The Road to El Dorado
Movie, 2000, Originals, Set in 1519
The Road to El Dorado is #3 of 51 in release order and #3 of 51 in chronological order in the DreamWorks Animation.
The story
Stowing away after a failed con, a pair of swindlers end up on El Dorado, the fabled "city of gold", where they quickly get in over their heads when they are mistaken as gods by the inhabitants.
The Road to El Dorado recap
In 1519 Spain, the con men Tulio and Miguel win a map to El Dorado with loaded dice, flee the angry losers and end up stowed away on Hernan Cortes' fleet bound for the New World. They escape with Cortes' horse Altivo and follow the map to the hidden city of gold, where the people mistake them for gods. The high priest Tzekel-Kan wants the gods to bless his human sacrifices, while the kind Chief Tannabok wants peace. Chel, a sharp local woman, sees through the act and joins the scheme in exchange for passage out. Tulio falls for Chel and Miguel falls for the city itself, which strains their friendship. Tzekel-Kan exposes them when Miguel bleeds, raises a stone jaguar to hunt them, and is knocked out of the city, landing at the feet of Cortes.
The Road to El Dorado ending explained
Cortes, guided by Tzekel-Kan, closes in on the city. Tulio and Miguel use their gold-laden boat to ram the pillars at the entrance and collapse the passage, sealing El Dorado off from the conquistadors and losing all their gold. Miguel chooses to leave with his friend, and Cortes finds only a dead end and arrests Tzekel-Kan. Tulio, Miguel, Chel and Altivo ride off together toward their next adventure.
Post-credits scenes
Bibo, the armadillo, appears under the directing credit, chases two butterflies and eats one. There is no further scene.
Where to watch The Road to El Dorado
The Road to El Dorado isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 49%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Prince of Egypt, before Chicken Run.
- Chronological order: after The Prince of Egypt, before Chicken Run.
What to watch before The Road to El Dorado
In release order, the essentials before The Road to El Dorado (2000) are Antz (1998) and The Prince of Egypt (1998).
Cast
- Kenneth Branagh as Miguel (voice)
- Kevin Kline as Tulio (voice)
- Rosie Perez as Chel (voice)
- Armand Assante as Tzekel-Kan (voice)
- Edward James Olmos as Chief (voice)
- Jim Cummings as Cortes (voice)
- Frank Welker as Altivo (voice)
- Tobin Bell as Zaragoza (voice)
- Elton John as Narrator (voice)
- Duncan Marjoribanks as Acolyte (voice)
- Elijah Chiang as Kid #1 (voice)
- Cyrus Shaki-Khan as Kid #2 (voice)
Directed by Bibo Bergeron, Don Paul.