Il drago dei desideri

Though I am not much for modern animation, my grandkids talked me into seeing this. It is a delightful romp as it takes a young guy who was in love as a child and connects him with a dragon/genie, who can grant three wishes. The girl in question moved away from humble roots and the young man began to search for her. The fun in the story is that the dragon has a great personality. Reviewers say it's not Aladdin but it really is. Obviously, there are other plot elements (it takes place in China), but there are way too many similarities. It's a cure movie that moves along and stays engaging.

Going into this film I was worried it was going to be a soulless piece of entertainment for babies but after watching to the end it's quite funny and has a personality with a likeable array of Characters and with jokes for all ages. It's a good family film and if you have nothing to do I suggest you go give it a watch. It doesn't shake the industry and it's a bit predictable but it's a good time.

The comparisons to Aladdin are apt. A funny genie, a lower-class guy and upper-class girl connecting on similar emotional state, inability to wish for love, wishes to be a prince(ling), the villain has been looking for genie for a long time, themes of trust and lies. It gets away with it, though, by recognizing the connection and finding ways to subvert it. Long the Dragon's arc is strong, there are several very funny moments (traffic scene is excellent), and the animation is beautiful.

It's good 👍 different touch. Chinese version of Aladdin with modern touch.

Aladdin has come to China, sort of.

Based on its own folk tale that is similar to Aladdin, a young man trying to reconnect with his childhood friend acquired a cup that spawned a dragon that could grant him 3 wishes.

Even though the premise sounded like an Aladdin copycat, the style and tone were completely different from the classic Arabian tale. The best aspect was the humor, which came mostly from the dragon, voiced by John Cho, experiencing the modern world. For the first half, I was laughing at the silly moments. The jokes weren't fancy or elaborated, but I'm a simple man, so goofy jokes were enough to get my facial muscles going.

The animation was pretty typical like the modern Disney animations. The dragon was fluffy and pink, which looked goofy.

The relationship between our main boy, Din, and the wish dragon was also another fun part. Again they were goofy and annoyed each other, which provided more funny jokes.

The weakest part was the story, which followed many tropes of a Disney-like animated movies. The theme follows a common yet valuable lesson that money can't buy happiness, and that people should cherish those around them. I did like the theme, but I didn't feel a lot of impact because of the predictable storyline and the theme itself, which was told a hundred of times before (but it's still important and relevant).

Overall, a simple, enjoyable, and funny story despite the predictable story and theme. 7/10.