Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) official trailer #1

A lot of Disney movies focus on a wide-eyed dreamer who ends up making the world a better place. RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON does something a little different. The protagonist has a tragic backstory and therefore grew up to become a very cynical person. Sure, it becomes obvious very early on that by the end she will have learned to be more trusting (and that she'll somehow solve the conflict between the tribes of the land), but it still feels like a new take on this company's formula. Plenty of Hollywood movies feature 3, 4 or even 5 names under the "Screenplay by" credit, which is normal considering how many re-writes can happen during a project. This movie features 8 names! And under the "Story by" credit! The fact that there's any coherence in the development of the plot and the characters is a miracle on its own! The tone is exactly what a family-friendly adventure with supernatural elements and martial arts needs to be. It goes from fast and loud to slow and quiet depending on what's more suited for each scene. Combine that with gorgeous animation and you have a future classic on your hands... until you add another ingredient that ends up ruining the entire mix. I'm talking about Sisu the dragon. Unlike all the other comic relief characters, she's painfully unfunny! It's mostly due to the lines she has to say, but Awkwafina's performance is to blame as well. She can be hilarious with her body language and she can make the audience cry with her facial expressions, but voice acting isn't her forte. It's much more obvious when you compare her to her co-stars, especially Kelly Marie Tran. Even if a cast member doesn't particularly stand out, you can tell that they know what they're doing. There's a certain way to deliver the lines, but the way Awkwafina does it is flat and uninspired.
8/10
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