Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas

Five years after the release of its precursor arrives a sequel that doesn’t quite live up to its wordy title. Enrique Gato achieved commercial success with his directing of Tad, the Lost Explorer, however, the golden touch appears to have eluded him for the sequel he co-directs alongside David Alonso.

We are reacquainted with familiar faces as Tad, Sara and the mummy of Paititi embark on a quest to piece together King Midas’s fabled necklace, gifted to him by Apollo and bestowing upon him the golden touch. However, their mission is complicated by the villainous Jack Rackham, a millionaire intent on finding the necklace and using it for evil.

Unsurprisingly, given this animation is aimed at children, all key plot points from the original are explained swiftly, rendering it unnecessary to actually watch the first movie before seeing the second. This is arguably the film’s greatest achievement, as everything important from the previous instalment is detailed succinctly through dialogue.

Again, somewhat predictably, there is little deviation from the archetypal humble, infatuated hero attempting to get his dream girl plot, and despite the travels and romance, Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas struggles to excite and entertain. The mummy does offer a few laughs, as do the pets Jeff (a dog) and Belzoni (Sara’s bird with a distaste for Tad and Jeff), but intermittent comedy alone can’t carry the film.

It is all very safe, all very anodyne. Furthermore, there is a conspicuous lack of exploration into each character, we are informed only of their actions of the previous movie and their current situations, which hardly endears them to an audience. The result is a protagonist we struggle to identify with and support.

In spite of its shortcomings this is still a film that can be enjoyed by the right audience member, especially if they’re a fan of Tad, the Lost Explorer. The mummy has an absorbing energy, and an endearing friendship to boot, while there are also plenty of ups and downs in Tad and Sara’s romance. Overall, it is a lighthearted action animation with strong overtones of romance but an insufficient injection of comedy.

Jake Cudsi

Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas is released nationwide on 9^th February 2018.

Watch the trailer for Tad, the Lost Explorer here: