Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) review (Disney+ (Premier Access))

As far as the various eras of Walt Disney Animation Studios are concerned, many would agree that 2008’s Bolt marked the start of what is widely referred to as the ‘Disney Revival’, when the studio finally managed to overcome the rough stretch that it endured in the early 2000s and produce some of its most critically acclaimed films in recent years. Because of this, Disney fans have been treated to a bunch of modern animated masterpieces such as Frozen, Zootopia, and The Princess and the Frog just to name a few. And while it could be argued that the studio is still in this period of its history given the strongly consistent track record that it’s maintained since the late 2000s, it could also be argued that a new era for the studio began in 2018 when Frozen co-director Jennifer Lee became the studio’s new Chief Creative Officer. Lee’s gone on record stating that one of her main goals for the studio moving forward is that they take greater initiative when it comes to crafting stories and characters that reflect our increasingly diverse world and you can certainly see that with the studio’s latest endeavor, Raya and the Last Dragon. Directed by the duo of Don Hall (Winnie the Pooh (2011), Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (director of the critically acclaimed live-action dramedy Blindspotting), Raya and the Last Dragon is entirely based around Southeast Asian culture and notably features the studio’s first Southeast Asian princess. And as we’ve come to expect from Disney at this point, it all comes together wonderfully in a beautifully animated and emotionally poignant film.

Long ago, the people of the mystical land of Kumandra lived in harmony with the magical dragons who shared a home with them. Unfortunately, they soon found themselves invaded by sinister creatures known as the Druun that turn their victims into stone, and while the dragons were able to successfully thwart these spirits, the people of Kumandra became so divided by their greedy aspirations that they split into five tribes: Fang, Heart, Tail, Spine, and Talon. Many years later, the Heart tribe’s leader, Chief Benja (voiced by Daniel Dae Kim), attempts to reunite the warring factions but this only results in the destruction of the powerful orb that the dragons created to protect Kumandra from the Druun, thus resulting in their resurrection. With tensions between the five tribes fiercer than they’ve ever been before, Benja’s daughter Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) embarks on a journey across the land to find the last of Kumandra’s dragons, Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina). Together, they and the various allies that they meet along the way embark on a quest to hunt down the broken pieces of the orb so that Sisu can use it to stop the Druun once and for all. However, they also find themselves having to deal with various threats such as Namaari (voiced by Gemma Chan), the princess of the Fang tribe whose duplicitous actions towards Raya were the primary catalyst behind their current predicament.

Raya and the Last Dragon has been getting a lot of attention for its action sequences, and sure enough, they’ll are brilliantly done, so much so that some of them apparently had to be toned down so that the film could maintain a Disney-friendly rating. But, of course, at the end of the day, this film is another phenomenal showcase of Disney’s amazing animation staff, especially seeing how they were all forced to work remotely on this one for… well, obvious reasons. Following in the footsteps of other regional-based Disney films such as Frozen (Norway) and Moana (South Pacific/Polynesia), the filmmakers use this film’s Southeast Asian setting and culture to their fullest effect, thus creating an utterly beautiful and effortlessly fascinating world to explore in Kumandra. But this clear-cut respect for Southeast Asian culture also carries over nicely to the film’s main plot which, on the surface, may seem like a traditional action-adventure story but is ultimately one that is steeped in some incredibly timely themes of unity. After all, the whole plot revolves around the quest to rebuild a land that’s been thoroughly divided, and while long-time readers of this site know that I usually don’t like to bring politics into my reviews… well, let’s just say that these past few years have made this story a particularly relevant one.  

In the early stages of the film’s production, Raya was to be voiced by Cassie Steele of Degrassi: The Next Generation fame. However, a few months before the film’s release, it was announced that the role was recast due to the desire to make Raya a more light-hearted protagonist rather than the ‘stoic loner’ that she was originally developed as. Luckily, they found just the right person for the job in Kelly Marie Tran, who brings all the same great qualities that she brought to the role of Rose Tico in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (sorry, racist trolls, but it’s true…) for Raya as well, from her spunky attitude to the strong emotional beats that define her character. Raya’s then joined by one of the most entertaining groups of Disney sidekicks in recent memory, all led by Awkwafina as the utterly hilarious Sisu, whose endearing optimism contrasts perfectly with Raya’s more world-weary mentality which, given the context of the plot, is completely justified. Other memorable allies include Boun (Izaac Wang), a smooth-talking entrepreneurial 10-year-old from Tail, and Little Noi (Thalia Tran), a mischievous con-baby from Talon who’s always joined by a trio of monkey creatures known as Ongi. The film also gives Raya an excellent rival in the form of Gemma Chan’s Namaari who, despite what the marketing may have implied, isn’t just a traditional ‘antagonist’. Instead, it’d be more appropriate to refer to her as Raya’s foil since many of her actions, as threatening as they often are, are done with the intent of protecting her people which, at the end of the day, was a much better route to take with this character since making her more of a straight-forward villain wouldn’t have gelled well with the film’s themes.  

Well, folks, in a completely unexpected turn of events, Walt Disney Animation has delivered an animated masterpiece… actually, it’s not that much of a surprise because that’s just what they do. Still, Raya and the Last Dragon is yet another top-tier outing from them as it delivers a highly entertaining action-adventure story that’s fully bolstered by some incredibly timely themes that directly stem from the Southeast Asian culture that’s well-represented here. Ultimately, though, I’d argue that the greatest aspect about this film is the prospect of what all its successes will mean for its lead actress, Kelly Marie Tran. At this point, I’m sure that most of you are aware of the utterly horrible crap that she ended up going through following the release of The Last Jedi when many of that film’s hostile critics took out their hatred for it on her specifically. Even more than three years after the film’s release, this still stands as one of the most tragic examples of the dark side of fandom that, if you ask me, has only gotten worse these past few years. But now, thanks to this film, Kelly Marie Tran can lay claim to the honor of being Disney’s latest badass princess, and to be perfectly frank, I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this accomplishment than her. And so, in conclusion, this is an undeniable must-see whether you’re able to see it in theaters or, if a certain pandemic is keeping you from going out and watching it that way, by viewing it via Disney+, where it became the service’s second film after the live-action remake of Mulan to be turned into a ‘Premier Access’ release.

Rating: 5/5!

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2021 (Paramount+)) review

 

At this point, there’s really no need to explain SpongeBob SquarePants. It is the undisputed flagship franchise of Nickelodeon, easily holding the record as the network’s longest-running series to date with 265 episodes produced since the show’s debut in 1999. Simply put, it’s easy to see how the show, inspired by creator Stephen Hillenburg’s love of the ocean, has become an indelible staple of the pop-cultural zeitgeist as its impact can be seen across many mediums including, of course, film. In 2004, Hillenburg directed the franchise’s first feature film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and while it may not have been the official series finale that he wanted it to be, it was a solid hit with critics and audiences and is very much fondly remembered by those who grew up with it. Hillenburg would end up stepping down as SpongeBob’s showrunner shortly after the film’s release but would eventually return to work on the series in 2014 and helped develop its second feature film, 2015’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, which was another critical and commercial hit. And while he tragically passed away on November 26^th, 2018 due to complications of ALS, his legacy continues to live on through the show, which is still going strong today and has now given us its third feature film, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, which went through quite a bit in terms of its release.

As you might have guessed, Sponge on the Run ended up being one of the many films that was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced it to abandon its originally intended theatrical release date of May 22^nd, 2020. However, unlike other films that got impacted by COVID-19, the method in which this film’s release was reworked was, admittedly, an odd one. In other words, instead of just being released via a streaming service or by taking the chance and releasing it in theaters anyway despite the obviously smaller crowds, this film’s release was spread out over the course of this past year and varied depending on the region. While it did end up seeing a theatrical release this past August… said release only occurred in Canada. International audiences (apart from China) would then proceed to get it in November… via Netflix. But as for the U.S., we didn’t officially get it until recently when it debuted on ViacomCBS’ newly reworked streaming service, Paramount+ (formerly CBS All-Access), on March 4^th. So, yeah, this was a rather strange development to behold since no other film that was supposed to come out in 2020 but had to get pushed back to a later date has been released in a way that was as thoroughly complicated as Sponge on the Run’s release was. Nevertheless, the third cinematic outing of the sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea is now available to domestic audiences, and as someone who very much grew up with this show (but not to the point where I’m an obnoxious gatekeeper about it… I’ll elaborate on what I mean by that later…), I’d say that this is another solidly entertaining adventure with these beloved characters.

In the peaceful town of Bikini Bottom, life couldn’t be any more perfect for SpongeBob SquarePants (voiced by Tom Kenny). He’s got a great job as the fry cook of the Krusty Krab and is always surrounded by his best friends like Patrick Star (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke). However, it could be argued that the greatest relationship that SpongeBob has with anyone in Bikini Bottom is none other than the one that he has with his pet snail Gary as it’s a friendship that has stood strong ever since the two first met when SpongeBob was just a young lad at the Kamp Koral summer camp. On one fateful day, however, SpongeBob is distraught to discover that Gary has gone missing. Along with Patrick, he soon learns that Gary has been taken (unbeknownst to them by SpongeBob’s boss Mr. Krabs’ (voiced by Clancy Brown) long-time nemesis Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence) as part of his latest plan to steal the Krabby Patty formula) to King Poseidon (voiced by Matt Berry), ruler of the Lost City of Atlantic City. Specifically, King Poseidon desires snail slime so that he can maintain his youthful complexion, and unfortunately for him, his snail resources have been completely dried up at this point. And so, driven by his devotion to his beloved pet, SpongeBob and Patrick head off on the perilous journey to Atlantic City, which sees them encountering both new friends and new enemies along the way as they realize that they’ll need the help of their friends to rescue Gary.     

The first thing to note about this film is how it adopts a radically different animation style when compared to what fans of the show are familiar with. Ever since its 1999 debut, SpongeBob SquarePants has been produced in the classic 2-D animation style, which naturally carried over into the first two films. But as for Sponge on the Run, it fully opts for the 3-D animated route that was utilized for the climax of Sponge Out of Water when the gang ended up in the real world. Still, for what it’s worth, this film’s visuals are well-handled as they don’t betray any of the franchise’s iconic designs and even manage to maintain something of a two-dimensional vibe a la films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This faithfulness to the source material also applies to the film’s story, which dutifully maintains the show’s knack for mixing its traditionally light-hearted atmosphere with its frequent journeys into some utterly surreal territory. I mean, where else are you going to see Keanu Reeves cameoing as an all-knowing tumbleweed named Sage or Snoop Dogg leading a bunch of zombie pirates in a full-blown musical number? That said, though, if you’re a long-time fan of this show, you might find this film’s plot to be a bit bare-bones and routine since it does rehash a few of the series’ old plotlines (e.g. anyone who’s watched the show through at least Season 4 will know that this isn’t the first time that it’s done a ‘Gary goes missing’ plot). And yet, with some solid emotional beats that are excellently performed by the franchise’s well-established voice cast, I’d argue that this is what gives the film a slight edge over its predecessor, Sponge Out of Water, which was, admittedly, hindered a bit by the off-putting mean streak that the series started to adopt after the first film.

As I’ve noted in the past, I’m very much a part of the generation that grew up with SpongeBob SquarePants. Sure, it’s been quite some time since I’ve watched the show regularly, but I can’t even begin to describe the impact that it’s had on me, and in a way, this also applies to my work on this site. Back in 2015, I did a pair of SpongeBob posts in honor of the then-impending release of Sponge Out of Water, which consisted of a personal Top 25 Favorite Episodes list and a review of the first film. To this day, those two posts still stand as some of the most popular pieces that I’ve ever published for this site, with the Favorite Episodes post topping them all with a view count that ranges somewhere between 7,000 and 9,000 views. However, these posts are also a clear-cut example of how I was in a much different mindset at the time when it comes to my views on the show. Back then, I’ll fully admit that I was simply among the many who spent way too much time lamenting about the show’s abrupt decline in quality in the wake of the first film’s release. Nowadays, though, I find myself looking at the franchise’s fandom with a wearier eye since we’re at a point now where SpongeBob is arguably known more for its memes rather than anything from the show itself, especially since, from what I’ve heard, it did manage to genuinely overcome the rough patch that it went through in the late 2000s. And on that note, it’s time to address the source of the franchise’s biggest controversies… its own fandom…

Yes, as crazy as it may seem, the SpongeBob fandom has somehow become another dominant player in our current landscape of increasingly toxic internet fandom, mostly due to their intense devotion to Stephen Hillenburg’s legacy and equally intense hatred of anything that they deem ‘offensive’ to said legacy. Their outrage has affected a whole bunch of things in recent years such as the franchise’s Broadway musical when a live recording of it was aired on Nick and the Super Bowl LIII halftime show, which made headlines thanks to a petition from fans to include the song ‘Sweet Victory’ from the classic episode ‘Band Geeks’ as a tribute to Hillenburg… which didn’t end up happening. But as I’m sure many of you are aware, the biggest victim of their hostility has been the series’ first official spin-off, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, a prequel series that debuted on Paramount+ alongside Sponge on the Run, which directly ties into the new series thanks to its various flashbacks. It’s also worth noting that the idea of following the younger versions of SpongeBob and the gang at a summer camp was originally meant to be the main premise of this film back when it was subtitled It’s a Wonderful Sponge and, as that title suggests, would’ve included an homage to the 1946 holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life. However, as you might have guessed, a lot of SpongeBob fans didn’t take too kindly to Kamp Koral to the point where they’ve claimed that Stephen Hillenburg would’ve never approved of it (even though, spoilers, he was 100% aware of it and, according to the franchise’s long-time writer/showrunner Vincent Waller, probably would’ve loved it…).  

But that’s about as much as I’ll say when it comes to this, to be perfectly frank, frustratingly overblown scandal. Instead, I’ll just conclude today’s review by stating that The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is yet another solid cinematic outing for one of the most iconic animated franchises in the history of pop-culture. While it may not exactly be the SpongeBob that most fans are familiar with from a visual perspective, it certainly captures SpongeBob’s most endearing traits such as its quirky humor and its heartfelt themes. In fact, I’d argue that the latter aspect is what ultimately helps this film gain a slight leg up over its immediate predecessor, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. While that film did, at least, have Stephen Hillenburg involved in a much greater capacity when compared to what was going on with the show itself, it still suffered quite a bit from several of the issues that had been plaguing the show at that time. And while Sponge on the Run is far from perfect, namely due to its largely predictable plot, it still manages to feel more in line with the charm of the original series’ first few seasons. I can’t say that it’s ‘better’ than the first SpongeBob film, but at the same time, I’ll admit that this is mainly just because of how many times I’ve seen that one. Sadly, this new film might end up getting somewhat overlooked due in large part to the frankly undeserved negative reputation that both it and Kamp Koral have been garnering from the fandom, but if you’re not following that mindset and are, at the very least, willing to give this new film a chance, it’s a solid little flick.

Rating: 4/5

IN MEMORY OF STEPHEN HILLENBURG (1961-2018)