Reviews by:
@the_owlseyes
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Do we deserve to be called a people? I'm not sure about that. As earthlings we're not able to live on the same planet without making some noise. A thing which is irrilevant if you consider that our lifespan is miserable and our planet is just a spec in an ever growing universe. So, why do we call ouserlf people? Because we have the same traits and we're part of the same species? I don't think so. I think that we're used to think only about our small, insignificant side without considering that there's a multitude of sides. Do we try to understand the other and try to find a compromise? Usually not because there're some things more relevant to us like power, wealt and appearance. It's a cliche but isn't it right? Where do these things get us? Actually nowhere, this the reason why our civilization isn't able to step up and be better. And now, what are you going to do? You can still care about your opinion and forget what I've just told you but this is exactly what I'm talking about. Everyone needs to be more selfless and more open to question his opinions.
PLOT
"In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon" or "A quest to fix a broken world".
SCRIPT
Here is where the movie is at its weakest. Sure, the plot is great and the lore, which is faithful to the source material, are awesome but there's something missing, something which is one of the most relevant things in a movie: characters. None of the characters has an interesting arch, the minor villain has one but it's a bit weak and rushed, and the protagonist isn't interesting. I could say the same of the dragon which has a poor backstory and a behaviour which isn't original and there's only a slight possibility to compare it to other dragons, which are just background noise, even though they seem cool. The whole plot is put in motion by a stupid choice. One could say that it's naivety but for me it doesn't make sense. Some characters, like the fur bug and the sidekicks are a bit boring because they are sidelined and poorly defined. The baby and her monkeys is the worst character because it's annoying and it's there only to sell merchandise to the kids. The villains, the big ones, are one dimensional and pretty basic. The other, more prominent villain, doesn't make much sense. When you think that she's able to change and be better she does the dumbest thing and screw everything up, and she justifies herself by saying that it isn't her fault. I didn't like how this movie was written and it's a shame that for a thing like that the movie loses quality and becomes just another animated movie.
Script: 4/10
ACTING
Even though there's a lot of talented actors here, I don't find their work remarkable. I think that sometimes the voice acting is a bit off, like there's something missing. I guess that is charisma, because I wasn't able to like most of teh character. Awkwafina who voices the dragon delivers an half baked performance because sometimes I like her and sometimes I find her voice a bit boring and annoying. Kelly Marie Tran's Raya isn't voiced in an interesting way and, cause of that, I find the character a bit of a blur. Overall I've expected more from a Disney animated movie and I feel a little disappointed.
I hope that the whole movie wasn't developed as a way for Disney to help out of the tricky situation Kelly Marie Tran found herself in after Star Wars: The Last Jedi. If it was like that, then this movie's lack of quality in voice acting wouldn't be out of place.
Acting: 5/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
One of the best section here. Colours are marvellous, a lot of scene are visually stunning and the landscapes are breathtaking. Colours differentiate the tribes and there's a connection between their ideology and their clothes colours. The same colours are used to define the five dragons which created the movie's Macguffin. This is a nice touch and brings more meaning to a lot of scenes. I find also interesting that the dragons powers are inferable by their colours, like Sisu's light blue with a sprinkle of purple and green. This kind of symbolism is also in the main artifacts colour, which represent the union of the dragon's colour and, implicitly, represent peace. The villains also have a distinctive chromatic combination of colours, purple and black, which express fear, rage and discord. The attention to details is amazing.
Photography: 9/10
EDITING
Some cool shots here and there but it's what you can get from watching every recent Disney animated movie, with the usual comedic cuts, moving camera and some quick shots during figth scenes. These are well choreographed but nothing exceptional is done with them. Overall is a movie well edited but it doesn't break the Disney mold and is kinda predictable.
Editing: 6/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Water. Water is so beautiful here because it's incredibly realistic and wonderful to watch. I think that the production has directed all their effort there because water is a relevant aspect of the movie. But it isn't just about H2O, I think that the cgi is stunnind and the world's design and its dragons are marvellosly done. I can't say that's perfect because I would overrate it but I think that it's remarkable. I like when characters explain hypothetical possibilities and the animation becomes more cartoony. It's not as bonkers and original as Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse or The Mitchell vs The Machines but it works well in it's own terms.
Special Effects: 8/10
SOUNDTRACK
I like it but I don't find it interesting. Sure, it's inspired by south eastern music and in some moments it fits the movie perfectly, giving a sense of wonder. The best tracks are in the last act but before it's a bit sidelined. This soundtrack is good but it isn't memorable.
Soundtrack: 6/10
COSTUMES
The costumes are good looking and are coherent with the story's origin. I like how every tribe has its own distinctive clothes and accesories, which helps us to differentiate them. Raya's outfit is well done and I find it cool because it's adaptable. Even though the costumes are good, these aren't relevant for the plot, because these only serve as a way to distinguish characters based on their appearance. Maybe one character's costume could be considered instrumental but it isn't enough because it's in the background and it's used to tell jokes.
Costumes: 7/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 4/10
Acting: 5/10
Photography: 9/10
Editing: 6/10
Special Effects: 8/10
Soundtrack: 6/10
Costumes: 7/10
AVERAGE: 6,42
It's a visually wonderful movie with a good concept which lacks a good script. It's watchable but at the end you'll find yourself unsatisfied because the movie isn't able to fullfill its potential. The reason why this movie was created could explain why it seems like an half baked masterpiece with a lot of holes. Fortunately it isn't so bad and I think that you should watch it only to enjoy the cgi and the visuals, because there isn't more here.
Director: Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada
Screenplay: Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim
Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Thalia Tran, Lucille Soong, Alan Tudyk
Soundtrack: James Newton Howard
Cinematography: Rob Dressel, Adolph Lusinsky
Running Time: 107 minutes
Budget: $100 million
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