Dora and the Lost City of Gold and a surprising interview with legendary Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez
When Dora the Explorer debuted nearly 20 years ago, the show was hit with kids and celebrated by adults. Dora, a bilingual preschooler, solved mysteries and engaged directly with her audience. Like the children who admired her, she has grown up. The world has changed and the mysteries to be solved are more complicated, but in Dora and The Lost City of Gold, out this Friday, Dora stays true to roots – something executive producer and actor Eugenio Derbez says makes her our first Latina “superhero…without supernatural powers.”
Pura Vida Sometimes was invited by Paramout Pictures to interview legendary Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez in Scottsdale, Ariz., this week, where he underscored the importance of the film’s contributions to Latinx culture and his commitment to making films that make a difference. He shed light on how Dora’s evolution parallels the lives of today’s young Latinos at a critical time in U.S. culture, making for a film that will enthrall the kiddos, subtly reinforce positive identity and good values, and entertain adults.
Dora and The Lost City of Gold:
classic Dora, new challenges
The movie goes something like this: Dora (Isabela Moner) has spent most of her life in the jungle with her equally bright-eyed and bushy-tailed parents: zoologist mother (Eva Longoria) and archeologist father (Michael Peña), who instilled in her the mantra just be yourself. She’s smart, capable, athletic and strong, knows her way around the wildlife, and is hilariously unfazed by life-threatening creatures in her surrounds. And she’s always, for better or worse, herself.
As her parents venture off to find Parapata, the ancient Lost City of Gold, Dora is sent to “the city” to go to high school with her angsty, world-weary primo Diego (Jeff Wahlberg). She and her friends are sequestered by some bad dudes looking for gold. Alejandro Gutierrez (Derbez) accompanies the kids on a quest to save Dora’s parents, falling into all the jungle’s booby-traps and gotchas along the way.
“There are lots of layers of humor, both verbal and physical,” says executive producer Kristin Burr, “And Eugenio is a physical-comedy genius. He is the victim of every physical-comedy set piece we have.”
The pace of the live-action adventure was appropriate for my five-year-old, but I found the nerdy parent jokes, and especially the ad-libbing by Peña, hilarious. Dora’s saccharine delivery of terrifying factoids is cute and natural, but also ridiculous in the best way possible.
From Cine Mexicano to Hollywood
Eugenio Derbez, producer, writer, and actor (Instructions Not Included, Bajo la Misma Luna, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Overboard, how to be a Latin Lover), was named the #1 most influential Hispanic male in the world by Variety and he’s the number one social media influencer in Mexico with more than 33 million followers. Derbez also heads a production company, 3pas Studios. Born in Mexico City, he is a classically trained thespian who, earned his pre-crossover fame in Mexico starring in La Familia P. Luche and XHDRBZ.
For Eugenio Derbez, acting is an adventure
Once you’ve earned a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you’d think filming a movie would be comfortable, if not glamorous. Not so. Dora and the Lost City of Gold was filmed in the Australian jungle. “It was really scary,” Derbez said. “Spiders and snakes everywhere.” The cast carried devices that emitted high-frequency noises to scare away the creepy crawlies.
Derbez said the notorious quicksand scene, lasting all of five minutes, took an entire week to shoot. The cast was submerged in a vat of water, sediment, and cork (i.e. quicksand) flown in from South Africa. Each time the director yelled “cut,” the cast had to go through wardrobe, hair, and makeup and start fresh for the next take. Even given the costs of production and a week of shooting, the most expensive part of the scene was the imported cork.
Derbez talked about his motivation in playing Alejandro – simple, funny, and friendly, but a deceptively complicated character. Derbez makes you wonder if Alejandro is simple, sneaky, or just plain rotten. I’ll stop before I say too much. Suffice it to say, Dora and the Lost City of Gold is a family-friendly flick with more than meets the eye.
Dora: a natural Latina hero
Derbez touched gently but deliberately upon the current tense socio-political climate, race relations, and immigration policy in the United States. He said he’s excited for kids to see that “it’s okay to speak Spanish. It’s okay to be Latino. I think it’s going to be like so good for them.” His gaze shifted off in the distance, and he emphasized gently, “So, so good.”
“So I think it’s the perfect timing. Especially now. Especially for Latino kids.”
The film features a 90 percent naturally Latinx cast – not forced or trying to check all the boxes of manufactured political correctness – accomplished and talented Hispanic actors.
Dora is also a natural Latina heroine, Derbez says. “I’m really proud of having finally a Hollywood movie with a superhero that is Latina. And I’m glad that you can see her values are positive values,” he says.
“She’s a superhero without supernatural powers. All her powers are: she’s smart, she studies a lot so she knows a lot, […] she’s brave, and she’s a great daughter, and she’s authentic.”
Eugenio Derbez
Eugenio Derbez: man on a mission
Much like the film, our interview took a surprising turn toward authenticity and import. Though Derbez is recognized internationally as a comedic genius, he knows that laughter is not persistent or enduring. But he is also determined to make a lasting impact.
He relayed having studied people in movie screenings, laughing uncontrollably. When asked how they enjoyed the film, they simply say, “It was good.”
“I discovered for some reason when you see a movie that’s really funny but that’s just funny, nothing happens,” Derbez says. “Five minutes later, you’re in the parking lot and you forgot about the movie. The kind of movie that I want to do is that kind of movie that makes you laugh, of course, but that also gives you a message. That makes you feel something. That touches your heart.” He said that, although he has done comedies and rom-coms, he has struggled with them. His “baby” and the tipping point in his crossover success, Instructions Not Included, catapulted him into U.S. stardom because it was a movie with meaning, and he plans to direct a pet project in the coming year.
Derbez’s secret to Hollywood fame and Cine Mexicano gold
When asked what he’d tell someone who wanted to take a risk and go after their dreams, Derbez said emphatically and without hesitation, “Do it!”
“You know what? You don’t know if you’re going to succeed or not. You might fail, but just by trying you’re going to have so much fun. That’s the journey.”
Eugenio Derbez
He said when he made the move to Hollywood he was met with great cynicism and doubt, but he held fast to his dreams. Derbez added that if it didn’t work out, he always had the option of going back and rebuilding what he had – a risk, to him, well worth taking. “When you’re that confident, things happen. So try it, nothing happens. The worst thing is that you can always go back to your normal life, but just try it. Go for it.”
Whether your Latinx idols are smart, strong everyday heroes like Dora or entrepreneurial superstars who are authentic and determined like Eugenio Derbez, you’re sure to love Dora and the Lost City of Gold, out in theaters nationwide today.
Check out Enthusiastic About Life‘s 6 reasons to add Dora to your movie bucket list.
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