Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado

I did actually enjoy the 2019 movie "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" and thus also opted to sit down and watch the 2025 movie "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado", as I had the chance to do so.

The narrative in the movie was okay, nothing jaw-dropping or overly fascinating, but suitable for an evening of adventure with the family in front of the screen. Sure, it was mostly for a younger audience, but still suitable for adults as well. So writer JT Billings did deliver a good script for director Alberto Belli to bring to the screen.

The acting performances in the movie are good. I was not familiar with a single actress or actor on the cast list, which was actually something that worked in favor of the movie, as I do enjoy watching unfamiliar and new talents in movies.

"Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado" is an enjoyable adventure movie for the entire family.

Visually, then the movie was good. Sure, this was a Nickelodeon movie, so don't expect to be blown away, but the effects certainly were good, as were the sets and locations.

My rating of director Alberto Belli's 2025 movie "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado" lands on a six out of ten stars.

I loved the first movie eventhough I am an adult. Even bought the blu-ray because it was a funny translation of the cartoon series with some great jokes. This 2nd movie is more a real life version with similar story line and hardly any funny as stuff for anyone above 7 years old. Sets are good and colorful, acting is bit flat.

Dora (Samantha Lorraine) and Diego (Jacob Rodriguez) grew up with stories of legendary Incan city Sol Dorado from their grandpa. They get into another adventure, but she loses her map. She goes to work at theme park Jungle World under her hero archaeologist Camila (Daniella Pineda) who has a pet fox Swiper.

I can't believe that they got a new Dora although I guess that I can believe it. It is called show Business. It is maybe bad business. I think that this prevents the franchise from higher aspirations. This stays strictly in the children adventure space. As long as expectations are limited, this is not going to disappoint the kiddies and won't annoy the adults.

Dora the Explorer was a show I watched as a kid on Nick Jr. And it was fun. I did watch Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) earlier this year and I had a blast with that movie, so I went into this new movie with the right set of expectations and I had a great time with this movie.

Positives for Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025): This movie is able to capture the fun nature of the original animated show in live-action form, something a lot of Disney live-action remakes have failed to do. You have a fun adventure with the characters that feels like classic Indiana Jones. You have a wonderful cast with Samantha Lorraine as Dora, Jacob Rodriguez as Diego, Mariana Garzon Toro as Naiya, Acston Luca Porto as Sonny, Daniella Pineda as Camila and Gabriel Iglesias as Boots. Samantha Lorraine does an excellent job at playing this live-action version of Dora and while I do prefer Isabela Merced, she is able to to make the character her own and I like the arc she goes on in the movie and she doesn't feel like one of those damn Mary Sue characters. The character of Camila played by Daniella Pineda was very compelling and interesting as the main villain and she has motivations that will make you sympathize with her. The action sequences are very entertaining and you get some nice stunts with these characters. And finally, I like the use of practical movie sets instead of CGI and it makes everything feel more real despite being a fictional world.

Mixed for Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025): This movie is made for kids and everything in the movie makes more sense as to why it feels dumb.

Negatives for Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025): The main adventure in this movie isn't nearly as grand or excited like it was in the 2019 live-action movie.

Overall, Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025) was a nice surprise for me and it will be a great time for fans of the old animated show and families around the world.

If you're looking for a movie that brings back childhood memories, this one does the job well.

Dora will always be one of the icons of our childhood.

But as a film, it's just... enjoyable - just enjoyable.

The drama, plot, comedy, and events are all average - exactly what you'd expect from a family movie.

Still, I enjoyed it.

Final rating: 7 out of 10.