{"id":122537,"date":"2025-03-09T17:26:49","date_gmt":"2025-03-09T17:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/animation\/the-25th-anniversary-of-the-road-to-el-dorado\/"},"modified":"2025-03-09T17:26:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-09T17:26:49","slug":"the-25th-anniversary-of-the-road-to-el-dorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=122537","title":{"rendered":"The 25th Anniversary of \u201cThe Road to El Dorado\u201d |"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Bob Hope-Bing Crosby \u201cRoad\u201d movies. Quite the change from epic, Biblical musicals. And that\u2019s the way DreamWorks wanted it.<\/p>\n

As a follow-up to The Prince of Egypt<\/em>, DreamWorks turned to those classic movie comedies as inspiration. Their second traditionally animated feature, The Road to El Dorado<\/em>, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this spring, was a decidedly different change of pace for the then-still-new studio.<\/p>\n

In an interview in early 2000, the film\u2019s co-director Don Paul said, \u201cPart of the reason that the \u2018Road\u2019 movies were used as inspiration is that we\u2019re trying to break the mold of animation storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Set in 1519, the film opens in Spain and centers on two con men, Miguel (Kenneth Branagh) and Tulio (Kevin Kline), who win a map to the City of Gold, El Dorado, when they run a rigged dice game. When discovered, the two escape as stowaways aboard a ship that belongs to the famed explorer Cort\u00e9z (Jim Cummings).<\/p>\n

The two are discovered and thrown overboard (along with Cort\u00e9z\u2019s horse, Altivo) but eventually make it to land, where they discover El Dorado. Here, they\u2019re mistaken for Gods, while Tulio falls for Chel (Rosie Perez), who is wise to their con, and Miguel falls in love with the city.<\/p>\n

The two also wind up facing off against the villain, Tzekel-Khan (Armand Assante) and thwart an overthrow of the city and Chief Tannabok (Edward James Olmos).<\/p>\n

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The Road to El Dorado<\/em> was initially to be more of a straightforward historical adventure, based on the book Conquest: Montezuma, Cort\u00e9s and the Fall of Old Mexico<\/em> by Hugh Thomas. The film\u2019s tone changed when Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted the studio\u2019s next animated feature to be a departure from The Prince of Egypt. <\/p>\n

El Dorado<\/em> also underwent production changes, with original directors Will Finn and David Silverman leaving the project. Don Paul and Eric \u201cBibo\u201d Bergeron then stepped in as co-directors.<\/p>\n

In addition to a lighter tone, new sensibilities were brought to the film. \u201cOne of the unusual things about this film is that we have a really fast pace to the cutting,\u201d said Paul in 2000. \u201cThere\u2019s overlapping dialogue in the film and a lot of bantering back and forth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much of this bantering came from Branagh and Kline. \u201cThey recorded a sword fight scene together,\u201d said Bergeron in a 2000 interview. \u201cThey were actually doing their lines with swords in their hands. They were dueling and shouting and yelling. We kept most of it in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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These performances were coupled with impressive character animation by such artists as the immensely talented James Baxter, who supervised Tulio. \u201cI drew a line somewhere between Nicholas Cage and John Cleese,\u201d said Baxter of crafting the character\u2019s performance in an interview just before the film\u2019s release. \u201cI wanted him to be someone who is a little too tall for their own good.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The film had a Burger King \u201cKids Meal\u201d tie-in<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Road to El Dorado<\/em> also boasted a lush, colorful backdrop, thanks to research done on Mayan artwork. \u201cThe South American use of color was very defined; everything has connections,\u201d noted Raymond Zibach, the film\u2019s art director, in an interview just prior to the debut of The Road to El Dorado<\/em>. \u201cThey used a lot of magentas, terracottas, and teal blues, which are great colors, and we use a lot of that in the film.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of this allows for impressive set pieces, such as a comedic and well-staged chase scene through the streets of Spain in the film\u2019s opening, a dynamic action sequence where a giant stone jaguar is brought to life and tromps Godzilla-like through El Dorado, and a surreal, colorful musical number, \u201cIt\u2019s Tough to Be a God,\u201d where Miguel and Tulio suddenly realize their newfound good fortune.<\/p>\n

It was just one of the songs written for The Road to El Dorado<\/em> by Elton John and Tim Rice, Oscar winners for Disney\u2019s iconic songs in The Lion King, returning here again to animation.<\/p>\n

Opening on March 31, 2000, The Road to El Dorado<\/em> was a box-office disappointment. Still, in the twenty-five years since its release, the film has found a devoted following among many who have come to appreciate its uniqueness.<\/p>\n

Just before the film bowed in theaters, co-director Paul noted how distinctive The Road to El Dorado<\/em> is, saying, \u201cInitially, a lot of us thought, \u2018How do we do a follow-up [to The Prince of Egypt<\/em>]? But the more we became involved with El Dorado, the more that we saw that it was a huge departure. It\u2019s a completely different film, and from that standpoint, I feel it stands alone.\u201d<\/p>\n