has solidified Dreamworks has an animation powerhouse, worthy to compete with the ever growing lights of Disney and Pixar. It has taken a long time to threaten the prestigious position Disney has set himself in after the acquisition of Pixar and the consequent worldwide animation dominion. Recently we're experiencing a slur of animated movies and series which offer something different than the usual smooth and tender look of Disney's animation. That's why we now have movies like Spider-Man: into the Spiderverse, Mitchell vs The Machine, The Lego Movie, Wolfwalkers and series like Love,Death and Robots. All of it has happened after the 2010's and started during the second half of the 2000's. But, before that, Disney was a giant with the best artists, writers and directors. The Lion King, Mulan, Aladdin, The Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid have set up higher standards for the animation industry. Here is where this movie came in, by trying to tell a different story with a more nuanced message. A huge risk.
PLOT
"Two swindlers get their hands on a map to the fabled city of gold, El Dorado" or "Hope and Crosby readapted for a younger generation".
SCRIPT
It's a simple story but it's able to adress complex concept and show them in a subtle way. The sexual innuendo of this movie is there and as a kid you won't get it but, as an adult it will be pretty noticeable. I mean, there's a character who receives a blowjob off camera. Or the fact that the idea of polygamy, bisexuality and homosexuality is heavily implied. One could say that it's just fan fiction but some songs and some manners of the protagonists seems to wink at it. The same could be said about the girl. But it isn't just about sexuality, we're offered a kind of characters which aren't supposed to be likeable. We're talking about two con-artist and a thief who convince a rich town that they're gods, to fullfill an ancient prophecy. Obviously the three characters are managed very well, defined by thier quirks, skills and goal. The interesting thing is that all the movie build up an arch for all of them and in the end throws it all away, like nothing ever happened. This could be infuriating but, if you consider the source material, which is a 1940's sga which happens to have the same structure. I'm talking about the Road to... saga of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Almost accidentally the characters results likeable as a sort of antiheroes. Yes, because their last choice makes them redeemable.
More than that the movie is also able to explore other themes like the contrast between state and religion, between belief and science, which aren't concepts easy to show to kids and parents without passing as conservative or liberals. This is why the villain is, in some way, the hero, till the end of the movie, where he's corrupted. He's the sharpest mind in El Dorado and it emerges a lot of times. His fall is used as a strong critic toward colonialism and imperialism, because Cortez, even though he is only in the background, is the real negative force here.
I think that the movie deserves more credit for being bold with its concepts and themes, this is why its flaws are justifiable and, almost, well placed.
Script: 7/10
ACTING
Kevin Kline and Kenneth Brannagh deliver a very good performance as Tulio and Miguel but I think that Armand Assante is the best because he gives a villain a threatning yet fascinating voice. I've also liked Edward James Olmos as the Chief, because he plays him with a warm and welcoming voice which is the perfect fit for his character. Rosie Perez as Chel isn't as interesting as the others, because she does a mediocre work.
Acting: 7/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
Here we've some pretty good shots, just look above to have an idea of it but this isn't the strength of the movie, because most of it is made of mediocre shots. Even though colours have a role year and some scenes are used to convey a symbolic meaning, I didn't find it remarkable.
Photography: 6/10
EDITING
Slow motion is used a few times, only when is needed, and most of the shots use simple transitions like fading and fade to black, the last one isn't good for a mvie because it break the story's flow. I liked the zoom ins which were used in a comedic way and to represent danger. Overall it's nothing exceptional on this side.
Editing: 5/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
This is where we have the best, because the water is lifelike and stunning, and the worst, because sometimes the cgi is too perceptible. The hand drawn animation works well, evem though sometimes we get some weird frames which make us cringe. I think that on this aspect the movie is good and flawed but it isn't the best of its kind.
Special Effects: 6/10
SOUNDTRACK
One of the best work of Hans Zimmer and John Powell who, after that, worked on Pirates of the Caribbean and Shrek, two classics of cinema. It's interesting to notice that the villain theme lays the ground for what will be Barbossa's Theme. It's hard to miss it. The soundtrack is adventurous and exciting, enhancing the movie quality and giving us the chills. The addition of Elton John's songs is an dea which helps the movie and sometimes it cripples it because these detach us from the movie by focusing on the singer. They choose him to use his starpower and continue what The Lion King did but they didn't consider how music is used there and here. It doesn't hurt the movie quality but it adds a little flaw to a great soundtrack.
Soundtrack: 8/10
COSTUMES
Though these fit the time period and the characters, while hypersexualing Chel, I don't find them remarkable. I liked how Miguel and Tulio choices are foreshadowed by their wardrobe but it isn't enough to say that it elelvates the movie's quality.
Costumes: 6/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 7/10
Acting: 7/10
Photography: 6/10
Editing: 5/10
Special Effects: 6/10
Soundtrack: 8/10
Costumes: 6/10
AVERAGE: 6,42
It's an animated movie which breaks the mold and does something original and a bit unexpected by adressing interesting themes which aren't usually touched by this kind of medium. It could be a soft cult becuase it has its own merits and it manages to entertain you with funny characters, good visuals and an exciting soundtrack. I advise to wtach to see how was animation before Pixar's revolution and what Dreamworks used to offer during the hand drawn era.
Director: Bibo Bergeron, Don Paul
Screenplay: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Kline, Rosie Perez, Armand Assante, Edward James Olmos, Jim Cummings
Soundtrack: Hans Zimmer, John Powell
Running Time: 89 minutes
Budget: $95 million
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