Twister (1996) analysis

Welcome back to my disaster movie analysis series, everyone! Today, we're taking a look at:

Upon its release in May of 1996, Jan de Bont’s Twister was seen by some critics as just another example of a ‘style over substance’ blockbuster, with the late Roger Ebert going so far as to declare, "You want loud, dumb, skillful, escapist entertainment? Twister works. You want to think? Think twice about seeing it." However, I would argue this film is more than just spectacle in that it acts as a cautionary tale of how passion, if not regulated, can escalate into downright obsession.

This is accomplished through the contrast between the characters of Jo Harding and Jonas Miller, respectively. Jo works alongside a motley, yet fiercely passionate and loyal, team who chase storms in a colorful assortment of automobiles, whereas Jonas spearheads a force made up largely of uniformed men in (mostly) matching black vehicles. While Jo’s team takes great, open delight in their tornado-chasing (with one of the team members even blasting music from a speaker mounted on his van as they advance on a tornado that’s recently formed), Jonas’ men come off as colder and more strictly professional (in terms of their onscreen activities), yet arguably just as driven.

The main point in which Jo separates herself as a character from Jonas becomes evident in the movie’s second act, when she and her estranged husband Bill’s truck they’d been using is knocked over, with the tornado data-gathering sensors scattered about on the ground. Jo, desperate to finally utilize her “Dorothy” contraption on the nearby tornado, begins trying in vain to retrieve the sensors, though Bill eventually manages to snap her out of this compulsive state by encouraging her to, “Look at what you’ve got right in front of ‘ya.” Although Bill subsequently clarifies that what Jo’s ‘got’ is him, I would argue that Bill also means that Jo has her team and her Aunt Meg, thus reminding her that she still has other things besides storm-chasing to live for; this ultimately gets Jo to see reason and ‘live to fight another day’. In the climax, meanwhile, Jonas, despite being warned against advancing close to a particularly massive tornado by Jo and Bill, is too blinded by his obsession with defeating them to listen to their cautioning and ends up paying for it with his life shortly afterwards. Jonas and what happens to him are an illustration of what might’ve befallen Jo had she not been able to temper her passion for storm-chasing with Bill’s help, as Jonas’ single-mindedness is what ultimately destroys him.

That finishes my analysis of Twister. I found this flick to be a substantial improvement over Earthquake; the 1996 film boasts effects that've aged better in comparison to those seen in Earthquake, a far more engaging cast (especially the dearly departed Bill Paxton and Philip Seymour Hoffman), and much more enthralling disaster sequences (in that as a Kansas native, they hit closer to 'home'). As such, I certainly recommend checking this movie out! See you all in the near future with my next analysis, this time of Roland Emmerich's return to the disaster genre known as The Day After Tomorrow!

Earthquake (1974) analysis

Welcome to the first of my analyses of 'natural disaster' movies! Today, we'll be taking a look at:

I would argue that Earthquake, released in 1974, is an illustration of how times of crisis, such as the eponymous disaster, are capable of people’s true nature manifesting in one of two ways. Either their better selves are put on full display, or their darker, more repulsive sides are enabled to be unleashed by the circumstances they’re confronted with.

A notable instance of such a calamitous situation bringing out the ‘best’ in someone can be seen in the actions of Sam Royce, the father-in-law of the main protagonist Stewart Graff. After the titular earthquake strikes Los Angeles, California, Sam and several of his employees find themselves trapped up in their now-inhospitable office building. With no readily available way down, Sam spearheads his employees in getting out a stored fire hose and tying it around an office chair to cobble together a makeshift elevator down to a safer floor. While he could easily make himself one of the first people to get to safety, Sam instead displays how altruistic he really is by instead seeing to it that every last one of his personnel gets to securer ground on the lower floor before he himself gets to safety. While Sam experiences a heart attack before he can join his workforce and ultimately succumbs to it later, he put the well-being of his employees before his own, showing viewers just how selfless of an individual he was.

Jody Joad, on the other hand, serves as a case of how dire circumstances can result in people’s viler impulses being pushed to the forefront. Early on, he dutifully answers the call for National Guard officers to assemble in anticipation of the earthquake and is later seen helping to navigate the consequences of the disaster. However, it isn’t too long before he begins to exploit his position of authority, enacting vengeance upon his housemates for their mockery of him (which was shown earlier in the film prior to the catastrophe) by gunning them all down, and becoming abusive towards Rosa, even assaulting her and comparing her to a ‘whore’. While he ultimately gets what’s coming to him when he’s shot dead by protagonist Lou Slade, Jody acts as an example of how bad situations are just as capable of bringing out the worst in some people as they are able to bring out the best in others.

That concludes my analysis of Earthquake; personally, I wouldn't call it my favorite of this type of film, but it has solid production design and effects, so I'd say to give it a shot if you want, just don't expect anything mind-blowing. Hope you enjoyed my look at Earthquake, and I'll see you all later this week with my analysis of 1996's Twister! 

Announcement regarding new content coming up

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that I'm currently in an online class known as Natural Disasters in Film; part of this class involves doing analyses of the films we're assigned to watch, so I figured my classwork would be perfect material for this blog! Hope you enjoy my coming analyses, and I'll see you all later today with the first analysis on the 1974 disaster film Earthquake, starring the late, great Charlton Heston!

Top 5 unpopular movie-based opinions/hot takes:

The term 'subjectivity' can be defined, according to Google, as, "The quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions"; as such, not everyone's perspectives on various facets of life will be the same, and this is no different when it comes to popular culture; here are my top 5 unpopular opinions or 'hot takes' pertaining to movies. Seeing as these stem from my perspective, there's a very good chance many of you won't agree with my picks; feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments, but please make sure to keep it civil. With that being said, on to the list!

5. I think Terminator: Dark Fate is the best of the post-Terminator 2 follow-ups. These days, it's a common opinion among Terminator fans that the series should've ended with 1991's beloved Terminator 2: Judgment Day, as 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the 2009 prequel Terminator: Salvation, and the 2015 ‘soft reboot’ Terminator: Genisys have all been subjected to varying levels of scrutiny. Even though it also faced controversy of its own (with some even condescendingly nicknaming it ‘Woke Fate’), I consider 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate to be just what the franchise needed after the ultimately wasted potential that was Genisys! Firstly, Dark Fate is the first installment in the series since Judgment Day to have an R-rating, and the movie certainly benefits from it, particularly in regard to its action sequences, which come off as significantly more visceral in aesthetic and (arguably) tone compared to what was seen in its 2015 predecessor. Another thing Dark Fate has going for it is the return of not just Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, but also Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, reprising her role for the first time since Terminator: Salvation (in that movie, it was merely her voice that was used). Hamilton slips back into playing the character with little effort, as though nearly 30 years (that is, between the releases of Judgment Day and Dark Fate) barely even passed; the new characters, Natalia Reyes' Dani Ramos and Mackenzie Davis' Grace arguably could've used some additional 'work' (writing-wise) to give them more dimensionality and differentiate them from previous characters in the series (e.g., Kyle Reese from the original Terminator), but thankfully, the two actresses deliver believable onscreen performances that ought to help even casual viewers get invested in their characters to some degree. In addition, I wouldn't say they're the walking 'feminist propaganda' that some detractors claim them to be; after all, there's not one, but two memorable male characters to 'balance' things out in this movie (the villainous REV-9 and Schwarzenegger's T-800), with the latter receiving a fair amount of characterization whilst also being the 'lens' through which the concept of what'd become of a Terminator after completing its primary mission (e.g., 'offing' whoever it was sent to 'terminate') is explored. While this is an intriguing idea which one could argue feels in-line with some of the notions examined in Judgment Day, I do think more screen time could've been allotted to fleshing out this concept further. While Terminator: Dark Fate is certainly anything but perfect and may pale in comparison to the first two James Cameron-directed films, it's still all-around a step in the right direction compared to the last few movies, and I'm glad I saw it during its time in theaters!

4. I find Captain Marvel to be significantly over-hated. Upon its release in 2019, Captain Marvel proved to be a rather divisive movie; with the titular character herself being among the greatest points of contention; some thought of her as being a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU) character roster, while others decried her as little more than a dull, un-engaging, and overpowered 'Mary Sue' (though arguably nowhere to the same extent as Rey from the Star Wars sequel trilogy). However, both times I saw it in theaters, I found myself engaged in/enjoying what was presented onscreen! Maybe I'm biased since I was already a longtime Marvel Studios fan at the time of watching Captain Marvel, but I don't think this flick deserves the sheer amount of criticism it's been subjected to in the 2 years since its theatrical run. For one, Oscar-winner Brie Larson (who plays the titular character) and Samuel L. Jackson have terrific chemistry with one another, and it shows in their characters' interactions, making for a character dynamic on par with the likes of fellow MCU duos Rocket and Groot (from the Guardians of the Galaxy series) and Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes (as seen in the Disney+ Marvel Studios show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) in terms of memorability! In addition, I found Captain Marvel herself, Carol Danvers, to be a rather over-hated main protagonist; granted, she's no Iron Man, Black Widow, or Captain America (in terms of character depth, arguably speaking), but she still has enough charisma to get viewers to care about her (and yes, she does smile or at least smirk more than once throughout the movie, contrary to what some may claim). In addition, the supporting characters manage to be interesting enough to get invested in, thanks to both the writing behind them and especially the talented actors bringing them to life (major examples including Lashana Lynch and Akira Akbar as Maria and Monica Rambeau, respectively, as well as Ben Mendelsohn as Talos). In general, while Captain Marvel certainly isn't on the level of such 'solo' MCU films as Iron Man (as in the 2008 original) or Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I nonetheless consider it a solid flick worth checking out!

3. I am actually able to find enjoyment in the Michael Bay-directed Transformers movies (at least the first 4), even Age of Extinction. I'll go ahead and admit it up-front, this may not be the most controversial of opinions these days (as in the past, I've encountered a decent number of people who share my opinion), but seeing what a 'whipping boy' the Transformers franchise (not counting 2018's Bumblebee, which is currently the only live-action Transformers movie to have a 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes) has become among critics in particular, I figured this perspective could be considered 'unpopular' enough to warrant a spot on this list. Whilst it's no secret I found a lot to like in the series' 2014 installment, Age of Extinction (which I previously did a review on), the other installments have their own merits as well. Firstly, if there's anything people can agree on positively regarding these movies, it's their visual effects, primarily in regard to how the titular characters were realized, courtesy of the VFX (short for 'visual effects') company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM for short). It's hard to think of any other company to bring the iconic Autobots and Decepticons to life on the big screen, as ILM's artists' craftsmanship when it comes to the numerous parts each Transformer is made up of, as well as making them move in a way that seems believable (among other things), is something most people seem to take for granted these days. To put this in perspective, in CinemaWins' video on the first Transformers, he points out how Optimus Prime, "Had over 10,000 moving digital parts"! In 2009's Revenge of the Fallen, the gargantuan 'combiner' Decepticon Devastator, according to VFX supervisor Scott Farrar in an article by syfy.com, "Is made up of upwards of 80,000 parts. The only thing that saves time is the camera position. The animators only have to transform the parts that are visible on screen." Suffice to say, while the screenplays for these movies (particularly those of the follow-ups to the 2007 original) definitely could've had more time dedicated to refining them, the visual effects are easily a highlight worthy of respect! Another facet of the series I find noteworthy are the number of memorable pieces of music courtesy of composer Steve Jablonsky; the first film gave us such tracks as "Autobots", "Optimus", "Optimus vs. Megatron", and the beloved "Arrival to Earth", Revenge of the Fallen has "Forest Battle" (which accompanies the eponymous action sequence), Dark of the Moon gave us "Battle" and "It's Our Fight", and such pieces as "Lockdown" and "Dinobot Charge" wouldn't exist if Age of Extinction wasn't made. As disappointing as I found 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight to be, it also gave us "Calling All Autobots" (which plays during one of the final scenes of the movie). Although fans of the 1980s cartoon (part of an era that's been dubbed 'G1') will likely disagree with me, I found the designs for the main Transformers to be visually distinctive and creative, especially in regard to the Dinobots in Age of Extinction; while many of the alien robots may not resemble their G1 counterparts, I personally didn't mind such differences; granted, the first live-action film was my introduction to the Transformers brand as a whole (making me somewhat biased), but, for example, the hulking and jagged profile Megatron possessed in the first two movies in particular seem rather fitting for such an intimidating and homicidal alien warlord, whilst effectively communicating to viewers (especially younger ones) that, as obvious as it may be, he's one of the 'bad guys'! Finally, the voice casts assembled to breath life into the 'robots in disguise' is to be commended, as they've showcased the talents of voice actors like Jess Harnell (aka Wakko Warner in Animaniacs) as Ironhide, Charlie Adler (the ill-fated Gazeem in Aladdin) as Starscream, Tom Kenny (the title character of Spongebob Squarepants) as Wheelie, and the legendary Frank Welker (Scooby-Doo, the Cave of Wonders in Aladdin, etc.) as Soundwave and Devastator (among others). Although Welker may be known as the voice of the G1 incarnation of Megatron (and reprised the role in both Age of Extinction (as Galvatron) and The Last Knight), and most certainly fits the role, I really enjoyed Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in The Matrix and Elrond in The Lord of the Rings trilogy) as Megatron in the first three flicks; to quote CinemaWins, Weaving manages to "Add a whole new level of dominance with that ground-shaking voice." Said voice fits the infamous leader of the Decepticons nicely and combined with said Transformer's imposing profile, makes for quite the onscreen adversary! Finally, if there's one thing Michael Bay and co. did right, it was getting the one and only Peter Cullen to reprise his iconic role as Optimus Prime, and it's a good thing too, as Cullen proves multiple times throughout the series just why he's considered the quintessential voice for the beloved Autobot leader! Overall, whilst the Bay-directed Transformers movie franchise is no Star Wars (by which I'm referring to the original trilogy), I think the criminally underrated YouTuber (whose content I strongly recommend checking out, especially if you're a Jurassic Park fan) Shinobi-03 put it best: "I know the series has problems, but then again, what movie doesn't have problems?"

2. I think Matthew Broderick was an unwise casting choice for older Simba in the original Lion King, and find Donald Glover (from the 2019 version) to be a better fit. As was the case with numerous other young viewers, Walt Disney Animation's 1994 phenomenon The Lion King was a major part of my youth, thanks to its renowned narrative, animation that still holds up remarkably well to this day, an immersive score by the one and only Hans Zimmer (which garnered the composer his first Oscar for Best Original Score), and iconic characters. While this movie has multiple instances of excellent casting (e.g., the voice of Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones, as Mufasa, Jeremy Irons as the duplicitous Scar, and Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella as Timon & Pumbaa), the casting department wasn’t completely flawless in their selections; case in point, Matthew Broderick of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off fame as the grown version of the main protagonist Simba. While there are certain instances where he’s okay (at best) in his portrayal, the YouTuber Jambareeqi arguably puts it best: “A lot of the time, he is sounding a bit stilted, awkward, and insincere; it’s just how he reads lines.” Perhaps the most egregious showcase of just how miscast Broderick was can be found in the last third of the film, during the “I killed Mufasa” scene following Simba’s return to the Pride Lands; Broderick's line reading (particularly following Scar foolishly admitting to being responsible for Mufasa’s untimely demise) is arguably facepalm-inducing in terms of how lackluster it is, especially when compared to the more appropriate-sounding voiceover of Jonathan Taylor Thomas (of Home Improvement fame) as the younger version of Simba from the first half of the movie. On the other hand, while the 2019 version of The Lion King has gotten all sorts of controversy over such things as if it was even necessary to make in the first place, one thing I prefer about this version over its predecessor is Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino, who was also a cast member of the show Community) as Simba; while there could've been other alternatives for the role, and Glover admittedly isn't on the level of Phil LaMarr (aka the title character of Samurai Jack and John Stewart/Green Lantern in the animated show Justice League and its sequel series Justice League Unlimited, to name a few roles), Keith David (aka Goliath in the cult classic show Gargoyles and Dr. Facilier in Disney’s criminally under-appreciated The Princess and the Frog), or Kevin Michael Richardson (Joker in The Batman, Trigon in Teen Titans, Captain Gantu in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, and Bulkhead in Transformers: Prime, among many other roles) in terms of voice acting talent, Glover felt like a more suitable casting choice all-around compared to his predecessor, especially helped by him sounding rather believably like an older version of JD McCrary (who voiced Simba as a cub in the 2019 movie).  

1. I find Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse overrated. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse was the first non-Disney (or Pixar) animated feature since 2011's Rango to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was just what Sony Pictures Animation needed after the embarrassment that was The Emoji Movie. With that being said, what's my issue with this critically acclaimed comic book movie (besides what the website TV Tropes refers to as 'Hype Backlash')? Well firstly, despite its incredibly well-realized art style and animation, the action sequences, specifically the fight scenes, feel arguably too fast in terms of their choreography, as the speed at which the characters move can make it difficult to follow exactly what's going on, and thus hard to get fully invested & appreciate the choreography. If the filmmakers had slowed things down a bit, it'd be easier to make out what's happening onscreen, and thus less difficult to get 'sucked in'. In addition, for a movie that Rotten Tomatoes described as having, "Bold storytelling", I had trouble finding anything particularly 'bold' about the narrative (besides maybe the main antagonist's reason for his multi-dimension-scale meddling). Although Into the Spiderverse has received a substantial amount of praise for its music, besides the background music playing during "What's Up Danger" and the Prowler's awesomely ominous theme music, I've found it hard to name any other major musical bits that I'd consider 'memorable' (for instance, Post Malone's "Sunflower", while not 'bad' per se, simply isn't my 'cup of tea'). Finally, while the characters are quite well-casted (with standouts including Nicholas Cage's amusingly over-dramatic vocal portrayal of Spider-Man Noir and comedian John Mulaney arguably sounding like he'd be right at home playing a Looney Tunes character in his voiceover for Spider-Ham), I found various characters in need of additional 'work' in order to properly live up to the considerable praise they've received; for instance, the arc of Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Woman or Spider-Gwen, a name given by the character's fans (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld from Bumblebee, which, funny enough, came out the same month and year as this movie) and the evolution of her relationship with main protagonist Miles Morales could've progressed in a way that felt more organic/'earned' compared to what we got, and the supporting 'Spider-people' (Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker & SP//dr, and Spider-Ham) could've had more to them to make them more distinctive from the main 3 'Spider-people' (Miles, Peter B. Parker, and Gwen). Granted, despite all this, I haven't seen Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse in its entirety (not counting bits & pieces I've glimpsed online) since I saw it in theaters back in December 2018. As such, perhaps a viewing of CinemaWins' (a YouTube channel which I HIGHLY recommend checking out) "Everything GREAT About Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse!" video could change my viewpoint of this movie for the better, and warrant a rewatch, this time with a new perspective!

That concludes my list of unpopular movie opinions/hot takes. Like I said at the beginning, don't hesitate to leave your thoughts (regarding any unpopular opinions you may have, among other things) in the comments, but please make sure to keep it civil; after all, there's enough discourse in the world as it is presently! Thank you again for reading, and I'll see you all next time!

Raya and the Last Dragon review

Is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first original film since 2016’s Moana yet another worthy entry in the Disney Animated Canon, or is it deserving of little more than petrification by the Druun? Time to find out as we take a look at:

I'd been anticipating Raya and the Last Dragon since I saw the promotional trailers and having finally seen it (via Disney+ Premier Access), I'm happy to report it's quite the appealing fantasy adventure, whilst being much more than just simple escapism! With that being said, let's look at what makes this flick worth taking 'the first step'!

Raya and the Last Dragon takes place in the fictional Southeast Asian land of Kumandra, which is divided into five nations named after various parts of the dragons their inhabitants revere (Heart, Fang, Talon, Spine, and Tail). The Heart Land’s warrior princess, Raya, seeks to find the last dragon, Sisu, to put an end to the plague known as the Druun (which turns its victims to stone, multiplying in numbers as a result). Even with Sisu by her side, can Raya save Kumandra, or will it take more than just the last dragon and the fabled Dragon Gem to finally stop the nigh-relentless Druun?

This flick admittedly may not have the most groundbreaking of premises or plot structures, but like its fellow Walt Disney Animation movie, 2016’s Zootopia, Raya and the Last Dragon shines in how the story its world unfolds in is applicable to current events (e.g., the divides in the U.S. involving such matters as right-wing vs. left-wing politics, pro-vaccine vs. anti-vaccine, etc.) as well as to humans on a societal scale. Much like in today’s world, at the time the main storyline begins, the people of Kumandra are starkly divided against one another, to the point that Raya’s initial modus operandi can be summed up as, in her words, “Don’t trust anyone”. However, despite sounding incredibly pessimistic, the film thankfully avoids going too far via its message of the importance of trust. While this may sound like something out of My Little Pony at first glance, what makes such a message worth listening to/’picking up on’ is how applicable it is, especially in times of division like what numerous viewers (e.g., those from the U.S.) are most likely going through. Granted, the message isn’t that one should be trusting toward everyone, as the film does make sure to show the consequences of such naïveté, but it’s also made clear that not trusting anyone isn’t beneficial, either. 

Essentially, this flick appears to advocate in favor of a healthy middle ground; while trust shouldn’t be given with reckless abandon, not affording others some degree of it or not even making an attempt at establishing trust in the first place (such as by providing a gift as a token of good faith, as Sisu proves to be fond of throughout the film) isn’t any better, as trust is a key foundation in forming unity, whether it be between a few individuals (like the movie’s unlikely fellowship of protagonists) or between whole nations. Raya’s father, Chief Benja, sums it up best: “Someone has to take the first step.” Raya and the Last Dragon’s message of the significance of trust may not be communicated in the most subtle of ways, but it’s a message that’s so desperately needed in today’s tumultuous and polarized world that there’s a good chance it wouldn’t be as effective if it weren’t so blunt; to quote John Doe from the 1995 crime thriller Se7en, “Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.”

When it comes to the cast assembled to bring the characters of Raya and the Last Dragon to life, I’m happy to say Disney once again continued their streak of terrific casting in terms of the actors and actresses assembled for this feature film! 

Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina, voices the titular ‘last dragon’ known as Sisu, and suffice to say, I can see why some viewers have compared the actress’ voiceover portrayal to that of Eddie Murphy as Mushu from Mulan (the 1998 animated original, not the wasted potential that was the 2020 remake) and the late great Robin Williams’ Genie from Aladdin! I’d previously gained something of a familiarity with what Awkwafina was capable of via her scene-stealing supporting role in 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians (funny enough, Adele Lim, one of the screenwriters behind Crazy Rich Asians, helped pen the script for this movie!) and she brings arguably the same sharp-witted comedic timing to her voiceover performance as Sisu, with some of the most noteworthy lines of the film standing out thanks to Awkwafina’s performance! Granted, despite the actress' contributions, not all Sisu's humorous lines 'hit home' (for lack of a better term), but these verbal misfires are thankfully few and far between. Awkwafina succeeds in providing her character with bountiful energy while simultaneously having enough restraint in her vocal portrayal to avoid coming off as obnoxious. This skillfulness also shines through during scenes with a more downcast tone, as Awkwafina manages to convey the analogous emotions called for with solid believability, thus enhancing Sisu’s emotional depth and in turn making the water dragon that much more worth investing in. One of Raya and the Last Dragon’s directors, Don Hall (who previously helmed 2014’s Academy Award-winning Big Hero 6), told CBR.com, “Sisu was written with Awkwafina in mind, and I can't imagine somebody else as Sisu. Awkwafina is Sisu. Sisu is Awkwafina”, and I can’t exactly argue with him!

However, Sisu is merely the deuteragonist of this flick, so let’s cover the actress responsible for bringing the main heroine to life! Kelly Marie Tran, who previously came to mainstream attention with her supporting role in the divisive Star Wars sequel trilogy, voices Raya herself, but funny enough, she wasn’t the first choice for this key role; initially, Cassie Steele was supposed to be the one to play Raya, but in August 2020, Tran was revealed to be taking her place. Despite this, I think it’s safe to say Tran was the right person to replace Steele, as she infuses Raya with an aura of world-weariness that helps viewers to ‘buy’ what a distrustful cynic the princess of the Heart Land has become (which is rather justifiable, considering what it’s revealed she’s been through) by the time the main narrative starts. Despite this, Tran’s portrayal is certainly not all pessimistic, as she communicates the various dimensions of emotions her character displays (e.g., confident, elated, witty, etc.) in a way that feels convincing. She may have started her career with live-action roles, but as the eponymous protagonist of Raya and the Last Dragon, Tran shows audiences she also has quite the promising future in the world of voice acting!

Although Raya and Sisu have undeniable chemistry thanks to Tran and Awkwafina's voiceovers (as well as the script by Lim and Qui Nguyen), it felt as though there weren't enough moments involving the two of them bonding/connecting with one another (though this may be a matter of debate/opinion); if they had one or two additional scenes to display how their relationship (platonically speaking) was evolving, the movie as a whole could've benefitted further; thankfully, these two major characters still possess enough of a believable dynamic (once again, in large part thanks to their actresses) as is to enable viewers to get behind them and their mission!

Add in such names as Gemma Chan (who, like Awkwafina, was also a member of the cast of Crazy Rich Asians) as the Fang princess (and nemesis of Raya) Namaari, Benedict Wong (who played the similarly named Wong in Doctor Strange and reprised the role in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) as the ‘gentle giant’ Spine warrior Tong, and Daniel Dae Kim (who’s previously had voiceover roles in hit TV shows such as the beloved Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra, as well as the animated Justice League series) as Raya’s cherished father Chief Benja, to name a few, and you have a talented cast that breathes life into their onscreen characters and play a key role in making them well-realized and engaging!

It’s been nearly 16 years since Walt Disney Animation made their first foray into full-length computer animation, and suffice to say, the progress their animators have made in honing their skills in this type of animation are on clear display in Raya and the Last Dragon! The amount of thoroughness packed into things like the water (particularly as seen in the ‘running on raindrops’ scene) or characters themselves is definitely something to admire, such as in the below image from early in the movie:

There's a clear and painstaking attention to detail present in this still, particularly in the context of the hair on both Raya and Sisu. The fact that one can make out multiple strips of hair on the two of them (more-so on Sisu, though this can be justified by her glowing thanks to the Dragon Gem shard she's holding granting her such an ability) is testament to the meticulousness on the part of Disney’s animators!
Another visual area this movie shines in is the 5 lands that make up Kumandra itself, which each have their own distinctive aesthetic; Tail, for example, is an arid desert environment peppered with mushroom-like rock structures:

Raya’s homeland of Heart, on the other hand, is teeming with lush, tropical greenery topped off with a visually unique mountain, as seen below: 

This variety in the settings enables all 5 territories of Kumandra to stand apart from one another, in turn making for an adventure that feels like it's unfolding in an expansive, yet legitimate 'world' (since our own world also has different environments depending on the countries or continents in question)! While I wish more time was spent in these 5 lands to further flesh them and their inhabitants out further, one could argue the fact that I have this kind of strong response to begin with is testament to the animators' abilities when it comes to realizing a compelling fictional world onscreen! With all this being said, Raya and the Last Dragon is a shining example of how Walt Disney Animation has arguably mastered the art of computer animation on a level comparable to that of Pixar Animation Studios!

The composer behind the music of Raya and the Last Dragon is James Newton Howard, who's previously worked with Disney on films such as Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Treasure Planet (and, as mentioned on my Top 5 ranking of movie composers, also collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the first two installments of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy). While Howard's score may not be on the level of something like John Powell's scores for DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon (another animated fantasy film involving dragons) and its two follow-ups, there's still plenty to love about his work on Raya! This movie's soundtrack is able to be quite unique-sounding thanks to its incorporation of such instruments from Southeast Asia as lutes and chimes, as well as hand drums, skin drums, and rattles, among other instruments. In addition, a chorus can be heard at certain points in the score, such as the tracks "Prologue", "Fleeing From Tail", and the beginning portion of "Storming Fang", to great effect (especially in the case of the latter track). However, a track definitely worth mentioning has to be "Running on Raindrops" (which gets a reprise in the equally, if not even more, memorable "Return") which, turns out, was the first theme Howard wrote for this movie! While the scene it accompanies is visually striking, "Running on Raindrops" greatly enhances what happens onscreen thanks to the enchanting aura it produces, plausibly in the same way as "The Egg Travels" from Dinosaur before it did! While this soundtrack may not be my favorite of Howard's works (Dinosaur holds that title), his work for Raya and the Last Dragon is nonetheless definitely worth listening to and serves as yet another thing the film has going in its favor!

While it certainly has a few 'kinks' that could've been ironed out prior to release, Raya and the Last Dragon is a fantasy adventure film which proves Disney is anything but out of ideas (as some claim is the case)! With likable characters that are well-acted enough to get readily invested in, excellent animation, a compelling setting in the form of the world of Kumandra, and a universally applicable message that's arguably more timely now than ever, this is definitely a movie worth supporting, whether it be in the form of watching it in theaters (provided you feel comfortable doing so, given the ongoing pandemic, of course) or watching from the comfort of your home via Disney+ Premier Access!