As Hollywood’s fascination with refitting nostalgic shows and movies continues, it was just a matter of time before Dora the Explorer found her way to the big screen. Thanks to The Muppets director James Bobin, the excitable explorer gets her biggest adventure yet through her first live-action movie. Now a teenager, Dora (Isabela Moner) and friends must explore the jungles to rescue her parents while also saving the ancient Incan city of Parapata from a group of devious mercenaries.
As is with every adaptation, some things are changed while the spirit of the source material is kept alive. But even with these updates, there are some familiar things and characters that only the most observant of viewers would pick up on. Here are 10 details you may have missed while watching Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
The Movie Borrows A Lot From Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
In Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Dora and friends venture in the jungles to rescue her parents and stop shady people from stealing ancient treasure. If that sounds familiar, that’s because this movie is basically Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade starring Dora.
This is made explicitly clear in the third act, when the gang has to solve the temple’s deadly puzzles to gain access to the treasure. The final challenge even involves choosing wisely, where the ancient guardian praises Dora’s choice of life-giving water over material wealth – an unsubtle reference to the Holy Grail from Indy’s third adventure.
There’s A Jab At The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Speaking of Indiana Jones, The Lost City of Gold mocks the time Indy went to the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and found out that knowledge was the real treasure. The sentiment was sincere but his dialogue – which Indy says after seeing a flying saucer emerge from an ancient pyramid – was too corny to take seriously.
When Dora asks why gold isn’t Parapata’s real treasure, her dad passionately says that learning about the Incan city is what really matters. This only confuses Dora and Diego, so her mom summarizes it as “Treasure hunter bad, explorer good.”
Sammy Quotes Omar Little
An obvious reference that The Lost City of Gold makes is its homage to The Terminator, when Alejandro says “Come with me if you want to live.” This isn’t the movie’s only shout-out, as one of Dora’s friends paraphrases the most unforgettable line from HBO’s The Wire.
Feeling threatened by Dora’s intellect, Sammy warns her that if “You come at the queen, you best not miss.” This was originally made famous by the stick-up man Omar Little, who proudly declares it after foiling an attempt on his life. The only difference is he referred to himself as “the king.”
The Opening Sequence Recreates The Cartoon’s Intro
Dora and the Lost City of Gold opens with Dora, Diego, Boots, and Baby Jaguar on one of their adventures in the jungle. As it turns out, this was just a visualization of the kids’ hyperactive imaginations but it’s also more than that.
While it’s not a shot-for-shot remake, the prologue is basically a live-action recreation of the cartoon’s original opening. The sequence also contains some familiar imagery, such as a yellow jeep, the kids swinging on vines, and Swiper the Fox getting outsmarted before he says his famous catchphrase.
The Original Songs Got Remixed
As Dora, Diego and their animal friends tell Swiper not to swipe in the prologue, a familiar song can be heard playing in the background. This is a remixed version of the original Dora theme song that opened every episode of the cartoon, which now has a rap verse.
The movie also ends with a new rendition of We Did It!, which is traditionally heard after Dora and friends complete the episode’s challenge. While the song sounds different from its original version, it still serves the same celebratory purpose. Appropriately, the ending song is accompanied by some dancing.
Dora And Diego Wear Their Original Outfits
During the live-action reenactment of a typical opening of a Dora episode, Dora and Diego are shown wearing their classic costumes from the cartoons. By the time the grow up, they’re basically sporting the same gear, only now they’re wearing age-appropriate versions of what they used to wear as kids.
While Dora’s outfit resembles a brighter and more child-friendly version of something Lara Croft would wear, Diego dons a more adult variation of his original ensemble complete with a vest. Appropriate, given his more mature outlook on life when compared to Dora’s childlike mindset.
Backpack And Map Return
Dora’s adventures would never be complete without the help of her trusty companions Backpack and Map. Though they’re only seen briefly in Dora’s imagination, the two are still a part of her latest adventure. Backpack notably has a slightly different look, while Map is still the same smiling scroll of paper that fans would easily recognize.
The two are also voiced by their original actors, Sasha Toro (Backpack) and Marc Weiner (Map). Interestingly, Weiner was the original voice of Swiper the Fox, who is now voiced by Benicio del Toro of The Usual Suspects and Sicario fame.
Dora’s Friends Have A Cameo
Even if The Lost City of Gold has Boots and Swiper the Fox, not all of Dora’s cartoon friends would translate well into live-action. This didn’t stop the filmmakers from bringing them in, if even for a split second.
When Dora and friends get high (no, really), their hallucinations are animated in the style of the original cartoons. Quick-eyed viewers will notice Benny the Bull, Isa the Iguana, the Grumpy Old Troll, and others during Dora’s weird drug trip. The movie even ends with the Fiesta Trio playing a familiar fanfare when the credits finish scrolling.
Boots Was Voiced By Wrecking Ball And Machete
Dora’s best friend Boots is a monkey who, realistically, can’t talk. Throughout the movie, Boots makes the usual monkey noises, all of which are provided by Dee Bradley Baker. He’s also known for voicing Daffy Duck in Space Jam and the hamster Wrecking Ball from Overwatch.
Boots, however, does have one brief speaking scene. Much to Dora’s (and the audience’s) surprise, the voice that comes out of the tiny blue monkey is that of Danny Trejo. Trejo is best known for portraying the legendary badass ex-Federale Machete in his own franchise and Spy Kids.
Dora Was The Kid From Transformers: The Last Knight
One of the few bright spots in the maligned Transformers: The Last Knight was Isabela Moner’s performance as the spunky kid Izabella. Critics and viewers agreed that Moner deserved a better movie than yet another Transformers sequel, and this wish came true through the critically-acclaimed adaptation of Nickelodeon’s famous show.
Moner now stars as Dora herself, in what is her biggest role to date. This is also the second time Moner starred in a movie alongside Benicio del Toro, as they both shared the screen in Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
