“Can you say ‘Delicioso’?” 

Ah, young Dora always had a way of making young children learn how to describe food in Spanish. Only this time, young Dora is now a teenager with a twist. Although the film, “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” is technically a reboot of the children’s Nickelodeon television show, “Dora the Explorer,” it is different in many different ways. But have no fear, Dora’s signature bob, as well as her magenta top and neon orange shorts are here to save the day … kind of.

Similar to, yet not nearly as entertaining as 2017’s family action, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” this film can be best described as a teen mystery-action-comedy. Although the intended target audience may consist of the teenage demographic, something tells me that teenagers are not going to be rushing to the theater to see this PG-rated film. Yes, there is a strong element of nostalgia in place when it comes to this film, especially for those kiddos who grew up watching the children’s show (i.e.: me). But whether this film was aiming toward this so-called “nostalgic generation” or not, “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” is truly too juvenile to even be considered a piece of the teen genre.

Will younger audiences enjoy it? Absolutely, and possibly even middle-schoolers as well. Unfortunately, Dora’s character (played to perfection by Isabela Moner in this adaptation), will always be seen as the little girl who taught other littles girls and even boys how to speak Spanish; as will her cousin Diego (played by Jefferey Wahlberg), who had a Spanish-speaking spinoff of his own back in the day and is unfortunately, also featured in this film. Therefore, seeing these two characters play high-schoolers is just overall a little bit strange and unfamiliar, despite the filmmakers’ attempts to make Dora seem more like a naïve teenager.

All in all, this flick is funny, but not hilarious. The characters are intriguing, yet not charming. Just when the film starts to take off, the script begins to drag the audience into a slowly-paced action flick again. The film in its entirety is just “eh,” which technically is both a good and bad thing. If you are looking for a fun, sometimes even funny, movie to take the whole family to then by all means, go see this film and enjoy yourself on a family day out. But, if you are expecting a nostalgic trip back to 2000 Nickelodeon, spend your money elsewhere. I give the film a 5 out of 10.