Rating (2.5 out of 5)

Summary: I intended to watch a light-hearted cartoon story that would make me laugh and enjoy the ride, even though I would guess most of the storyline. What I received was significantly less than advertised from other reviews. An altogether average story.

Awkwafina does her Ryan Reynolds/Awkwafina thing. After so much of it from other movies, more is so tiring. The constant little one-liners are tantamount to little jabs, and you want to bury your head. Maybe it is a generational issue. I have been there, done that, and don’t care anymore.

There are attempts at humor and laughter by the supporting cast of characters. The little baby and the monkeys, I assume, were to be amusing. However, the design of the elements of the baby doesn’t seem organic. Instead, Disney designed characters to sell plushies and character minis at their amusement parks, rather than meaning complete aspects of the movie.

The movie is simple. The plot is as you expect. The film hits you with the “trust” message, which is the upper cut after the Awkwafina jabs. There is a point which it becomes too much. The artwork is excellent, and the story features Asain characters rather than white characters. An odd balance of elements.

It is a safe Disney movie for family movie night. However, it won’t be a movie I will be watching again.

Plot: Raya has found the last dragon, and if she can collect all the pieces of a gem, she might be able to restore the dragons. The dragons then would revive her father and the land.