Faith Marshall

I just saw this for the first time and was largely impressed. What was most interesting was that it was fantasy, but in a unique way that sets it apart from most other movies. It wasn't quite sci-fi; it didn't have the perfect male protagonist, the hot girlfriend, big guns, aliens, invasions, spaceships, and taking over the world like most sci-fi movies. But nor was it like Harry Potter, with magic and witchcraft. Somewhat in-between sci-fi and magic, there are strange, unrealistic events and occurrences that happen as a man tries to outwit strange people that follow him and try to intervene with what he wants. The romance was well-done as well; you could see that the characters genuinely had feelings and cared for each other; it wasn't just you're-pretty-you're-handsome-hey-let's-be-together-okay-perfect like other action/fantasy movies that have romance as a subplot. The film was unique and interesting, and I look forward to watching it again!

Like someone from another sci-fi saga, I don't like sand. But more frustrating than seeing that much sand--way more than I thought there would be--was how the plot was executed. The movie was fast, not as in it was exciting and over before I knew it, but that scenes were sped up, and important parts were minimized. Another flaw in the writing was the characters. There was certainly change, but most of the time, they had one emotion, and there was little to like about them. Yet that is not to say it was altogether bad. A fight scene was brilliantly choreographed; the costumes were stunning; and although not in the way I would have preferred, there was an interesting character transformation. And just because the characters most often had only one emotion doesn't mean the acting was bad. In the end: read the book. It's long, but it will likely give much more context.

Keeping this review short and making sure it's not an essay (while also not having spoilers), here's a brief summary of the pros and cons: On the positive side, the animation was beautiful and detailed, and I was glad that Raya was not a cookie-cutter princess with different colored skin; she had a unique face shape of her own. The last dragon was lovable, and Raya was a good role model while also realistically not perfect--after all, what human is? One part made my eyes sting, and another my eyes water. It was sweet and had messages that we (everyone) could use at present, plus was a good way to get lost in another world and forget current events. The action was awesome (especially for it being animated!), and you have GOT to love the main character being a warrior princess! On the negative side, a lot of the humor was cheesy, and despite it being realistic that Raya wasn't perfect, other parts were too good to be true. There were some cliche lines, and what would happen next was way too predictable. Biggest of all, the movie was unoriginal: Although if you summarized the plot in one paragraph, it would sound unique, it was basically a mash-up of Moana, How to Train Your Dragon, and Endgame, with touches of Mulan, Rogue One, Tangled, and Frozen added on. (Plus, this is just my opinion, but I could have used some songs.) If I was a kid, tween, or in my early teens, I'd adore this (although perhaps find some of the action scary). But as an adult, I thought it was... nice. In short, the movie was worth watching but not anything to gush about.

Undoubtedly I enjoyed the movie. The songs and dances, the hair-raising, barn-raising one especially, were fun and memorable, and characters were easily likable. However, I remove a star because it is bizarrely unreal. Not historical fiction--just fiction! Many conversations and scenes that I thought would've been reasonable to have were removed. However, if you can let it go and remember it's just fiction, you should enjoy it.

UPS: Songs Interesting plot Judy Garland and her superb voice Convincing acting DOWNS: Songs are scarce and infrequent Slow plot Dull costumes [I developed] no emotional attachment to any character Lack of footage in some scenes. Instead of talking, moving humans, we hear the characters' voices and see photos of them. All in all, the movie is not what you're looking for if you expect this to be like The Wizard of Oz or The Music Man or Singin' in the Rain. It's not as colorful, not as funny, not as happy, not as short, and definitely doesn't have as much dancing. The plot was good but dragged out. I was disappointed--which is funny to say for me, since I like almost every classic movie I watch. It wasn't a disaster, but not a masterpiece, either. Three stars for okay.

A year ago, I didn't care for dancing. Though I performed onstage with dancers, I acted; I could never dance. I stood in the wings and watched it too many times, having a want to close my eyes and fall asleep. Then I saw White Christmas. Is this remembered for a reason! Perhaps the plot isn't detailed; however, the costumes are good, the songs are rich, the dancing is perfect, and the humor never outdated. Though the acting isn't entirely convincing, it's good enough. The style of acting adds to the movie's style and makes it all the better. And let's not forget Bing's rich voice and how it drawls out in what is perhaps the most popular Christmas song of all time! Now I am in love with dance, whether I do it or watch it. Since I've seen White Christmas, I've fallen in love with old movies. My tastes are largely different, thanks to this beautiful, fun classic.