The Road To El Dorado is a fun film from Dreamworks. Is it the best Dreamworks film? No, I don't think it is as evocative or as stirring as Prince of Egypt, as zany or as (quite) original as Shrek, as witty or as charming as Antz, as ambitious or as mature as Spirit or as audacious or as sweet as Over the Hedge. But is it the worst Dreamworks? No, I was disappointed with Shark Tale, which was nice visually but suffered from a meandering script and an unoriginal plot line, and I think it is better than Shrek the Third, which felt tired in comparison to its first two predecessors.

If I had any negatives for this film, they are very few. One was that, the banter at the beginning between Miguel and Tulio came across as a little on the contrived side. My other complaint is that the ending was somewhat abrupt, maybe it is just me but I felt that the film could've done with a more rounded finish.

These flaws aside, there is a lot to enjoy. The animation is stunning, the backgrounds are colourful, the colours are vibrant and the character movements are sharp. The animation of the lost city of gold itself was above mesmerising.

I know people have complained about the songs and the score. We know from the Lion King, which is not only one of my favourite animated films but one of my favourite films ever that Elton John can write good songs. I actually liked the songs here, they were somewhat catchy and memorable. And the score from Hans Zimmer is great. Zimmer is one of my favourite film composers, and while he has done better work, his score is rousing and exciting enough.

Others wrote about the story being dull. Fair enough, but bear in mind people complained about the story of Spirit:Stallion of the Cimarron being dull. The plot here was at least coherent, and while not perhaps the most fast-moving of all plots, does have some humour to keep the kids amused. The script is not too bad, there are some entertaining parts, and while some of the banter is a tad contrived other parts are witty and very humorous. The part with the chief playing ball with the village children was indeed adorable.

The characters are engaging enough, and the voice acting was great. I liked the characters of Miguel and Tulio. Miguel is more light hearted and Tulio while more into wealth than Miguel has real humanity. Both Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline did a wonderful job putting their wit across and were entertaining as a result. Chel has to be one of the most vivacious female characters in any animated film, along with Jasmine, Esmeralda, Tzipporah and Odette. She is the seducer of El Dorado, willing to help Miguel and Tulio at a price, and Rosie Perez, a delightful actress was perfect. Then there is the antagonist, Tzekel-Khan, the high priest and speaker and to say he is nuts is an understatement. Armand Assante provides his voice effectively.

In conclusion, a visually audacious and fun Dreamworks film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Petty-criminal pretty boys Tulio (Kevin Kline) and Miguel (Kenneth Branagh) are wanted by the authorities. They steal a map to the fabled El Dorado city of gold in the new world. However they accidentally stole away on Cortez's ship to the new world while on the run from the guards. They escape and end up in the new world with their new horsey friend Altivo right where their map starts. When they get to El Dorado, they run into Chel (Rosie Perez) and a bunch of warriors. Tulio and Miguel are used by high priest Tzekel-Kan (Armand Assante) in his scheme as returning Gods. Chel had tried to steal an artifact from temple, and the duo gives her a second chance.

The main problem for me is that the two leads are basically the same character. The chemistry is not the best for a comedy duo. They should have some differences to make it work better. These two are both bickering witty talkative scoundrels. They may as well be the same character.

The animation is fine if somewhat blocky and cartoony. I have no problem with that. It's a lot of flashy bright golden colors. The music is all Elton John and I do have a problem with that. It's not that I dislike Elton John, but it makes the music somewhat monotone. All the songs sound the same and none stands out as a hit. The story isn't as much fun as it wants to be. It certainly tries to be flashy and wacky, but it's so forgettable. And the jokes aren't necessarily funny. It's not even good enough to be second tier animated world.

I just couldn't get into it. Of course, it isn't based on anything, other than the myth of El Dorado. That said, it can't follow any previous plot or use main characters in any substantial way. The story line is creative but Hope/Crosby hooey. This could be retitled, "Two Funny Guys Go to El Dorado." I couldn't find any sparks here. Since El Dorado didn't exist, except on the side of an old Cadillac, one can't be critical of the truthfulness of the plot. The animation is adequate and fills the bill.