Review of Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) by Nikolayg — 30 Sep 2019

It's one thing to slip in jokes only adults will get, as in Jim Carrey's Grinch movie. It's another thing to slip in cynicism and events that will create awkward moments between parent and child at the movies. The woman cast as Dora is as perfect as a real person can be in the role. However, the story at times edges from sincerity into mocking the character, as when she comes across a plant with a long scientific name and says to the camera, "Can you say [insert long unintelligible scientific word with about 20 syllables here]," clearly intending to mock the cartoon Dora who teaches kids new words.

My almost-5-year-old daughter loves the cartoon, and the movie was heavily promoted during the cartoon show on TV, so of course I assumed the movie would be for the same age bracket. It is not. It is full of poop and fart jokes. It also left me having to explain to my daughter what hallucinogenic drugs are and "why that man took his clothes off." Not to mention the concept of 'mating' which I had planned to introduce my daughter to at a later age. The story itself, once you remove these unfortunate bits, is just OK.

In short, not appropriate for the littlest kids, i.e. those who likely most enjoy the TV show. A bit snarky and cynical with a Dora who seems perfect except that they made her such an intense pollyanna the mocking is unmistakable.

Also could have done without the woke interpretation of Moby Dick as "appropriating indigenous blah blah blah." I had thought it was about a man obsessed with a whale.