TJ Carter

I was truly very disappointed when I watched this movie. While the acting was fair and the animation quality was jaw-dropping, these traits only served as a reminder that what truly matters in a movie is the storyline and the plot. This movie would have been better suited as a series of episodes. The story was both confusing and bland, mainly because of its lack of character development and its stereotypical plot. I do not remember any of the character’s names except for Raya. Raya is memorable enough, characterized by her lack of trust and her tough demeanor. However, these are contradicted rapidly, such as how Raya trusts the baby almost immediately after she was revealed to have these characteristics. I appreciated the scenes depicting her as a child with her “Ba”, but I still did not feel that she was relatable nor well-developed. The baby and the monkeys make little sense to me. I’m sure this was to offer more of a comedic relief than anything, “Oh, a baby con-artist! That is so random”, but I found myself struggling to bond with these characters beyond that. They seemed pointless and I would’ve enjoyed the movie much more if they were not in it. The villain compared to Jafar, Ursula, etc. seems unnecessary to the plot, as she is more of a hostile acquaintance to the main character than anything else. This also could be personal preference, but I despise how the creators designed the portrayal of Susi? Sisu? in her human form. The rest of the characters beyond that blur together, but I will admit that it is incredibly difficult to allow an audience to connect with such diverse characters. This is especially challenging in such a complicated world, and this effect would have to be enforced all in the time span of a couple hours. I am in love with the idea that the film makers were pursuing more than I am with the actual movie. While i admire the ambition and talent shown by the directors and film creators, I unfortunately found this movie vague and bothersome. It takes time to explain a storyline, as well as develop bonds between the audience and individual characters. Perhaps in a series of episodes, this could have been achieved. But, I wouldn’t recommend getting your hopes up about this movie, nor would I expect you to walk away with a memorable experience tucked in your front pocket. This movie is easily forgettable at best.