Raya e l'ultimo drago

I didn't expect to like this film at all. I thought it would be a mix of fantasy and martial arts, but it was something entirely different. Right from the start the visuals sucked me in and so did the characters, most of all Raya and Si-Su. Every world they visited was interesting and their entire journey enthralled me, especially the end. It touched me like Disney classics usually do. Very beautifully done. Raya and the Last Dragon is definitely a new favorite of mine I'm looking forward to rewatch. Only next time, I hope, on a bigger screen, not just my tablet. I bet I'll love it even more then.

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.

This is a great animated movie. Visually beautiful with a good story, heart, and some pretty cool action (the fight scenes were really good!). I was emotionally invested in the characters and the outcome of the story. Very funny. Awkwafina did a great job, elevating her character. I really enjoyed it and would watch it again. Oh and I liked the musical score. (1 viewing, 11/6/2021)

I applaud Disney for making this animation that celebrates diversity. However, the story is not very good. I get annoyed by the endless poor decisions that the characters make. The dragons look more like Monsters Inc characters than dragons that are depicted in Asia.

'Raya And The Last Dragon (2021)' has a strange tone that actually sees its comedy clash immensely with its drama, rather than compliment it. It doesn't help that the opening is pretty much played straight and that there is a rather serious undercurrent running throughout the entire affair. It also has an odd pace that kind of makes it feel like a video-game truncated into two hours, awkwardly squashed to fit its medium. These issues are particularly frustrating because there are segments in which the movie truly is great. Rather than being outright bad, its least successful moments simply pull down its most successful ones and make the overall affair less effective than it clearly could have been. Still, it's not as if the flick isn't enjoyable. For the most part, it's a solidly entertaining experience with some unique aesthetics and appropriately amazing animation. The fact that it was completed almost entirely from home due to COVID-19 is especially impressive; it looks and moves just as good as any of Disney's recent efforts, if not better. One highlight is certainly its fight scenes, which typically have quite a bit of weight to them and emulate something seen in a proper martial arts flick (though they're obviously less violent). In the end, this is a mostly fun but occasionally frustrating adventure. Despite its issues, it proves that people can pull together to create compelling no matter what the circumstances may be. 7/10.