RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON

"Raya and the Last Dragon" Walt Disney Animation (2021, PG) Directed by Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada. 7/10 stars ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Drama, Comedy

Positive: Raya and the Last Dragon was a decent hit for Disney. Its definitely got that modern Disney quirkiness and some childish elements but it actually was a fun ride. It gets a little lost in its own lore a bit, but it really isn't something you can take too seriously. The runtime felt a little long in places and probably could have benefitted from a little fine tuning but overall I had a good time at the theatre. Its short film "Us Again" was delightful and Raya itself was a fun escape for a bit. The experience of the cinema for a movie like this is a must for its stunning visuals and breathtaking animation. The musical score only added to the beauty and exciting action scenes. Raya and her pals kicked butt and it was pretty awesome. The characters were well cast and the character development was refreshing. Of course there was a little feminism which I thought was annoying as usual, but its easy to overlook in this film. Thankfully it wasn't too preachy or anything and it had a great moral about unity and trust. Overall it was a delight and I thought it was a good sign that Disney hasn't completely ran out of ideas. Story-wise it was a little convoluted and I got lost in places but it was nice to see a fresh creative original tale. There was some slight annoying potty-humor but overall very family friendly. That stupid baby wouldn't shut up but there has to be an annoying sidekick in all these new cartoons for some reason so it wasn't as bad as expected. With (mostly) loveable characters and a unique look at dragon lore, this film will be loved for years to come.