I watched this last night and, well....it's kind of meh. The first 15 minutes were lighthearted and fun. The interactions between Din and Li Na as children were great. They could have made the whole film that and it would have been wonderful. Unfortunately, the plot happens. It's 'Aladdin and the Magic Lamp' with an Asian theme. I'm sorry, but that's basically the film. The problem is it's told in a very dark depressing way. Long (seriously the long Asian dragon is named 'Long') is introduced into the story by a rather eccentric deity we never find out the name of. Sadly, he's not on screen long because he's a lot more fun and upbeat than the rest of the cast. So we get to meet Long, a bright furry fuchsia and lavender dragon who can grant wishes. He's about as much fun as durian on a hot day; whiny, cynical, pushy, and worst of all, joyless. There's a reason Robin Williams as the genie in Disney's 'Aladdin' made the film great. I guess he matches up with Din who's emo because his childhood friend, Li Na proves to be about as superficial and shallow as a mud puddle. Things work out as they do in films with a plot like this even if it's all last minute and contrived. Cut to the credits. I'd have gotten a lot more enjoyment re-watching 'Raya and the Last Dragon'.
I watched this last night and, well....it's kind of meh. The first 15 minutes were lighthearted and fun. The interactions between Din and Li Na as children were great. They could have made the whole film that and it would have been wonderful. Unfortunately, the plot happens. It's 'Aladdin and the Magic Lamp' with an Asian theme. I'm sorry, but that's basically the film. The problem is it's told in a very dark depressing way. Long (seriously the long Asian dragon is named 'Long') is introduced into the story by a rather eccentric deity we never find out the name of. Sadly, he's not on screen long because he's a lot more fun and upbeat than the rest of the cast. So we get to meet Long, a bright furry fuchsia and lavender dragon who can grant wishes. He's about as much fun as durian on a hot day; whiny, cynical, pushy, and worst of all, joyless. There's a reason Robin Williams as the genie in Disney's 'Aladdin' made the film great. I guess he matches up with Din who's emo because his childhood friend, Li Na proves to be about as superficial and shallow as a mud puddle. Things work out as they do in films with a plot like this even if it's all last minute and contrived. Cut to the credits. I'd have gotten a lot more enjoyment re-watching 'Raya and the Last Dragon'.