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The Road to El Dorado
USA 2000
Reviewed by Leslie Felperin
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
1519, Spain. Petty criminals Tulio and Miguel obtain a map leading to El Dorado, the fabled city of gold in the Americas. They accidentally stow away on a ship bound for Mexico, commanded by the conquistador Cortes. Through a series of misadventures they end up washing ashore on a boat with a horse named Altivo. Encountering some Native Americans from El Dorado who mistake them for gods, Tulio and Miguel are taken to the city and worshipped. They dissuade their hosts, led by Chief Tannabok, from offering a human sacrifice in their honour, angering high priest Tzekel-Kan. Tulio and Miguel demand gold instead, and plan to leave. Native girl Chel rumbles their deceit and insists on going with them.
Tulio falls in love with Chel, breaking an agreement he made with Miguel not to get romantically involved with any of the natives. Miguel is enraptured by the city's friendly occupants. Having deduced the Spanish opportunists are mortal when he sees Miguel bleeding from a cut, Tzekel-Kan summons a monster from the spirit world to attack Chel and Miguel. The Spaniards defeat this creature; banished from the city, Tzekel-Kan chances on Cortes and his men, and agrees to guide them to El Dorado. As Tulio and Chel leave the city on a ship filled with gold, the citizens attempt to seal up the access route to the outside world, thereby protecting their city from Cortes. Miguel - who planned on staying in El Dorado - joins Tulio and Chel on board and helps block the entrance to the city. They escape unharmed.
Review
While all movies are engaged, consciously or not, in a dialogue with films from the past, some are more talkative than others. The latest animated feature from DreamWorks SKG, The Road to El Dorado, is positively garrulous, invoking the spirits of its ancestors with near superstitious fervour. For starters, the business of having the invaders mistaken for gods, then seduced by the land they came to exploit is a nod to The Man Who Would Be King, John Huston's 1975 adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's story, featuring Sean Connery and Michael Caine. El Dorado even steals the plot point of a bleeding forehead betraying the gods' mortality and a jump from a bridge which echoes Connery's swan dive in Huston's film.
More significantly, its title is a self-conscious wink in the direction of the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby Road to... franchise, in which the bantering duo found themselves in antic scrapes with quaint cultural stereotypes from central casting. Thus, The Road to El Dorado features two amiable rogues, Tulio and Miguel (voiced by Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh respectively), whose picaresque pursuit of riches takes them to exotic Latin America, a familiar Hope-Crosby haunt, especially during World War II when Hollywood was encouraged by the US government to forge stronger cultural links with the neighbouring continent. The film industry needs no such encouragement today when there's a vast international market to be tapped.
But the most important template for this movie is the monstrously successful films El Dorado's executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg used to make at Disney such as The Lion King. Having performed flatly at the box office with their two earlier cartoon efforts, Antz and The Prince of Egypt, each of which deviated slightly from the Disney formula, DreamWorks played it by the rules this time: from the swooping ballads, penned by Tim Rice and Elton John (who collaborated on The Lion King), to the trippy montage sequence showing the leads' infatuation with their new-found kingdom. As with the films Katzenberg oversaw at Disney, The Road to El Dorado even features its share of cute animals, including a friendly horse and helpful armadillo. In truth, El Dorado is as good as most recent post-Katzenberg Disney films, and certainly with its stylised characterisation and bursts of witty dialogue a great deal better than the Mouse's turgid mega-budget epic Dinosaur. Unfortunately for DreamWorks, El Dorado flopped in the US. One can't help seeing a certain similarity between Katzenberg and the scheming high priest at the end of the film: frustrated in his efforts to wrest back the kingdom, he gnashes his teeth for losing paradise.
Credits
- Directors
- éric Bergeron
- Don Paul
- Producers
- Bonne Radford
- Brooke Breton
- Screenplay
- Terry Rossio
- Ted Elliott
- Supervising Editors
- John Carnochan
- Dan Molina
- Production Designer
- Christian Schellewald
- Music
- Elton John
- Lyrics
- Tim Rice
- Score Composers
- Hans Zimmer
- John Powell
- ©DreamWorks LLC
- Production Company
- DreamWorks Pictures presents
- Executive Producer
- Jeffrey Katzenberg
- Co-executive Producer
- Bill Damaschke
- Production Supervisors
- Workbook/Layout:
- Kathy Hendrick
- Sweatbox:
- Bruce Seifert
- Editorial:
- Andrew Birch
- Scene Planning:
- Bret Babos
- Layout:
- Darci Ernst
- Carrie Wilksen
- Animation:
- Ameane Owens
- 2D Effects:
- Frederick Lissau
- 3D Effects:
- Noel Wolfman
- Checking:
- Kristen McKittrick
- Colour Model:
- Lisa Fuerst Brosnan
- Assistant Director:
- Michael Serrian
- Scene Planning
- Stephen Childers
- Robert Crawford
- Deirdre Creed
- Brian Riley
- Craig F. Simpson
- Richard Turner
- David Valera
- Co-ordinators
- Story:
- Dolores Gavin
- Kate Spencer
- Production Office:
- David Kalbeitzer
- Stacey Pauly
- Editorial:
- Melissa Gardner
- Heidi Kenny
- Animation:
- Amy Taylor
- 3D Character Animation:
- René Harnois Jr
- Final Line:
- Jason Brewer
- Tony Cosanella
- Background:
- Matt Davis
- Effects:
- Chris Frye
- Scanning:
- Ross Field
- Colour Models:
- Brian Faiola
- Paint:
- Tim Kinnaird
- Colour Dailies:
- David Busch
- Script Continuity:
- Adrienne Lusby
- Visual Development:
- John Mann
- Production Managers
- Jill Hopper
- Mark Swift
- Digital Colour:
- Matthew Teevan
- Animation Department Manager
- Steve Pegram
- Effects Department Manager
- Barbara Cimity
- Digital Manager
- Mary Anderson
- Post-production Executive
- Jan Owen
- Artistic Supervisors
- Story:
- Ronnie Del Carmen
- Jeff Snow
- Layout:
- Lorenzo E. Martinez
- Damon O'Beirne
- Background:
- Kevin Turcotte
- Scene Planning:
- David Morehead
- James Williams
- Animation/Final Line:
- Kristof Serrand
- Colour Models:
- David Svend Karoll
- Digital Supervisor:
- Dan Philips
- 3D Effects:
- Bud Myrick
- 2D Effects:
- Stephen Wood
- 2D Digital Effects:
- Jane Gotts
- Scanning:
- Stuart Campbell
- Animation/Digital/Final Check:
- Pat Sito
- Shauna Stevens
- Digital Paint:
- Jill Tudor
- Music:
- Marylata E. Jacob
- Casting:
- Leslee Feldman
- Costume Designer:
- Kelly Kimball
- ADR Voice Casting
- Sandy Holt
- LoopEase
- Writer
- Philip LaZebnik
- Additional Dialogue
- Karey Kirkpatrick
- Story Artists
- Réjean Bourdages
- David Bowers
- Paul Fisher
- Edmund Fong
- Victoria Jenson
- Jennifer Lerew
- Ted Mathot
- Douglas McCarthy
- Donald Morgan
- Scott Santoro
- Brian Sheesley
- David Soren
- Additional:
- Randy Cartwright
- Brenda Chapman
- Lorna Cook
- Sylvain Deboissy
- James Fujii
- Jurgen Gross
- Steve Hickner
- Eric Koenig
- Todd Y. Kurosawa
- Tony Leondis
- Steven Markowski
- Henry Mayo
- Kevin O'Brien
- Conrad Vernon
- Simon Wells
- Frans Vischer
- Colour Models
- Soo Jin King
- Alison Flintham
- Sara Brigitte Strother
- Susan Van Der Horst
- Head of Technology
- Ruth Scovill
- Head of Software
- Edwin R. Leonard
- Head of Systems
- Bill Villarreal
- Technical Production Managers
- Ralph Denson
- Bernadette J. Gallardo
- Kate Swanborg
- Technology Co-ordinators
- Jeri Heit
- Denise Kellener
- Technology Writers
- Julie Dean Smith
- Mary Margaret Stratton
- Character Design
- Designers:
- Carlos Grangel
- Nicolas Marlet
- Tony Siruno
- Additional:
- James Wilson
- Sculptors:
- Kent Melton
- Dusty Horner
- Raffaello Vecchione
- Visual Development/ Design
- Additional Production Design:
- Victoria Jenson
- Additional Art Direction:
- Sam Michlap
- Sequence Design:
- Seth Engstrom
- David James
- Visual Stylists:
- Kirsten Henshen
- Hani D. El Masri
- Visual Development:
- Daniel Cacouault
- Didier Conrad
- Luc Desmarchelier
- Darek Gogol
- Marc Lumer
- Craig Mullins
- Fred Warter
- Bruce Zick
- Pre-visualist:
- Will X. Rivera
- Visual Consultant:
- John Pohl
- Senior Supervising Animators
- Tulio:
- James Baxter
- Miguel:
- David Brewster
- Supervising Animators
- Tulio:
- William Salazar
- Miguel:
- Serguei Kouchnerov
- Bob Scott
- Chel:
- Rodolphe Guenoden
- Tzekel-Kan:
- Kathy Zielinski
- Chief:
- Frans Vischer
- Altivo/Cortes:
- Kristof Serrand
- Jaguar:
- Sylvain Deboissy
- Armadillo:
- Nicolas Marlet
- Sailors/Ball Players:
- Patrick Mate
- Miscellaneous Animation:
- Erik Schmidt
- Animators
- Tulio:
- Claudio Acciari
- Cinzia Angelini
- Cecile Bender
- Arnaud Berthier
- Jennifer Cardon
- Rick Farmiloe
- Lionel Gallat
- Steve Horrocks
- Jakob Hjort Jensen
- Fabrice Joubert
- Ken Morrissey
- Kevin O'Hara
- Pedro Ramos
- Emil Simeonov
- Dan Wagner
- Alex Williams
- Scott Wright
- Miguel:
- David B. Boudreau
- Adam Burke
- Antony Gray
- Richard Sanguoon Kim
- Brad Kuha
- Robert Milne
- Claire Morrissey
- Tom Owens
- Jean-François Rey
- Erik C. Schmidt
- Andrea Simonti
- Dimos Vrysellas
- Eric Walls
- Chel:
- Manuel Almela
- Bruce Ferriz
- Bo Johannesson
- Dave Kupczyk
- Philippe Le Brun
- Claire Morrissey
- Mike Nguyen
- Jane Poole
- Tzekel-Kan:
- Robert Bryan
- Mike Chavez
- Emanuela Cozzi
- Ricardo Curtis
- Tim George
- Steve Horrocks
- Duncan Marjoribanks
- Gary Perkovac
- Jean-François Rey
- Mark Williams
- Chief:
- Dan Boulos
- Kent Culotta
- Maximilian Graenitz
- Teresa Martin
- Sylvia Muller
- Altivo/Cortes:
- Olivier Coipel
- Catherine Feraday
- Luis Grané
- Fabio Lignini
- MaryAnn Malcomb
- Simon Otto
- Jaguar:
- Pres Romanillos
- Miscellaneous Animation:
- Paul Jesper
- Uriel Mimran
- Herman Sharal
- 3D Character Animation
- Michelle Cowart
- Wendy Elwell
- Ryan Roberts
- Michael Spokas
- Mike Ullner
- Final Line Animation Department Head
- Brett Newton
- Supervising Character Leads
- Tulio:
- Brian Clift
- Miguel:
- Kay Sales
- Character Leads
- Tulio:
- Nicola Courtney
- Helen Michael
- Dawn Pearce
- Miguel:
- Millet Henson
- Jennie Langley
- Chel:
- Tanja Majerus
- Tzekel-Kan:
- Judy Howieson
- Chief:
- Irene Parkins
- Altivo/Cortes:
- Sylviane Burnet
- Jaguar:
- Scott R. Bern
- Armadillo:
- Ronan Spelman
- Miscellaneous Characters:
- Caroline Brophy
- Additional Final Line
- Yelena Geodakyan
- Doug Nineman
- Sandra Ryan
- Additional Animation
- Stardust Pictures
- Sequence Supervisor:
- Rob Stevenhagen
- Animators:
- Dino Athanassiou
- Paul Lee
- Michael Schlingman
- Sharon Smith
- Gabriele Zucchelli
- Production Co-ordinators:
- Chris Haralambous
- Gayle Martin
- Anna Tasou
- Additional Animation
- Bardel Animation Limited
- Producer:
- Delna Bhesania
- Feature Department Supervisors:
- Scott Kiborn
- Norm Konyu
- Production Manager:
- Tia Menich
- Effects Sequence Leads
- Overboard:
- Jeff Howard
- Celebration:
- Lynette Charters
- Jamie Lloyd
- Tzekel-Kan Magic:
- Olivier Malric
- Al Holter
- Jaguar Hunt:
- Ed Coffey
- Sean McLaughlin
- Crashing the Gate:
- Doug Ikeler
- Effects Senior Animator
- Crashing the Gate:
- Moon Seun
- Effects Animators
- Spain:
- Leonard F.W. Green
- Dan Kessler
- Rosanna Lyons
- Overboard:
- Esther M. Barr
- José Luis De Juan
- Marek Kochout
- El Dorado:
- Stephen Krauth
- Hock Lian Law
- David Lyons
- Bob Lyss
- Scott Santoro
- Bob Simmons
- Paul Teolis
- Jeff Topping
- Celebration:
- Dennis Recchia
- Jaguar Hunt:
- Michael Duhatschek
- James Farrington
- Colin Sittig
- Crashing the Gate:
- Conánn Fitzpatrick
- Yancy Lindquist
- Robert Naudon
- Rod Paul
- Olun Riley
- Creation Sequence Effects
- PDI
- Key Lighting
- Laura Corsiglia
- Marcos Mateu Mestre
- Key Layout/Workbook
- Mick De Falco
- Clive Hutchings
- Douglas Kirk
- Matt Lee
- Armen Melkonian
- Nol Meyer
- Mark Mulgrew
- Jean Luc Serrano
- Todd Winter
- CGI Layout
- Harald Kraut
- Le Uyen Pham
- Donald Reich
- Tim Soman
- Layout Artists
- Matt Aspbury
- Andrea Blasich
- Guillaume Bonamy
- Eric N. Clark
- Seth Engstrom
- Herb Hazelton
- Brendan Houghton
- Michael Isaak
- David James
- Conor Kavanagh
- Kate Moo King
- Christophe Lautrette
- Ed Li
- Emil Mitev
- Francisco Mora
- Brad Morris
- Kenard Pak
- Benoît Le Pennec
- Alexandre Puvilland
- Ritche Sacilioc
- Vladimir Spasojevic
- Pamela B. Stefan
- Pierre Olivier Vincent
- Julia Woolf
- Technical Director
- Daniel Bunn
- Blue Sketch
- Garth Hammers
- Background Stylists
- Scott Wills
- Armand Baltazar
- Chris Brock
- Richard Daskas
- Desmond Downes
- Paul Duncan
- Nathan Fowkes
- Carolyn Guske
- Tianyi Han
- Tang Kheng Heng
- Ruben Hickman
- Wade Huntsman
- Yoriko Ito
- Joty Lam
- Robert Lowden
- Karl Wehrli
- Donald Yatomi
- 3D Paint
- Carolyn Ensle-Rendu
- Technical Directors
- Valerie Lettera-Spletzer
- David Navarro
- Editor
- Vicki Hiatt
- Additional Editing
- Jeff Patch
- Lynne Southerland
- Art Directors
- Raymond Zibach
- Paul Lasaine
- Wendell Luebbe
- Titles/Opticals
- Pacific Title
- Guitars Performed by
- Heitor Pereira
- String Trio Performed by
- Triology
- Cello:
- Tristan Schulze
- Violins:
- Aleksey Iguedsman
- Daisy Jopling
- Music Conductors
- Gavin Greenaway
- Rupert Gregson-Williams
- Orchestrations
- Bruce L. Fowler
- Additional:
- Elizabeth Finch
- Walter Fowler
- Sayuri Kawada
- Ladd McIntosh
- Jack Smalley
- Yvonne S. Moriarty
- London Music Co-ordinator
- Maggie Rodford
- Air Edel
- Supervising Music Editor
- Adam Smalley
- Music Editor
- Vicki Hiatt
- Music Recording Adviser
- Stamm Andrews
- Music Recorder/Mixer
- Alan Meyerson
- Additional Recording
- Nick Wollage
- Technical Music Advisers
- Klaus Badelt
- Justin Burnett
- James McKee Smith
- Geoff Zanelli
- Soundtrack
- "El Dorado", "The Trail We Blaze", "Without Question", "Friends Never Say Goodbye", "Someday out of the Blue (Theme from El Dorado)", "Without Question (End Title)"- Elton John; "It's Tough to Be a God"- Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Kline
- Sound Design/Supervision
- Greg King
- Sound Designer/Editor
- Yann Delpuech
- Recordists
- Robert Renga
- Craig 'Pup' Heath
- Laverne Dewberry
- Re-recording Mixers
- Andy Nelson
- Anna Behlmer
- Dialogue Supervisor
- Darren King
- ADR
- Supervisor:
- Darren King
- Group:
- Blayn Barbosa
- Elea Bartling
- Steve Bulen
- Mark Carlton
- Rachel Crane
- Cody Dorkin
- Murphy Dunne
- Ashley Edner
- Bobby Edner
- Elisa Gabrielli
- Mike Gomez
- Javier Grajeda
- Brenda Grate
- Nicholas Guest
- Daisey Hamilton
- Daniel Hansen
- Wendy Hoffman
- Poosy Holmes
- Marabina Jaimes
- Myles Jeffrey
- Lauri Johnson
- Luisa Leschin
- Anne Lockhart
- Don Maxwell
- Karmin Murcelo
- Jonathan Nichols
- Dyana Ortelli
- Al Rodrigo
- Barbara Ransom
- Bert Rosario
- Michelle Ruff
- Lauren Schaffel
- Aaron Spann
- Ryan Sparks
- Sylvia Villagran
- Christopher Windsor
- Mixer:
- Troy Porter
- Foley
- Supervisor:
- John Murray
- Artists:
- John Cucci
- Dan O'Connell
- Mixers:
- James Ashwill
- Linda Lew
- Editor:
- Dan Yale
- Voice Cast
- Kevin Kline
- Tulio
- Kenneth Branagh
- Miguel
- Rosie Perez
- Chel
- Armand Assante
- Tzekel-Kan
- Edward James Olmos
- Chief Tannabok
- Jim Cummings
- Cortes
- Frank Welker
- Altivo
- Tobin Bell
- Zaragoza
- Duncan Marjoribanks
- acolyte
- Elijah Chiang
- Cyrus Shaki-khan
- kids
- Elton John
- narrator
- Certificate
- U
- Distributor
- United International Pictures (UK) Ltd
- 8,077 feet
- 89 minutes 45 seconds
- Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS
- In Colour
- Prints by
- Technicolor