“Raya and the Last Dragon” – Has it been so long?
I am so happy to watch a new movie that is not Oscar bait (though I’m still happy about those) and not called Wonder Woman 1984. I’m also a sucker for fantastical quest movies, so all this movie had to do was not be, well, Wonder Woman 1984. Low bar, I know. It did get a little dicey at times like, early in the film when exploding farts became a thing, or later when a baby threw his own diaper at someone’s face. But, I let those go because the dragon was endearing and the other characters were the familiar ragtag bunch of misfits that always make quest movies fun. Mostly, it’s just been so long since a fun blockbuster-type movie came out, especially one that wasn’t a soul-crushing disappointment, that farts and diapers were almost welcome. I know another movie that could have used some of that.
And now, as always, the thoughts of the movie’s target audience, my eight-year old son.
What was the last new movie you saw?
The last new movie I saw was *thinking* I don’t even remember. Oh waitâ¦was itâ¦Godmothered?
I think you are right. How happy are you to see a new movie?
Pretty happy.
The new movie is Raya and the Last Dragon. What was you first thought after watching it?
I thought about what the genres were.
What are the genres?
Adventure. Fantasy. And did I say comedy? It was actually pretty funny.
Let’s start with the comedy. What was funny about it?
There was one joke when Raya found Sisu at the end of the river and she made this funny joke. I don’t remember what it was, but it made sense.
Who is Sisu?
She’s like this dragon. The last dragon that ever lived. She can swim fast and we she holds the dragon gems she gets another power from her siblings. One power was she could turn into a human.
Does she spend more time as a dragon or a human?
A human.
Do you think that was good or should she have stayed a dragon the whole time?
It was good because she could hide as a human so people wouldn’t capture her. And Kumandra needs dragons.
What is Kumandra?
Kumandra is where all of the people were one big city, but now they’re all enemies.
Why does Kumandra need dragons?
Because dragons brought them water and stuff and plants and good food.
What is the adventure part of the movie?
They have to try to make Kumandra back to Kumandra. So they have to get all the enemies back to Kumandra.
Who is they?
Raya and her friends.
Tell me about Raya and her friends.
There’s this big dude. I don’t remember what his name was, but he is huge and buff. And there is this little kid that works at a hibachi restaurant on a boat in the middle of the river. There’s Sisu, obviously. Raya (I said Raya, right?). And the baby ninja who is in charge of the monkeys.
Sounds like a really funny group.
Told you – the movie is funny.
How are Raya and her friends going to bring back Kumandra?
They have to get back, well, in the beginning of the movie, the dragon gem broke. To bring Kumandra back, they have to find the pieces and connect the gem back into a ball again.
What happened when the gem broke?
There are these purple monster thingies that if they touch people, the people turn to stone. The purple monster thingies are like ten feet tall and ten feet wide and are walking, slimy, jello things.
So, they have to put the gem back together before the purple monsters turn everyone to stone?
Yes.
If all they have to do is put the dragon gem back together, why do they need a dragon? Why do they need Sisu?
I said it, but I just lost it.
It’s okay. Who are all the enemies in the movie?
Fang. Spine. Tail. I can’t remember the other one. But everything is around a big river shaped like a dragon, so all the places are named after body parts.
Who broke the dragon gem?
The princess of Fang.
Is she also a main enemy?
Yes. Everyone is kind of enemies, but they have to friend each other like in a video game.
Is that how they make Kumandra?
Yes. They make friends, build a better team, and do jobs.
Who is your favorite character in the movie?
The ninja baby and the monkeys. Because it’s a baby and why not?
What was your favorite part of the movie?
Hmmm. That was a good question. It is *thinking* *rolling around on the couch* when they find Sisu and when she makes a ton of good jokes that adults and kids understand. Therefore, it’s a amazing. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Were there any parts of the movie you didn’t like?
Not really.
Was any part of the movie too scary for kids?
No. It’s an animation movie.
Animation can still be scary. Do you think young kids might be scared by ten-foot tall, purple jello monsters that turn people into stone?
Yeah, no. Unless their parents dress up as one and chase their kids.
That would be scary. Overall, what did you think of the movie?
It was pretty good. Pretty funny. Pretty adventure-y. Pretty fantasy-y.
Rating: If the movie were twenty bucks, I would ask for no money back because a lot of kids would really like it and it’s meant for kids to watch.