Latest news with #DoraTheExplorer
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado review – plucky teen explorer goes looking for lost Incan magic
If you have a bunch of eight-year-olds over for a sleepover and you're looking for something to stick on the TV, you could do worse than this straight-to-streaming live-action adaptation of the animated show Dora the Explorer. It's a follow-up of sorts to Dora and the Lost City of Gold from 2019, with a new star in the shape of Samantha Lorraine, and aimed at slightly older kids than the cartoon. There are action sequences looted from Raiders of the Lost Ark that had my eight-year-old squealing at the screen, though as it's determined to be undemanding and inoffensive, it's got that plasticky quality that middling kids' films tend to have. Lorraine plays Dora, a teenage explorer who's grown up in the Amazon, raised on her grandfather's stories about the Incas. For years, Dora has been searching for clues to find Sol Dorado, a legendary golden sun that will grant one wish, joined by her cousin Diego (Jacob Rodriguez). The scriptwriters deserve credit for resisting the temptation to bolt on a love interest; instead, we have cousin Diego in the role conventionally given to a female character: the pretty but non-essential sidekick. The movie's villain is celebrity archaeologist Camilla the Crusader (Daniella Pineda) who runs a theme park called Jungle World, where Dora and Diego have summer jobs. When the pair go off in search of Sol Dorado with their pals, Camilla dispatches a band of desperadoes to chase them through Inca tombs booby-trapped with giant bugs and spiked floors. The movie is not lacking in adventure, perhaps what's missing is a sense of fun. Dora didn't have the kids hooting with laughter like they did at the real Indiana Jones. Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado is on Paramount+ now.
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado review – plucky teen explorer goes looking for lost Incan magic
If you have a bunch of eight-year-olds over for a sleepover and you're looking for something to stick on the TV, you could do worse than this straight-to-streaming live-action adaptation of the animated show Dora the Explorer. It's a follow-up of sorts to Dora and the Lost City of Gold from 2019, with a new star in the shape of Samantha Lorraine, and aimed at slightly older kids than the cartoon. There are action sequences looted from Raiders of the Lost Ark that had my eight-year-old squealing at the screen, though as it's determined to be undemanding and inoffensive, it's got that plasticky quality that middling kids' films tend to have. Lorraine plays Dora, a teenage explorer who's grown up in the Amazon, raised on her grandfather's stories about the Incas. For years, Dora has been searching for clues to find Sol Dorado, a legendary golden sun that will grant one wish, joined by her cousin Diego (Jacob Rodriguez). The scriptwriters deserve credit for resisting the temptation to bolt on a love interest; instead, we have cousin Diego in the role conventionally given to a female character: the pretty but non-essential sidekick. The movie's villain is celebrity archaeologist Camilla the Crusader (Daniella Pineda) who runs a theme park called Jungle World, where Dora and Diego have summer jobs. When the pair go off in search of Sol Dorado with their pals, Camilla dispatches a band of desperadoes to chase them through Inca tombs booby-trapped with giant bugs and spiked floors. The movie is not lacking in adventure, perhaps what's missing is a sense of fun. Dora didn't have the kids hooting with laughter like they did at the real Indiana Jones. Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado is on Paramount+ now.
South China Morning Post
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
‘Dora the Explorer' celebrates her 25th anniversary
Twenty-five years ago, a little girl with short hair appeared on our television screens, speaking a mix of English and Spanish. She had a can-do spirit, a backpack, a monkey friend and upbeat songs. She was, of course, Dora, the first Latina to lead a major cartoon series. The show, Dora the Explorer, was a multicultural children's programming success. Nickelodeon is celebrating Dora's 25th anniversary this year with a feature-length live-action film, Dora and the Search of Sol Dorado. The children's television channel will also air a third season of the rebooted animated series Dora and release a podcast and an album. Dora celebrates Latin culture – language, food, dress and music, said Ramsey Naito, president of animation at Paramount and Nickelodeon.
GMA Network
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Filmmaker Alberto Belli talks of his journey from 'Delikadesa' to 'Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado'
At the blue carpet at the special screening for the cast and crew of the reboot of "Dora The Explorer," entitled "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado," the star at the moment was filmmaker Alberto Belli, the tall and charming director of the new live-action family film being produced for Nickelodeon and Paramount+ by Nickelodeon Studios. Getting kudos from everyone and being photographed with the cast outside the Sherry Lansing Theatre at the Paramount Pictures Studios, Belli was obviously thrilled and excited. Present at the event were his wife Maria Brasero, former entertainment reporter and their two sons – Rafa, 5, and Leo, 1. It was also like a reunion of sorts for former USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA schoolmates Belli and long-time film school friend Lea Dizon Breault, who directed the thesis film, "Delikadesa," of which Belli was one of the producers. "Yeah, it was so fun," Belli commented when we interviewed him virtually. "Lea was my first friend from film school. We were both at the health center, and then we connected after that. And so, when it was time for her to do the thesis, she wanted to make a very authentic Filipino story ('Delikadesa'). And I was very excited about that." Contributed photo Breault, in fact, got emotional after watching the Belli-helmed film, "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado." "He used to sleep on my couch, and I used to feed him chicken adobo," she confided to me. She added, "Alberto was my very first friend and one of my truly closest friends in LA. We were both incoming foreign students at USC at the time, and so we met at the health center because all foreign students were required to do a TB test before the first day of school. So, we met before class even began. Then we became fast friends because, like I said, we were both foreign, we lived close to each other, and we generally just got along. He grew up in Mexico, so there were many similarities in our culture. We were both driven and resourceful. We always supported and advocated for each other on our film projects throughout film school. He was my actor on my very first project in school, and I was commended by my professor for that project. "By the time we hit our last year for our MFA, we decided to produce each other's thesis films. He was a producer for 'Delikadesa' and I was his producer for his thesis, 'The Case of the Missing Garden Gnome.' One particular memory I had in making 'Delikadesa' was how challenging it was to cast an all-Filipino cast who can speak Tagalog. Alberto had the idea to put fliers up in a Filipino community, and I thought it was, in fact, a great idea! So, there we were, the two of us going door to door in West Covina to all the businesses, asking if we could put up our announcement for a casting call. And the plan worked! We were able to complete casting because of that. "We would always hang out outside of school. We would accompany each other on errands. We were thick as thieves and confidantes. He knew my love interests and my heartaches, and vice versa. He understood my particular brand of drama. HA! And let me tell you if you want someone who would always be on your corner, you want Alberto. Kakampihan ka talaga! (He will really be by your side.) Alberto is the godfather to one of my children. "Since we lived close to each other, he always came over, especially during our first year. He always made tambay (hangout) on my couch, and, of course, as a Filipino, if someone is in my house, you better believe you will be fed. So, I would always make food for him. Sandwiches, pasta, and, of course, rice and chicken adobo. He ate everything I fed him with gusto! I tried teaching him to eat rice meals with a fork and spoon (Filipino style), but I was not very successful. But all in all, Alberto is like an honorary Filipino. He eats the food, relates to the culture, and understands our quirks." "When I watched 'Dora,' I felt incredibly proud. I felt like 'Tambay lang ito sa apartment ko dati (He used to just hang out in my apartment), and now he directed a multi-million-dollar Hollywood studio film!' I felt quite emotional when we were both tearing up when we talked after the screening. To witness someone's journey in life is such a privilege. And this film is so Alberto. It is so representative of his visual style and his storytelling. Something that everyone who knew him in film school recognized even back then." This writer, in fact, was chosen by Belli and Breault to portray Donya Claudia in the short film, 'Delikadesa.' Belli recalled, "So we couldn't find actors in LA who were Filipino. It was like a challenge. Somehow, we found you, Janet. Lea was hoping you would say yes because you were so perfect for the character. So, when you said yes, it was like you were having so much fun. You were meant to play that character. Even though you were different in real life. Obviously, in real life, you're so nice. She was a little bit tougher. In the story, she didn't want her daughter to marry someone who was not from her class. So that was really fun in that you were wonderful. I think you're watching all these movies, and that helped you manage that perfect performance." Belli, a computer science engineer whose love for storytelling turned him into a director, moved from Mexico to Los Angeles to get his MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he received the prestigious John Huston directing merit scholarship. So, how did being a computer engineer help him become a better storyteller, we asked. "It's the collaboration because when you are in computer science, many programmers are doing a little bit of coding that has to come together for the program to be able to function. And it's the same thing with filmmaking. You have the DP (Director of Photography), the costume designer, the actress, and everyone is doing their version of the movie. So, you have to make sure that everyone is making the same movie that you wish to make. And I think that taught me a lot because in programming, even a comma can screw everything up." Contributed photo Based on a screenplay by JT Billings, "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado" was filmed for four months in Bogota, Colombia. Belli shared the challenges of filming in Colombia. "We try to make it as real as possible. So, we went to the jungle in the middle of nowhere. And the chances are, obviously, besides the heat and the animals, we had a snake wrangler who would find snakes every day, like gigantic snakes. Someone would be there with a scorpion in there. What makes it magical? Once you're there, and then you see this beautiful jungle, it makes you respect nature and makes it like an experience for everyone. You can feel that in the movie, besides the challenge of it all." Working with JT Billings was also amazing, Belli said. "He was great when I came on board. When I was researching to get the job, I found this concept called IOU, which means working together, and that every individual is important. When we met, I pitched that concept to him. And he's like, how do we bring that concept into the script and make it part of, hopefully, pop culture. And he was super open to it, and he adjusted all the scenes to make sure that we have that ingrained in all the scenes. So, I love working with him." Belli, who also worked before in the Disney movie "The Naughty Nine," is not new to working with child actors. So, when he worked with Samantha Lorraine, who portrayed Dora Marquez, and Jacob Rodriguez, who was Dora's cousin Diego Marquez in the movie, he was able to work with them without any problem. "It was a dream," he said. "They're so easy. They're so good. You know that Sam is Dora. She is very positive and energetic and always willing to do everything. And then she's also very physical. She used to be a gymnast and a dancer, so she was able to do a lot of her stunts on her own. And the same thing with Jacob. He loved doing the swinging. And then you see in the movie, in the final, it was so easy for me. Ninety percent of directing is in the casting. Once you find the perfect actors, you just have to guide them a little bit. But you don't have to completely steer to 180 degrees to get the performance that you need." Belli, whose feature debut was the fantasy/comedy "Gatlopp," used animation and special effects in the "Dora" live film. He admitted it was challenging in the beginning, especially when they were working with little Dora, who opened the movie. "I think for her it was a little hard because she was supposed to be excited and everything, and she was just looking at like a puppet who was not even speaking back at her. So, it took a little while and a bit more practice. But by the second or third day, she would get it. We had someone acting as the voices so she could imagine it beforehand." But the most difficult scene for him to do was "probably the big set piece at the end, which I cannot reveal a lot of it, but it had a lot of completely mechanical stuff. So, there are a lot of moving parts that have to come in and out and up and down, and like, all these things are resetting to be able to put the stuff. That was a challenging one for me because it was also very, very technical to be able to pull it off." As for the weather in Bogota, Belli said," We got really lucky about the weather because usually in Bogota it rains a lot. And we went to the rainforest. We only got rain once. I don't know how you know the gods of nature or whatever. It was happening. Like they allowed us to shoot very smoothly, except for one day for a couple of hours. But besides that, it was great." When not working on the set of commercials, movies, or television, Belli enjoys hiking, cooking, and singing on repeat "You're Welcome" by Dwayne Johnson from "Moana" to his two sons. Contributed photo He explained the challenge when he is away from his family. He said, "The hardest part was when my kid was a baby. He was like six months old when I left. They called and asked me if I was interested in doing 'Dora'? It's like new kids bring you new jobs. That's the same in Mexico. So, it was a lot of FaceTime. And my wife was amazing. She took care of the whole family here. So, she stayed here. I was also sending a lot of photos." Belli shared that the best reward was seeing his son watch "Dora." "He loved it," he revealed with pride. "And he has seen it every step. I showed him the rough cut. And he was still reacting to it very positively. So that's the reason I knew that the movie was going to be special. And then he saw the final cut during the screening. He saw everything, and he was blown away. He just had fun." Influenced by Steven Spielberg and Billy Wilder, Belli said, "I like movies that have humor but could also be dramatic." As for what's next for him, he said, "The hope is we're focusing on making bigger and better adventures for the world. That's the hope right now. So, we'll see what happens. I'm working on new stuff, but I cannot say what it is yet. But the hope is to keep on growing." —MGP, GMA Integrated News
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Samantha Lorraine leads a grown-up "Dora" reboot for a new generation: "It's a legacy to live up to"
Samantha Lorraine takes on iconic role in new "Dora the Explorer" movie Samantha Lorraine takes on the iconic role of Dora in Nickelodeon's new live-action film "Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado," which premiers Wednesday on Paramount+. The film follows 16-year-old Dora, her cousin Diego and faithful companion Boots as they trek through the Amazon jungle searching for ancient treasure. Unlike the preschool animated series that made Dora a household name, this adaptation explores more mature themes while maintaining the character's signature optimism and adventurous spirit. "It's a legacy to live up to. There's a lot of expectation and pressure when it comes to it," Lorraine said. "We all grew up with Dora and the iconicness that is her." The young actress, who grew up watching the original series, said she felt no hesitation when the script arrived in her inbox. She praised the care and passion that went into adapting the beloved character for a new generation. The film expands on Dora's character development, incorporating themes of loss and perseverance. Lorraine described scenes where Dora experiences "symbolic grief" and must navigate challenges that test her lifelong optimistic worldview. "It's very philosophical. It is quite introspective, which I really, really loved about it," Lorraine said. The movie draws inspiration from adventure films like "Indiana Jones" while maintaining appeal for both longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise. Lorraine revealed that the final scene she filmed proved particularly emotional, as she was the last cast member on set after her co-stars had wrapped their portions of the movie. "I felt like this void in my heart. I really miss them because they were such a fantastic cast and became my family," she said.
