Raya i ostatni smok

A fascinating Disney movie. Thematically, it's much closer to me than anything from Pixar (Soul, Inside Out). It has a very Asian style and takes a lot from Japanese culture. Raya is a beautiful shinobi, has a weapon straight out of “Dark Souls”, and is very capable in combat. The story is fine, maybe not very original, but it's exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I mean, there's a lot of traveling and collecting pieces of dragonstone from various attractive locations, and I enjoyed the variety of the tribes and the different dangers. I liked that she recruits new members along the way as well. The visuals are breathtaking, the animation is almost unbeatable, the music is brilliant, the action is excellent, though I expected a little more (especially more puzzles, traps as in the opening), but I'll survive. The humour is good too, taken care of by the water dragon, and overall it's a very nice fantasy entertainment that puts a smile on your face. Disney has outdone Pixar in my eyes. 8/10. (06.03.2021)

A soulless safe bet. The film looks beautiful, yes, but that’s something expected from an expensive animation movie from the biggest studio in Hollywood, and not something worth praise. The story, on the other hand, it’s the run-of-the-mill journey through different locations to collect artefacts in order to save the world. The potential magic of the film’s world (inspired in South-East Asia) is killed by the modern language the characters use and the intonation of the dialogues. And if we take fairytales as a genre for kids that should give them valuable life lessons, this film has a very stupid message that will prepare them so badly that they will soon end up dead in a ditch, with a dagger in their back. (12.03.2021)

Raya and the Last Dragon reminded me of several other films: dystopian stories like Mad Max and Mortal Engines, Boss Baby (those who have seen it will understand), among others. That's not to say that this Disney film just ripps off older films and has no added value. Raya and the Last Dragon is a story about hope and trust, about reciprocity and consideration, but also about lies and human meanness. Sisu, voiced by Awkwafina, was hilariously charming and the characters of Noi with her trio of monkeys and Tuk Tuk (an adorable cross between an armadillo and a Totoro) added to the humour. Last but not least, I must not forget to mention the breathtaking animation. Although you get a good idea idea how it will all turn out, I was still properly tense and pleasantly moved in the last third. (06.03.2021)

The Mouse has another surefire hit on their hands with Raya and the Last Dragon. The animation is gorgeous, the soundtrack fits the movie perfectly, the setting is quite enchanting (especially for lovers of Eastern culture). In addition, I really liked the characters but the actual story - it is so basic, unremarkable, and extremely predictable... I found that I really was not surprised by anything at all in this movie, everything was just so very predictable. There was also no real suspense, I did think it was sometimes moving, just not as much as it needed to be for a truly unforgettable experience. In other words, everything about this movie apart from the conventional and, in my opinion, not very original story was quite enjoyable. I think that this movie could have been amazing, captivating, and original because all the ingredients for it are there. However, in the end, it is just another safe bet for Disney. Delightful, but rather predictable. 6.7/10. (06.03.2021)

The tuk tuk is terribly sidelined. That was the only thing that made the trailer any good. Raya is a screenplay mishmash trying so hard to be original, but luckily it remains fundamentally the classic Disney movie that we know and love. An refreshing world full of colors, a funny gang and an ending that looks like it came straight out of Infinity War/Endgame. (05.04.2021)