I was skeptical about the movie after watching the trailer of "Raya and The Last Dragon".Rightfully so because it was one of the worst cuts for a trailer in recent past.I can say this after watching the movie as i thought i am in for something that i might not like before watching the movie on Disney plus.
To my surprise i liked the premise itself and knew was going to have a blast viewing the movie.The premise is so well done and keeps you engaged in the story from the beginning itself.I personally did not find a boring or dull moment in the movie after the premise which basically sets up the whole movie.Predictability comes hand in hand in such flicks but i think they did a good job in making it engaging and unpredictable as much as possible.
Kudos to Walt Disney animation studios for their work on this flick, easily one of the best animation i have seen in recent past. The refinement on each character is top notch and overall animation of the film is on point and is on par with or even better than Moana which i think is the strongest work of the studio animation wise.Each character modelling and look were just top notch.And i don't think anyone who watched this movie will forget mentioning the fantastic voice cast, who just took the movie to another level with their great voice over to these fantastic animated characters.
What really shook me was the way Awkwafina dubbed for Sisu(the last dragon),she literally nailed it with her voice changeover and easily the standout from all other voice cast who were also exceptional. Gemma Chan as Namaari is another well designed standout character as per voice over and she did a fantastic job.Kelly Marie Tran as Raya and Benedict Wong as Tong were great too.Even the original score is brilliantly done by James newton Howard which just takes you into the world of Raya right away.
Overall it was a fun watch and i definitely think people may opt for second viewing for sure after watching it once if not more.I say this because it is so well done and you might want to revisit the world and adventure these fantastic characters went through.
All i can say is this movie about gem pieces,Druuns,dragon magic, trust and togetherness will not disappoint.I definitely recommend Raya the last dragon as a popcorn Sunday evening flick which you will end up enjoying thoroughly. I re watched the trailer again after watching the movie and it appealed to me this time around having known the characters but watching it first time it really did not stick along.Peace out!!!
