Raya e l'ultimo drago

The movie's basically another allegory on greed and how it can tear humanity apart.

Now the plot's lack of originality would've been fine if they had a strong cast and some solid writing to build upon. But sadly, they were more concerned over the number of characters they could shove into the film than they were with actually developing said characters into actual people.

They keep cracking jokes and pop culture references instead of holding conversations that would could've added depth or provide a much more organic build-up to trusting and accompanying Raya -- a lone wanderer. They do have their somber moments, but it's brief and doesn't really do much in terms of establishing their bond over lost loved ones. It feels formulaic.

Back to the theme, I get it. People are inherently greedy. Greed is bad and destroys communities. It's overdone and the movie constantly bashes the audience's heads over it. Especially Sisu, who's the worst offender of the bad off-timed

I gotta admit that Raya does have great visuals and fluid animation. However, the dragons just pull you right out of the immersion. They stood out like sore thumbs with their wacky colors and fur, similar to those silly caterpillars with googly eyes. I bet they designed these "sacred dragons" with the intention to sell as many toys as they can.

Raya and the Last Dragon is the most spectacularly meh film I think I've ever watched. Cool world. Boring characters. Ok story. Awful pacing.

Not even close to Disney's usual caliper. Every character was completely one-dimensional in personality. The plot line was so predictable. It wasn't even funny. I hope that this is not the future of Disney movies.

Taking the usual Disney story template, applying the same rinse n repeat formula to it, then slapping the added representation tag on the package just for the sake of it, and marketing it as something fresh when it's not, Raya and the Last Dragon marks the arrival of a new princess in the Disney kingdom, and is truly astounding to look at but the film as a whole has no original voice of its own.

Directed by Don Hall & Carlos López Estrada, the story hurries us through its own mythology and doesn't spend enough time to strengthen the foundations before the main plot surfaces. Add to that, it expects the viewers to be invested in Raya's journey without putting in the effort that would compel us to do the same. There are familiar beats & predictable subplots here, plus it plays safe instead of risking anything.

While some characters are interesting, others are annoying. Humour also falls flat, for the film tries too hard. The emotional moments pack a punch but isn't allowed to stay afloat for long enough to deliver the goods. The animation is breathtaking for sure. Its richness, colour depth, lighting & rendering is almost immaculate. The background score by James Newton Howard is also a plus. And the voice cast play their roles responsibly as well.

Overall, Raya and the Last Dragon is enjoyable & entertaining, and will manage to satisfy most but there isn't anything new or different about it. Visually it may look richer & resonant but the underlying flavours are all the same. From a storytelling perspective, it is formulaic. From a creative standpoint, only its animation is worth noting. Nonetheless, despite the conventional treatment, there is a sense of fun & lighthearted quality to it that makes the ride pleasant enough.

Well, I was definitely looking forward to getting to sit down to watch "Raya and the Last Dragon" and I must admit that I had some expectations for this 2021 animated movie, no doubt about that.

And Disney definitely delivered with this animated movie. I will give them that much. Yeah, "Raya and the Last Dragon" was an enjoyable animated movie in many ways. First of all, the storyline was good, and it was one that was pretty straight forward and easy to follow. It wasn't cluttered down with an abundance of side plots and sub-stories, no it was straight forward and to the point. But perhaps that could be a double-edged sword, because that could also mean that the storyline didn't offer as much as it could have to some people? But hey, I was entertained.

Now, if you have an interest in Asian culture and mythology, there are lots of things to life in "Raya and the Last Dragon".

Then there were the characters. Indeed, there was an abundance of likeable and loveable characters here, from the small monkey-like creatures to the majestic dragons, and everything in between. I really liked the Raya character and also the dragon Sisu.

"Raya and the Last Dragon" has some pretty amazing and visually stunning-looking CGI animations. Wow. When you sit down to watch the 2021 "Raya and the Last Dragon", prepare to be bedazzled. I was in awe at the impressive CGI and art style they used for this animated movie. It looked very realistic, while still maintaining a sense of it being but an animated movie. But wow, the colors, the details, the sharpness to it all and the dynamic flow to it. Just made the entire animated world spring to life in a very believable and realistic manner. Thumb up, way, way up to the CGI department here.

And with "Raya and the Last Dragon" being an animated movie, then of course having the right selection of voice performers is crucial. And yes, they most certainly had that here. With a majority of Asian voice performers, I must admit that I was impressed. And I am glad to see - well, hear, technically - Kelly Marie Tran back on the screen. I am not familiar with Awkwafina, but she really nailed the voice performance for Sisu.

If you are just going to watch one animated feature in 2021, let it be "Raya and the Last Dragon", trust me. This one offers something for the entire family. I sat down to watch this with my 11 year old son and we were both loving it.

My rating of "Raya and the Last Dragon" lands on a well-deserved eight out of ten stars. I was initially going to rate it a seven, but the impressive CGI really upped the game here.