The titular Latino explorer debuted back in 2000 as a seven-year-old girl in the popular Nickelodeon animated TV show. The big-screen live-action retread follows Dora, now a high-school teenager, as she and three of her classmates embark on a quest to find the legendary Incan city of gold.
As it turns out, Dora’s archaeologist parents (Eva Longoria-Michael Pena) also end up needing to be rescued from a band of mercenaries. Aimed at the pre-teen audience, the appeal of the action-adventure rests primarily on the charm and gusto with which Peruvian–American singer and actress Isabele Moner embodies her role.
The antics of a CGI-rendered fox (voiced by Benicio Del Toro) and a monkey sidekick (Danny Trejo) add to the fun. A colourful animation interlude and the climactic Indiana Jones-style hijinks are also notable.
Best of all is an energetic end-credits song-and-dance number. Have a blast.