Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Dora and the Lost City of Gold has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Paramount+ Amazon Channel and Stan, and in the US on Paramount Plus Premium. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Isabela Merced's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Paramount+ Amazon Channel.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is worth clearing space for. Dora and the Lost City of Gold gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Dora, a girl who has spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, now must navigate her most dangerous adventure yet: high school. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego, and a rag tag group of teens on an adventure to save her parents and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization. Isabela Merced and Jeffrey Wahlberg lead a cast with the timing to make it work. Dora and the Lost City of Gold came out in 2019. Dora and the Lost City of Gold earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Dora and the Lost City of Gold. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Isabela Merced is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.