Page 7 - MidWeek - March 24, 2021

My older daughter just turned 17. I don’t know how many times just the two of us went to the theater to watch the latest animated film, but it’s been frequent.
of Kumandra (Southeast Asia), which has been fractured into five kingdoms: Fang, Tail, Spine, Talon and Heart (parts of a dragon). The only thing keeping Kumandra safe is an orb that was created by dragons 500 years before. It was used to destroy the evil Druun, spirits that turn people (and dragons) into stone. Well, of course, each kingdom wants control of the magic orb. Fang attempts to steal it from Heart, and the orb is fractured, allowing the Dru- un to return after five centuries.
Sisu, the last living dragon. She’s a lone rider, almost Clint Eastwood-esque, a steely young woman ready for a double-cross and quick with a blade. I’m not that difficult to please. You give me some- thing with elements of Indiana Jones, Mad Max, old kung fu movies and Asian mythology, and chances are I’m going to enjoy it. Add to that characters who kind of look like me and my kids, and I’m all in.
brant palate used in this film — wow. No color is spared. And the hair — I didn’t know if I was looking at cartoon or real hair. Raya and the Last Dragon is why we go to the- aters: to witness visual sorcery. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more gorgeously produced an- imated film.
I’m glad the last one was a good one. We went out with a bang.
Six years after the Druun return and ravage most of the kingdoms, Raya, princess of Heart, is on a quest to find
The animation in Raya and the Last Dragon is breath- taking. Raya’s quest takes her through desert, river and mountain landscapes that are stunningly rendered. The vi-
On a final note, it’s worth mentioning that the movie was written by screenwrit- ers of Asian descent. And the entire cast is Asian. This mat- tered to my daughter. I’m not exaggerating. It’s the first time she’s seen it in a major studio production. Hopefully, when I
go through this again 13 years from now with my younger daughter, it won’t matter as much to her because she’ ll have seen it many times before.
Raya and the Last Dragon
is currently playing in theaters.
is set in the mythical kingdom
chrismckinney808@gmail.com
MARCH 24, 2021 MIDWEEK 7
Rotten
Visual Sorcery At Its Best
BY CHRIS MCKINNEY
PAPAYAS
So, as part of her birthday celebration, I figured we should go and watch an animated film in a theater (Consolidated The- atres Ward) for perhaps the last time. She’s getting too old for cartoons and will soon be off to college.
Is the movie perfect? No. The plot is rushed and uneven at times. The film could have been around 30 minutes longer. Ultimately, Raya and the Last Dragon needs to cater to the short attention spans of young children. The fact that it moves too quickly at times is easily forgiven.
Animated character Raya (left), voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, appears with Sisu the dragon in a scene from Raya and the Last Dragon. IMAGE COURTESY DISNEY+ VIA AP
Raya and the Last Dragon
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