Take 3: Dora and the Lost City of Gold Review

Originally, I was going to post my review for December’s Genre Grandeur. But, yesterday, I ended up watching Dora and the Lost City of Gold. So, I decided to review this movie instead. I’ll still publish my Genre Grander review, but it will appear on 18 Cinema Lane sometime this week. As I’ve said in two Word on the Street stories, Dora and the Lost City of Gold made Paramount, the film’s respective studio, lose money. One possible explanation lies in the movie’s less-than-stellar marketing campaign. Like a lot of people, I was not a fan of the film’s official trailer. To me, it felt like the studio didn’t understand the source material they were working with, similar to projects like Jem and the Holograms. This caused me not to see the movie in theaters. When I chose to rent it yesterday, I realized that the only theatrically released film from 2019 I reviewed was Avengers: Endgame. It became one of the reasons why I wanted to review Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Prior to watching this film, I have seen a few episodes of Dora the Explorer. But I don’t have fond memories of it like other people do. Let’s wrap this introduction up so we can go on a movie review adventure!

Dora and the Lost City of Gold poster
Dora and the Lost City of Gold poster created by Paramount Pictures, Paramount Players, Nickelodeon Movies, Walden Media, Media Rights Capital, and Burr! Productions. Image found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dora_and_the_Lost_City_of_Gold_poster.jpg

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: I was pleasantly surprised by the acting performances in this film! I was familiar with who Isabela Moner was, as an actress, prior to watching Dora and the Lost City of Gold. This is because I have heard she starred in the 2017 film, Transformers: The Last Knight. She did a fantastic job at bringing the iconic Nickelodeon character to life! With a cheerful personality and a sunny disposition, Isabela helped carry this film with a well-rounded performance. Another memorable performance came from Madeleine Madden! In this film, she portrayed Sammy, a fellow classmate of Dora’s. Madeleine brought versatility to her role, allowing her character’s transformation to feel believable. Madeleine’s on-screen interactions with her co-stars also helped this transformation, showing that those with leadership qualities can also be contributing team members. Speaking of team members, Eugenio Derbez gave a stand-out performance as Alejandro. While portraying this character, he provided a balance of comedic and dramatic acting. Incorporating these two different types of acting is not an easy thing to do. However, Eugenio flawlessly pulled this off in his performance!

 

The scenery: For most of the film, the jungle provided scenery for this project. It helped make scenes involving this location visually appealing. The natural beauty of the jungle is captured well on film, allowing for the foliage to stand out and even compliment the movie. Within the jungle, there were structures that represented long abandoned places. It’s likely that these were constructed sets for the movie, but they looked very authentic. One great example is when Dora and her group encounter an ancient aqueduct. Because this location was shown above water and was also immersed in it, it shows the audience the original purpose of this structure and its place in history. This shows that the film’s creative team tried to make their film showcase this location as more than just a pretty place.

 

The messages and themes: At the beginning of the film, Dora’s father tells her that she should strive to be an explorer, not a treasure hunter. This piece of advice is a new take on the saying, “It’s the journey, not the destination”. But it also opens the door to several important themes. The ideas of sharing a unique experience, friendship, and teamwork come directly from the aforementioned advice. These themes are shown through actions instead of just said through words. They also have a shareability among audience members of all ages. The film’s messages and themes were one of the strongest parts of the movie, as it was executed well throughout the script.

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What I didn’t like about the film:

Some of the CGI: For the most part, the CGI in Dora and the Lost City of Gold looked really good. However, there were some instances when the CGI looked poor. One example is when Dora is petting a baby alligator. If you look closely, you can tell where the animation was inserted into the scene. To me, this appeared off-putting, like the image of the alligator didn’t blend with the rest of the shot. While the encounters with poor CGI were few, I still was not a fan of that.

 

The jokes dragging on for a little too long: I found some of the jokes in this movie to be genuinely funny. But other jokes went on for a little too long. Just one example is when Dora’s father is imitating the sounds of techno music. This joke had the potential to be hilarious, but the length of the joke’s time ruined it for me. Had a few seconds of this joke been cut, it would have helped it reach the punch-line a lot sooner.

 

A somewhat confusing climax: I won’t spoil Dora and the Lost City of Gold if you haven’t seen it. But I will say that I found the climax to be somewhat confusing. This is because of two reasons. The first one is how some things are shown and talked about without being given an explanation. The second is how other things aren’t referenced before and/or after the climax. This made it difficult for me to remain fully invested in what was happening on screen.

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My overall impression:

In the introduction of this review, I speculated that Dora and the Lost City of Gold became a box office failure due to a less-than-stellar marketing campaign. I find this to be a shame because the movie is better than I expected. Unlike what the trailer made me believe, the studio not only cared about the source material, but it seems like they tried their best to elevate it as well. The movie also has more heart than any of the marketing let on, providing messages and themes that can be revisited long after the movie is over. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is not one of my favorite movies of the year, but it definitely is a memorable one. I kind of feel bad that I didn’t give this film a chance sooner. However, I’m glad that I gave it a chance at all.

 

Overall score: 7.6 out of 10

 

Have you seen any theatrically released films from 2019? Has there ever a movie that you regretted not seeing in theaters? Please tell me in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Take 3: Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Love Takes Flight Review

On the weekend of April 27th, Avengers: Endgame was not the only movie that premiered. While I did give a little more priority to Marvel’s latest film, I also wanted to see the new Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, Love Takes Flight. To give both films the attention they deserve, I decided to publish my spoiler-free review of Avengers: Endgame on the 27th and my review of Love Takes Flight today. When I found out about this Hallmark Hall of Fame movie last month, I knew that this was a movie that I had to review. Last year, I reviewed both of Hallmark Hall of Fame’s movies, with those reviews being well-received. However, when I learned more about this year’s film, I started to have doubts about it. It also didn’t help that Love Takes Flight was given one of the worst marketing campaigns in Hallmark movie history. In my opinion, the film’s poster looked worse than the one for The Beach House and Love Takes Flight’s trailer looked like a haphazard and rushed tv spot. However, I still wanted to give this film a chance. Last year, I wasn’t impressed with the marketing for The Beach House. But the movie itself ended up being better than its marketing campaign. Keep reading this review if you want to find out if Love Takes Flight had a similar fate.

Hallmark Hall of Fame's Love Takes Flight review
Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Love Takes Flight poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=&ShowTitle=Love+Takes+Flight.

Things I liked about the film:

  • The acting: In Love Takes Flight, the acting was the driving force of this story! All of the acting performances felt so believable, that every character appeared as if they were real-life individuals experiencing realistic situations! Even though I had my doubts about Nikki’s incorporation in this cast, she proved me wrong by bringing the emotional versatility that is usually required for Hallmark Hall of Fame projects. In fact, she was one of the strongest actors in this film! Another actor that I was impressed with was Tom Thon. His portrayal of Walter Allen was emotionally effective, as his journey throughout this film seemed very believable. Tom’s acting talents brought some depth to his character’s narrative.

 

  • The scenery: Love Takes Flight was filmed in Savannah, Georgia, the third Hallmark Hall of Fame movie in a row to be filmed in the Peach State. The natural landscape of this location was showcased really well throughout the film. The foliage of the trees, flowers, and plants added a serene feeling to the overall atmosphere. This helped the story maintain its sincerity and thoughtfulness, as the natural surroundings brought a sense of peace when it seemed like the characters needed it the most. Walter’s property was absolutely gorgeous, its on-screen presence reminding me of architecture of past Hallmark Hall of Fame films! While the house itself was very cozy and elegant at the same time, the grounds surrounding the house are a scene stealer! The waterfront appeared so peaceful, complimenting some of the emotional moments that took place in that area. The creative team behind this movie made the right decision to choose Savannah as their filming location!

 

  • The exploration of grief: In some Hallmark movies, the protagonist or someone that the protagonist knows loses a loved one. However, because movies on Hallmark Channel are primarily light-hearted, the topic of grief is briefly touched upon. Since Hallmark Hall of Fame is historically known for addressing topics that are darker and more serious, the creative team behind this movie used this to their advantage to explore the concept of grief. In Love Takes Flight, Walter was dealing with the loss of his wife. The way this narrative was written made it feel like a story that would have been incorporated into Hallmark Hall of Fame movies from years past. The story of Walter and the protagonist’s daughter, Quinn, forming a friendship was a very thoughtful and interesting way to show how one moves forward from such a saddening situation.
Delivery Stickers Set
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What I didn’t like about the film:

  • The editing: While watching this movie, I noticed that some scenes felt shorter than others. When these scenes would play out, they ended a little too abruptly. As I wondered why this was happening, I realized that this had to do with the film’s editing. To solve this problem, each scene should have run their course and been at an equal length. That way, every part of the story could have had a chance to be developed.

 

  • A little too predictable: When it comes to Hallmark Channel movies, the story is inevitably going to be predictable. However, Hallmark Hall of Fame movies are meant to be separate from the typical Hallmark Channel material. In Love Takes Flight, there were a few plot elements that were more predictable than I’d hoped. Because of this, it blurred that line between Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Hall of Fame. In some of these moments, it made the movie feel like a glorified Hallmark Channel film.

 

  • Too many plots: Love Takes Flight had seven plots that played out throughout the story. While some of these plots were well explored, other plots were undeveloped. As I watched this film, I felt that at least two or three of these plots could have cut from the overall narrative. I think that this movie should have had one main plot with two or three subplots. While this main plot is played out, the subplots could be equally developed.
PaperPlane-01
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My overall impression:

Despite the poor marketing campaign that was given to this movie, Love Takes Flight was a good film! Yes, there were things about the project that could have been better. But, for what it was, I found the movie to be enjoyable. Once again, Hallmark Hall of Fame has had a consistent track record, since 2017, of creating films that are good. While I would like the films to become consistently great, I realize that it’ll take time for this to happen. I have a feeling that this can come to fruition one day. But the most important thing is that Hallmark is making the right steps for this to occur. Just like last year, the next movie for Hallmark Hall of Fame wasn’t advertised during the end credit commercial after the film. But whatever that film is going to be about, I just hope that it can take the Hallmark Hall of Fame to a whole new level.

 

Overall score: 7.8 out of 10

 

Have you seen Love Takes Flight? What would you like the next Hallmark Hall of Fame movie to be about? Please let me know in the comment section!

 

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Sunset Over Hope Valley: Friends Lead to Opportunities

Friendship has always played a huge role on When Calls the Heart. Sometimes, strangers and new individuals have gone on to become familiar faces and even favorite characters. While watching this episode, I noticed that friendship was an over-arching theme within this story. When Henry told Abigail about friends leading to opportunities, I realized that he had a good point. Without friends, there are so many experiences and memories that we would miss out on. Friends can also help us grow as individuals and become better people. In the show, the friends in Hope Valley have gone through a lot. But, in the end, they’ve acquired so many memories and opportunities along the way. Because of the friendships they gained over the course of the show, the characters on When Calls the Heart have evolved as time has gone by. Speaking of friends, let’s revisit our friends in Hope Valley in this week’s re-cap!

Just a reminder: If you did not see this episode of When Calls the Heart, there may be spoilers within this re-cap.

When Calls the Heart season 6 poster
When Calls the Heart poster created by Crown Media Family Networks and Hallmark Channel. Image found at https://www.crownmediapress.com/Shows/PRShowDetail?SiteID=142&FeedBoxID=845&NodeID=302&ShowType=series&ShowTitle=When%20Calls%20the%20Heart%20Season%206&episodeIndex=6001.

Season: 6

Episode: 3

Name: A Vote of Confidence

 

Major Story:

  • After hearing complaints from her neighbors about the saloon’s noise, Abigail approaches Lucas about the issue. She explains that the reason why people are upset about the noise is because, in the past, the saloon closed at 10 o’clock. Lucas tells Abigail that he will keep an eye on his business, especially during non-busy business days. The next day, the noise at the saloon is so loud, that it wakes up Cody. This causes Abigail to visit Lucas at the saloon. When she asks him why he went back on his word, he says that he’s doing exactly what he told her he would do. Because business was busy that night, it caused Lucas to keep the saloon open late. Fed up with this problem, Abigail decides to use her power as mayor to organize a town council meeting regarding this issue. When the meeting finally arrives, the townspeople have a chance to vote for a new business plan that requires all businesses to close at 10 o’clock. However, the vote ends up in a tie. As Abigail’s turn to vote comes up, she chooses to create a compromise with Lucas. She suggests that the saloon stay open late for only two days a week. Not only does Lucas accept this compromise, but this decision makes everyone involved, including Lucas, very happy.
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Minor Stories:

  • Toward the beginning of this episode, Bill goes to Cape Fullerton to testify against two deadly gun-men. However, once he arrives in Cape Fullerton, Bill discovers from the prosecutor that both gun-men have been recently released due to a lack of evidence. When Bill visits the judge, he learns that the judge was threatened by the gun-men, which caused him to release both criminals. Bill’s course of action is to visit his friend, Jeremiah, and ask for help in catching these criminals. When he arrives at Jeremiah’s house, Bill is met with skepticism and doubt from his friend. But, after some convincing, Jeremiah finally agrees to help Bill. During their journey to search for the gun-men, Jeremiah leads Bill to a short-cut, even though he claims he has never seen it himself. But he feels that this short-cut is through an abandoned mine. While in the mine, Jeremiah and Bill’s path is blocked and they become lost. As they search for a way out of the mine, Jeremiah shares with Bill about how he has been haunted by a past mission gone wrong. Bill reassures his friend that the criminal that escaped in the aforementioned mission was caught four months later. This reassurance gives Jeremiah the confidence to find their way out of the mine. Once they leave the mine, Bill and Jeremiah spot the two gun-men they were looking for. Bill decides to confront the criminals by himself, while Jeremiah stays by the mine. This plan proves to be a bad idea as a third gun-man suddenly emerges from the forest. Fourtunately, Jeremiah arrives just in time, knocking out the third gun-man in order to protect Bill. After this eventful confrontation, Jeremiah returns home and Bill brings the gun-men to prison.

 

  • After learning about explorers in school, Cody, Robert, and Timmy become interested in pirates. At recess, Cody and Robert pretend to be pirates looking for treasure. Timmy wants to join in on the fun, but gets stuck creating “waves” by throwing water at their make-shift boat. A few days later, at recess, Timmy brings his spy-glass to school and shows it to Robert and Cody. This not only excites them, but this allows Timmy to join their game. After school, Timmy discovers that his spy-glass is missing. When he asks Robert and Cody about the whereabouts of his prized possession, they say that they probably left it by their boat. This causes Timmy to look for the spy-glass all by himself. While riding her horse, Elizabeth sees Timmy searching for his spy-glass. As Timmy tells her his situation, she says that Cody and Robert should be helping him look for his spy-glass. She also gives him the advice to be honest with his friends and tell them how he feels. The next day, at recess, Timmy tells Cody and Robert how upset he is that they wouldn’t help him look for his spy-glass. He also says that all he wants is to be their friend. Moments later, Cody and Robert encourage their entire class to help Timmy look for his spy-glass.

 

  • Days after the saloon re-opening, Faith tells Rosemary exactly what Carson told her. Rosemary tells her that because certain words can mean a variety of things, she needs to make her feelings toward Carson clearer when addressing this matter. Meanwhile, at the saw mill, Carson tells Lee exactly what Faith told him at the saloon re-opening. Lee tells Carson that he needs to be more honest about his feelings toward Faith. As the days go on, both Faith and Carson make it clear that they want to honest with each other, but are not yet ready to address their feelings. Finally, Carson tells Faith exactly how he feels. However, Faith is afraid of starting a relationship with Carson, especially after hearing from Rosemary that relationships between two co-workers don’t always work out. A few days later, Carson tells Faith that they have to visit a patient during a house call. While on their way to the patient’s house, Faith finally shares her feelings about Carson to him. She also says that she wants to start relationship with him. After they kiss, Carson reveals that they weren’t going on a house call, but on a picnic instead.
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Some thoughts to consider:

  • When Elizabeth mentioned that she’d like to start a library, it seemed like this facility was just another establishment on When Calls the Heart’s growing list of places that have never been built or never been seen on-screen. As much as I’d like to finally see the Ice Cream Parlor in a future episode and Rosemary finally receive her theater, I’m not sure if the show has room in their budget to make these places a reality. While there have been changes in Hope Valley, we haven’t seen any new buildings arrive in the town. Also, is it just me or does that railroad that was promised last season seem almost nonexistent?

 

  • Personally, I didn’t like how the episode ended with Elizabeth’s class still looking for Timmy’s spy-glass. Ambiguous endings are something that I’m not a fan of. So, I hope that the spy-glass is referenced in the next episode.

 

  • During this episode, when it’s time for the mail call, Fiona discovers that a trunk has been sent to Lucas from San Francisco. I’m wondering what is in that trunk and who could have sent it to him? Hopefully these questions get answered in an upcoming episode.
Red sunset clouds over trees.
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How did you feel about this episode? What was your favorite story-line? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 

Have fun in Hope Valley!

Sally Silverscreen