by Josh Sewell
Raya and the Last Dragon
(Rated PG for some violence, action and thematic elements. Opens March 5 in theaters and available on Disney Plus with Premier Access.)
The cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan and Daniel Dae Kim.
What it’s about: Centuries ago, in the land of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity from an evil force called the Druun. 500 years later, the Kumandra has splintered into factions because of selfishness and conflicting agendas. When the Druun reappear, a lone warrior named Raya (Tran) must find the last remaining dragon if she has any hope of reuniting the nation and destroying their enemy.
The good: As with most of Disney’s recent animated films, the visuals in Raya and the Last Dragon are incredible. The characters themselves manage to evoke the studio’s classic design while still differentiating themselves, but it’s the detailed landscapes that are truly stunning. In addition, the adventure elements are fun once the story kicks into gear, resembling a video game-style quest structure.
The vocal performances from Tran and Chan are fantastic. Awkwafina is also good once she eventually settles into her role of Sisu, the titular last dragon. However, her first scene tries way too hard to recapture the magic of Aladdin meeting Robin Williams’ iconic Genie. It ends up feeling like a pale imitation.
The screenplay (officially credited to Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, although six others played a part in crafting the story) goes to great lengths to ensure no characters come across as simplistic heroes or villains. Everyone has flaws and admirable traits, and they all want what’s best for their homeland, despite contradictory ideas of what that means.
The not-so-good: Raya and the Last Dragon gets off to a sluggish start because the first act is so packed with exposition and world building. The filmmakers (including co-directors Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs and John Ripa) go to excessive lengths to make sure the audience knows what’s happening at any given moment, which is unnecessary since the plot hits such familiar beats.
That’s particularly true when it comes to the film’s theme, which emphasizes the importance of building relationships on trust. It’s an admirable concept, but one that makes scenes of characters bonding and double-crossing one another repetitive until the big climax.
Grade: B
Boogie
(Rated R for language throughout including sexual references, and some drug use. Opens March 5 in select theaters.)
The cast: Taylor Takahashi, Taylour Paige, Bashar “Pop Smoke” Jackson, Pamelyn Chee and Perry Yung.
What it’s about: Eddie Huang, writer of Fresh Off the Boat and acclaimed restauranteur, makes his directorial debut with this coming-of-age drama about a New York City basketball phenom whose dream is to play in the NBA. Alfred “Boogie” Chin (Takahashi) knows basketball is his family’s ticket out of crushing debt and into a better life. However, it’s tough to concentrate on his goal while also juggling his parents’ (Chee and Yung) sky-high expectations; chasing scholarship opportunities; navigating high school; getting to know his new girlfriend (Paige); and defeating his on-court rival (rapper Jackson, making his posthumous acting debut).
The good: Huang handles his first time behind the camera (for a feature, at least) quite well, proving adept at capturing the nuanced, everyday lives of his characters and their Queens neighborhood. He’s mostly great at casting too (more on that in a moment), but Paige – who exploded onto most viewers’ radars with last year’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – is the clear standout. She’s destined for superstardom. The third act, in which a series of rash decisions come to a volatile boil, is gripping and intense, but it’s a slow build to get there.
The not-so-good: Despite putting the focus on a culture many American viewers are unfamiliar with, Huang is telling a very common tale without doing much to differentiate it from countless other coming-of-age films that tread similar thematic ground. Also, the characters’ selfish natures, while making them authentic and complex, might make them tough for some viewers to root for.
Finally, newcomer Takahashi struggles a bit in the lead role. He’s certainly a magnetic presence with a promising future. However, his work in Boogie proves his talents are raw material that needed a more experienced director to mold them into a fully-realized performance.
Grade: B-
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
(Rated PG for rude humor, some thematic elements, and mild language. Now available on Paramount + and VOD.)
The cast: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Matt Berry and Keanu Reeves.
What it’s about: The third feature-length adaptation of Nickelodeon’s popular animated series (which has been going strong since 1999) finds SpongeBob SquarePants (Kenny) on a mission to rescue his beloved pet snail Gary. It’s up to him, his best friend Patrick (Fagerbakke) and the rest of the Bikini Bottom crew to save Gary from the clutches of the powerful King Poseidon (Berry). Their journey to the Lost City of Atlantic City is a perilous one, but they’re guided by a wise sage (Reeves) who helps them realize the power of friendship.
The good: SpongeBob fans will still find plenty to like about their favorite characters in this fun, silly (yet instantly forgettable) romp packed with tons of jokes for kids and adults. Perhaps the most notable aspect of Sponge on the Run – aside from Reeves’ hilarious live-action performance – is a distinct shift from the series’ crude, hand-drawn style to more sophisticated, three-dimensional CGI.
Viewers got a small taste of this in 2015’s Sponge Out of Water, but this is the first full-length redesign. I liked the upgrade, but I’m guessing it’ll be divisive. The film also serves as a backdoor pilot for the upcoming prequel series Kamp Koral, where kid versions of the characters first meet at summer camp. There are a few brief flashbacks, but they’re cute enough that I could see them working as their own thing.
The not-so-good: I’ve never been a big SpongeBob guy, so as someone on the outside looking in, it seems like there’s nothing new to say about these characters as grown-up. Sponge on the Run feels like 90 minutes of wheel-spinning, which might be great for fans but wore pretty thin for me.
Grade: B-
Blu-ray Spotlight: She’s the Man
(Rated PG-13 for some sexual material. Available now.)
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the hit teen comedy She’s the Man, Paramount releases it on Blu-ray for the first time. When Viola (Amanda Bynes), disguised as her twin brother, Sebastian (James Kirk), joins the high school boys' soccer team, she ends up helping them win the big game. She also unexpectedly falls for Duke (Channing Tatum), the hot star forward. (The film is also available in the Girls Rule Collection, which includes Mean Girls and Clueless.)
Special Features: two audio commentaries with cast and crew; three behind-the-scenes featurettes; nine deleted scenes with optional commentary; gag reel; cast photo album; trivia track; and “Let Go” music video by David Lichens.
(Rated PG for some violence, action and thematic elements. Opens March 5 in theaters and available on Disney Plus with Premier Access.)
The cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan and Daniel Dae Kim.
What it’s about: Centuries ago, in the land of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity from an evil force called the Druun. 500 years later, the Kumandra has splintered into factions because of selfishness and conflicting agendas. When the Druun reappear, a lone warrior named Raya (Tran) must find the last remaining dragon if she has any hope of reuniting the nation and destroying their enemy.
The good: As with most of Disney’s recent animated films, the visuals in Raya and the Last Dragon are incredible. The characters themselves manage to evoke the studio’s classic design while still differentiating themselves, but it’s the detailed landscapes that are truly stunning. In addition, the adventure elements are fun once the story kicks into gear, resembling a video game-style quest structure.
The vocal performances from Tran and Chan are fantastic. Awkwafina is also good once she eventually settles into her role of Sisu, the titular last dragon. However, her first scene tries way too hard to recapture the magic of Aladdin meeting Robin Williams’ iconic Genie. It ends up feeling like a pale imitation.
The screenplay (officially credited to Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, although six others played a part in crafting the story) goes to great lengths to ensure no characters come across as simplistic heroes or villains. Everyone has flaws and admirable traits, and they all want what’s best for their homeland, despite contradictory ideas of what that means.
The not-so-good: Raya and the Last Dragon gets off to a sluggish start because the first act is so packed with exposition and world building. The filmmakers (including co-directors Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs and John Ripa) go to excessive lengths to make sure the audience knows what’s happening at any given moment, which is unnecessary since the plot hits such familiar beats.
That’s particularly true when it comes to the film’s theme, which emphasizes the importance of building relationships on trust. It’s an admirable concept, but one that makes scenes of characters bonding and double-crossing one another repetitive until the big climax.
Grade: B
(Rated R for language throughout including sexual references, and some drug use. Opens March 5 in select theaters.)
The cast: Taylor Takahashi, Taylour Paige, Bashar “Pop Smoke” Jackson, Pamelyn Chee and Perry Yung.
What it’s about: Eddie Huang, writer of Fresh Off the Boat and acclaimed restauranteur, makes his directorial debut with this coming-of-age drama about a New York City basketball phenom whose dream is to play in the NBA. Alfred “Boogie” Chin (Takahashi) knows basketball is his family’s ticket out of crushing debt and into a better life. However, it’s tough to concentrate on his goal while also juggling his parents’ (Chee and Yung) sky-high expectations; chasing scholarship opportunities; navigating high school; getting to know his new girlfriend (Paige); and defeating his on-court rival (rapper Jackson, making his posthumous acting debut).
The good: Huang handles his first time behind the camera (for a feature, at least) quite well, proving adept at capturing the nuanced, everyday lives of his characters and their Queens neighborhood. He’s mostly great at casting too (more on that in a moment), but Paige – who exploded onto most viewers’ radars with last year’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – is the clear standout. She’s destined for superstardom. The third act, in which a series of rash decisions come to a volatile boil, is gripping and intense, but it’s a slow build to get there.
The not-so-good: Despite putting the focus on a culture many American viewers are unfamiliar with, Huang is telling a very common tale without doing much to differentiate it from countless other coming-of-age films that tread similar thematic ground. Also, the characters’ selfish natures, while making them authentic and complex, might make them tough for some viewers to root for.
Finally, newcomer Takahashi struggles a bit in the lead role. He’s certainly a magnetic presence with a promising future. However, his work in Boogie proves his talents are raw material that needed a more experienced director to mold them into a fully-realized performance.
Grade: B-
(Rated PG for rude humor, some thematic elements, and mild language. Now available on Paramount + and VOD.)
The cast: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Matt Berry and Keanu Reeves.
What it’s about: The third feature-length adaptation of Nickelodeon’s popular animated series (which has been going strong since 1999) finds SpongeBob SquarePants (Kenny) on a mission to rescue his beloved pet snail Gary. It’s up to him, his best friend Patrick (Fagerbakke) and the rest of the Bikini Bottom crew to save Gary from the clutches of the powerful King Poseidon (Berry). Their journey to the Lost City of Atlantic City is a perilous one, but they’re guided by a wise sage (Reeves) who helps them realize the power of friendship.
The good: SpongeBob fans will still find plenty to like about their favorite characters in this fun, silly (yet instantly forgettable) romp packed with tons of jokes for kids and adults. Perhaps the most notable aspect of Sponge on the Run – aside from Reeves’ hilarious live-action performance – is a distinct shift from the series’ crude, hand-drawn style to more sophisticated, three-dimensional CGI.
Viewers got a small taste of this in 2015’s Sponge Out of Water, but this is the first full-length redesign. I liked the upgrade, but I’m guessing it’ll be divisive. The film also serves as a backdoor pilot for the upcoming prequel series Kamp Koral, where kid versions of the characters first meet at summer camp. There are a few brief flashbacks, but they’re cute enough that I could see them working as their own thing.
The not-so-good: I’ve never been a big SpongeBob guy, so as someone on the outside looking in, it seems like there’s nothing new to say about these characters as grown-up. Sponge on the Run feels like 90 minutes of wheel-spinning, which might be great for fans but wore pretty thin for me.
Grade: B-
(Rated PG-13 for some sexual material. Available now.)
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the hit teen comedy She’s the Man, Paramount releases it on Blu-ray for the first time. When Viola (Amanda Bynes), disguised as her twin brother, Sebastian (James Kirk), joins the high school boys' soccer team, she ends up helping them win the big game. She also unexpectedly falls for Duke (Channing Tatum), the hot star forward. (The film is also available in the Girls Rule Collection, which includes Mean Girls and Clueless.)
Special Features: two audio commentaries with cast and crew; three behind-the-scenes featurettes; nine deleted scenes with optional commentary; gag reel; cast photo album; trivia track; and “Let Go” music video by David Lichens.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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