Echo Ace

*𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘵! 𝘋𝘰 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘐𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘛𝘰 𝘉𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥!* The concept of advanced technology and robots becoming part of humanity is a popular and interesting one. The animation isn't bad at all and from an artist's viewpoint, was appealing to the eye. Though the film's structure, such as its setting, background, characters, and authenticity are basic. Many movies have a similar familiarity, where it tends to make their story, plot, and theme appear to be copied by other movies. It has a repetitive feel to it, and some audiences may find it too predictable. (As I continue with this review I would like to use male pronouns like he/him/his for the robot, 7723. So it would make explaining things easier for readers to understand.) I found 7723 to be an endearing and loving robot throughout the film. I admired how he learned to be compassionate, sensitive, and empathic toward the main protagonist, Mai Su. Even though there were times when his actions of violence and destroying other intruding robots were a little excessive, I enjoyed watching how his core functions like flying, tracking, weaponry, and memory storage worked. I believe the animators had a lot of fun with his character design. The only thing that disappoints me is the way Mai Su presented herself. As a child who is troubled by her mother and father's relationship, I can understand why she is so angry at everyone. Her father's absence awakened her emotional insecurities, made it difficult for her to form friendships, and compelled her to develop an intimidating persona to hide her fears, resentments, anxieties, and unhappiness. Her mother was able to cope with her husband's loss by depending on robots rather than providing her daughter with the love she so deeply craves. I believe Mai just never fully grasped why she was so frustrated by the end of the film. She never truly learned to value herself as a person or acknowledge her destructive emotions. She was incredibly dismissive, making 7723 feel guilty and even blaming him for being the cause of her emotional instability. She also took advantage of his abilities to vent out her anger by destroying robots and threatening back her bullies. Overtime Mai reassures him that this toxic process of healing and devastation is what she needed for justice. So correct me if I'm wrong, but during those moments she seems to be using some emotionally manipulative tactics to achieve her goals instead of being friends with 7723. Although he has always been compassionate, selfless, and has done whatever he can to understand the causes of her pain. Mai does not realize this until it is too late. The plot was not meaningful enough for me to find it memorable. Also, the portrayal of Mai, her mother, and 7723 making amends was flat with an awkward and abrupt transition. It is certainly dramatic enough for children's enjoyment. However, it is trying too hard. It felt as though the conclusion was forced to become "a serene and bittersweet ending." As a result, the story's moral never feels complete as a whole.