Raya and The Last Dragon Movie Review

It was with some hesitation that I decided to see the new Disney movie, Raya and The Last Dragon. This animated movie has been pushed heavily by Disney for some time and it is now available via theatrical release and on Disney+. I decided to see the movie on the big screen.

Raya is a fantasy tale with Asian influence that takes place after the disappearance of Dragons in the world. One village has the remaining stone that is thought to contain the spirit and essence of Sisu, the last great dragon. The people of all nations, all a part of the world called Kumandra worship Sisu but are divided by geographical location, beliefs and more, much like in today's world. It is here we see Raya, the princess of the Heart tribe and her father Chief Benga. Chief Benga has a dream of bringing all people back together as it was before the loss of dragons. His only problem, while he is willing to work with other tribes they are not and prefer to hold onto their differences. After an accident and the release of evil spirits called the Druun, evil is set loose on earth and the  spirits turn everyone they come into contact with to stone. Thus begins the quest of Raya to gather the pieces of stone that contains the spirit of Sisu to hopefully bring unity to the world.

One of the things about this movie is the beautiful animation, but before I go there, I HAVE TO COMMENT ON THE OPENING SHORT PRIOR TO THE MOVIE, ONCE AGAIN. Much like the opening scenes in UP, the opening short story in Raya is nothing short of brilliant. It has to be considered for an Oscar for best short. It is the most beautiful, touching scene since Up and the short itself makes the ticket to see Raya worth the cost. Without too much detail, while there is no dialog, the animation and story will bring tears to your eyes. It's beautiful!

Now as to be expected, with the union of Pixar and Disney in recent years no one does animation nearly as beautiful and brilliant as Disney. The animation in Raya, for the most part is fantastic, at times, trend setting and as realistic as any animation seen in years. As I mentioned though, I said, for the most part. Unfortunately, there are aspects of animation that were lackluster and fall short to the excellence most scenes contain. In what should have been among the most beautiful scenes with the best animation, one would think the scenes with dragons would be among the best, but unfortunately the dragons were bland and nothing to write home about. The same can be said for the voicing of some of the character. I didn't care for the voice of Sisu and while I recognize the talents of voice actors, there was nothing really special in the voicing of any of the characters. There is no doubt, that ultimately, it is the story and some innovative animation scenes that are the stars of this movie.

We live in a world where we in America ask questions and make comments about getting along, not hating, coming together, unity and so forth. In those regards, the movie addresses themes that we can learn from. While we may talk about getting along, specifically in America after our recent political history, are we willing to give up something important to us to make unity happen?  Or will we hold on to what is so important to us that we ignore the potential and lives of others, despite their beliefs. Can we quit throwing blame and condemnation and find ways to bring about needed change to our world?  These themes, and the potential consequences of finding reasons to hate as opposed to love, permeate the themes of Raya. I am reminded of the Bible verse that states, No greater love has any than this, their willingness to lay down their life for another.

Raya is a film I recommend for the big screen as opposed to the television streaming option. When the animation is good, which is most of the time, it is amazing and deserves to be seen in large screen format. Unfortunately, if not for the animation and the brilliant opening short movie this movie would score around a 5 1/2 on a scale of 1 - 10, still better than average but not great. However, because of the short movie Once Again the movie experience here is better.

On a scale of 1 - 10, for the willingness of the princess warrior Raya to sacrificially bring about love and show that love to others over her own needs; I give a 7 for the letters in the word warrior, for it takes a warrior to sacrificially love. 7 

To see the trailer for the movie click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VIZ89FEjYI

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Hotel Transylvania

I have to tell you, Disney has a way with movies, especially children’s movies and animation. It is nice to see others like Sony Pictures starting to do the same. While their newest release Hotel Transylvania isn’t what one would consider a classic, it is a very good animated movie that is rather enjoyable and quite entertaining. While I saw this in Real D 3D as opposed to the 3D with the glasses, I still had a good time and the visual and sound aspects were quite good. This October, during the month of Halloween, we some classic characters from horror bring a new taste to the treats of the season. There is no trick here, we have a treat that emphasis family and community and as a result, families will see old horror characters in a new way, one that illustrates that despite our differences, we can, and should, come together.

Hotel Transylvania is the story of a single father, Dracula, played actually quite well by Adam Sandler who has lost his wife to humans. He now lives in Transylvania with his daughter Mavis, played innocently enough by Selena Gomez. Dracula, in his heartache and intent to protect his daughter from humans he builds a Hotel where all of his and her friends needs will be met without ever having to venture around humans. Mavis is turning 118 years of age and entering into adulthood, or would that be monsterhood? While the Hotel plans to open numerous guests arrive as Dracula has a grand-opening and Mavis Birthday Party to kick everything off. Everyone from The Abominable Snowman, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Blob and many others arrive to celebrate. Also appearing, quite by accident, is a young human, (humans are feared among the monster kingdom for their treatment of monsters in the past) named Jonathan. Jonathan and Mavis meet up and a Romeo Juliet themed plot advances. Forbidden love mixed in with quite a few laughs and some surprisingly scary moments for a contemporary animated film, in fact, some moments that had me feeling better about not taking my 2-year-old granddaughter to the advance screening I attended. The story is an enjoyable, if not predictable one that picks up quite nicely.

There is quality stamped all over this film, from the acting to sound and from the visual 3-D effects to the quality of story. There is a surprising cast that not only includes those already mentioned but the likes of Kevin James as Frankenstein, Fran Drescher as Eunice, one of my favorites Steve Buscemi and others like CeeLo Green, David Spade and Jon Lovitz among others. There is little doubt the cast had fun making this movie and they wanted to do something for their children. This is especially true in the case of Adam Sandler who uses 2 of his own children as voice actors. One can rest assured, this will be an entertaining evening if taking your family to the movies.

In Hotel Transylvania we see an advancement of character in Adam Sandler’s character Dracula partially because of the quality of animation. Sandler is not known as the most remarkable actor in the business but he can tell a good story, as he has indicated from his contributions to other film, he can also have fun with his voice. Fortunately, the animation captures emotions in his character that I am not sure could be caught from his own natural appearance. We see his character in regards to his opinion of humans and his relationship with his daughter grow. It isn’t just his character we see something in though; we also see it in Mavis and Jonathan. We see a love blossom that transcends animation; it moves to tell us something about ourselves as humans and the role some of us have taken on as parents.

There is a strong story concept in Hotel Transylvania that would not only be wonderful for us as adults to explore, but to explore with our children for those of us with children. There is a bias many individuals have towards others that are rooted in hatred, prejudice, and perception or stereotypes. We can especially see this now when politics, religion or election cycles are in place. It doesn’t take long for those involved in social media such as facebook to see these things. Old friends take on bitter roles, opinions are based on who is of one party or another and long lasting relationships can be ruined. One has to wonder what small children learn when watching their parents behave in such a way. Even for those who don’t have children, we as a society have to have some level of concern of the perspectives presented. As is the norm for many children, there is often a place where rebellion occurs, rebellion against the things observed by ones parents and others in society. We certainly see that here. It is one thing that gives some measure of hope though. It is possible that in areas where we as parents and/or adults have blown it, that a small child can relearn or learn anew for the first time something of value, such as the way to treat others, to love anew, and to throw away the prejudices and hatred of the past. It is here that Hotel Transylvania shines. We don’t just see the ability of a child, even an adult child, to change; we see the opinions attitudes and actions of adults can change.

Another beautiful byproduct of this story is the willingness of a father to recognize his own wrongs and failures and be a big enough human, (or vampire in this case) to change and do what is right. Dracula is at least in this film, a role model for adults. Are we as adults, willing to recognize our own sins, prejudices, stereotypes, hatred if you will and change to establish a better model for the children of this world, or as some would say, this planets future? When willing to make that change we see illustrated how some things aren’t always as we thought and of the potential of a mighty powerful word, the four letter word, HOPE. It is with the potential of hope that things can change but all parties have to be willing to address the need for change, specifically in how we see each other. In Hotel Transylvania we see the potential of hope come about in a powerful way by the goodness of humans. While humans at one time were afraid of certain things, even doing harm and killing monsters, we see their ability to change. I can’t help but believe there are strong moral and spiritual messages for us seeing this movie. Just as a pastor or speaker may deliver an eloquent sermon that inspires change, Sony Pictures through the message of Hotel Transylvania does the same thing.

Unfortunately as mentioned above, Hotel Transylvania is not a classic by any measure but it is very good with some very good and exceptional lessons in it for all of us. There is a lackluster opening and closing credit sequence and the plot could have been a little tighter. The film drags a little in the first 20 minutes or so but picks up and becomes quite good towards the end. I seldom talk about the appropriate content of a film but will say, very small children may experience some scary moments. I couldn’t recommend it for them. I certainly think it is well worth the price of a regular admission ticket, and if taking a family, to save a few bucks certainly a matinee. I think the real D 3D is quite good and don’t think the extra price for a regular 3D ticket is necessary. That all said, on a scale of 1-10, for the better than average family experience a worth while 7

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4RK3jY7AVk

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Hoodwinked Too, Hood vs. Evil on Blu-ray

In 2007 I had the opportunity to interview one of the hardest working men in Hollywood, Patrick Warburton. Since then, his career continues to go full force ahead. He recently revised his role of the Big Bad Wolf in the movie Hoodwinked Too, Hood vs. Evil. While he may not have the primary role, his character steals the show with this star studded cast in this animated movie by The Weinstein Company.

Hoodwinked Too is a fun little family film, fun to watch and quite enjoyable. The animation is top notch and the direction by Mike Disa keeps the story moving forward. While not up to par with Pixar or Disney, the Hoodwinked series has some good material that features a top notch cast featuring the voice talents of Warburton, Glen Close, Cheech Marin, Joan Cusack, Bill Hader, Martin Short, and the list goes on. While the script gets a little tired at times it is still fun.

The story of Hoodwinked Too is quite simple; Hansel and Gretel are apparently kidnapped by an evil witch who is upset over always coming in 2nd place in various competitions and life. Little Red Riding Hood, voiced by Glen Close and her companion, The Big Bad Wolf, voiced by Warburton team up in order to rescue Hansel and Gretel. Along the way they discover some things about themselves, judgment, friendship, and the need to care for others while giving all people a fair shot.

While there is an understanding that many in the audience have seen the original Hoodwinked, it is likely the audience will get lost if they haven’t. Even though this is a follow up to an earlier film, more character development would have been appreciated. The lack of character development is one of the weaker points of the movie. Some of the sequences, while enjoyable, could have been much stronger with more understanding of the characters on screen. There seems to be an assumption that character development is needed in a movie with a focus on children, unfortunately that seems to be the case here.

Joan Cusack plays the part of Verhuska the Witch. Her character is originally billed as evil, yet we see the potential of change. We also gain an understanding of why some people go the direction they go. In each individual there is potential for change, not just from those we think are bad to do good, but from those who are good to turn bad. Those assumptions about character and personalities, especially when making judgment on first impressions can get people into trouble. If Jesus had chosen the people to follow him that others wanted history would have been different, instead, he chose the downtrodden, the outcast, the common man and woman to associate with most of the time. It was the heart that mattered, and so it is the heart that should matter to us. The theme of change, understanding, and second chances are also themes presented in Hoodwinked Too. Yes there is a battle of good vs. evil but the assumptions of who is good and who is evil is challenged. Those themes are strong enough to carry the movie and make it worthwhile.

Hoodwinked Too isn’t a great movie, but it isn’t bad either. There are moments that are quite enjoyable and thankfully Warburton was used as much as he was in the film as he was the best thing in the movie. There are some good themes and I especially liked the change in characters. There are also fun characters in background roles. While this may be a let down to many, the future of the series maintains hope. I would like to see a move more in the direction like Shrek where we see some hidden adult themes and while some of those exist in a minimal way, they just aren’t strong enough to for an adult audience.

I’m glad I didn’t pay full price to see this movie in the theater. That said, it can still be enjoyable as a rental. There are ample special features which are nice and the Blu-ray transfer in both visual and sound is nice. While there are positive attributes, I wouldn’t recommend the purchase of this film. It will make for an enjoyable family time with some appropriate themes to discuss. It wasn’t bad enough to keep me from watching a third installment if it occurs but that is yet to be determined, hopefully, if it does occur, there will be better story, character development, some of the same quality cast and animators as in this rendition.

To see the video posted below, click on the video, if the video doesn’t appear or appears in distorted form, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RhwaIwx0Is


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Mars Needs Moms, On Blu-ray

Sometimes movies are praised so highly that when you see them there is somewhat of a letdown. I had never really anticipated the reverse to be true but I think it is, sometimes a movie can be panned so badly that when you see it, you realize it really isn’t that bad. Such is the case of the new DVD release of Mars Needs Moms. I had seen various reviews of the movie, most all bad, the latest, on a nationally broadcast syndicated television show had two critics listing it among their worst films of the year claiming it wasn’t for children. After seeing the movie I was pleasantly surprised, while not the best Disney film I have seen, it was far from the worst and it was actually ended up being quite enjoyable.

The premise of Mars Needs Moms is that an evil female Martian, called The Supervisor, voiced by Mindy Sterling, and has decided, unbeknownst to the other Martians to separate the male from female Martian babies because she sees little value in family. The female Martians are raised by robots and the males sent to the trash pits. Over the years the Martians have gathered or abducted Human Moms who ultimately die. The young human Milo, voiced by Seth Green, has issues with his mother, voiced by Joan Cusack. The Supervisor observes the issues and decides to abduct Milo’s mom. Milo sees the abduction, tries to save his mom, and gets trapped on the spaceship to Mars. While there he attempts to save his mother. He comes into contact with another human, Gribble, voiced by Dan Fogler who assists him in trying to save his mother.

One of the things Mars Needs Moms has been critiqued for by some is its dark nature, not only in its themes, but also in the colorization on screen. The film shot for a 3-D experience actually was quite nice on the Blu-ray rendition. Using a format which had the actors acting out the parts and having their images and expressions animated was quite nice. I was also impressed and pleased with the acting, and the dramatic nature of the film. The director, Simon Wells takes a difficult theme and turns it into a decent story.

One of the things the critics got right in their reviews is that it really is not a children’s film. There are scary moments and difficult themes which involve death, and abduction. These themes are rather difficult for young viewers, Seth Green, and especially Dab Fogler as Gribble do very nice jobs in their respective roles and we do see both characters grow. In their growth we see and learn about their past, especially in the case of Gribble. As the characters develop we see a change of attitude in Milo as he learns to accept the sacrifices his mother has made. By the time we get conclusion of the film, we feel for him, we also contemplate and think about our own relationships with those we love.

Mars Needs Moms address the most basic of human needs, the need for family, understanding and an appreciation for those who make sacrifices for others out of love. We see that sacrifice not just in the willingness of Milo to recognize his wrongs, but to recognize his need to change. We also see the love of a mother in her willingness to sacrifice for her son. As others observe sacrificial love they as well are moved to the point of change in their own lives, enough so to change their environment.

Many often refer to God as a man and male attributes and characteristics but there are several instances in the Bible that refer to the motherly nature of God. We see a glimpse of what that entails in the character of Mom. She is quick to discipline but she does so in love. She is also quick to sacrifice for her son and those she loves, in fact, all she does she does out of love. This is a reminder to the love God, no matter the situation or circumstance. That doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes have difficult times, even punishment, but it is always done out of a selfless love to improve our lives.

I found myself liking this movie far more than I thought I would. It isn’t a great film, but it isn’t bad either. Disney has always done a good job at providing quality entertainment and quality DVD’s, while this isn’t their best effort it isn’t bad. The package I reviewed came complete with a Digital Copy, a Standard DVD, a Blu-ray version and a Blu-ray 3-D version. There is a quality transfer with terrific sound and ample special features. Due to the quality of the special features and the complete package I found the DVD one worth owning. With the appropriate themes of family, respect, and appreciation of those who love you, the themes are worth visiting, and revisiting. While this movie isn’t for very small children, I think older children and parents will appreciate it. I have watched it twice already and fully expect to see it again. That said, one of the worst movies of the year? I don’t think so.

To see the video posted below, click on the video, if the video doesn’t appear or appears in distorted form, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aS5W___Ezk


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Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

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Planet 51

I wasn’t expecting a lot from the new animated release Planet 51, and that is exactly what I got, not a lot, but not bad either. One would think the voice talent in Planet 51 along with the story by Joe Stillman would lead to a exciting animated tale. Stillman has given us some great animated stories in the past such as Shrek and Shrek 2, along with episodes from King of the Hill, but even with the voice talents this movie just falls short.

Planet 51 comes with an interesting and fun story concept; a planet on the other side of the galaxy has a visitor with a strange alien. The alien happens to be Captain Charles T. Baker from the United States of America and voiced by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. He is eventually befriended by a young teenager named Lem played by Justin Long. Lem is at a stage of his life where he is starting a job and finally getting enough courage to go after a girl friend he likes, Neera voiced by Jessica Biel. Along the way, the two characters both learn about each other and ultimately themselves. In a world where the aliens, (humans) are seen as such potentially dangerous beings the world doesn’t know how to take those, fear rules the day. Leading the way in the fear category is General Crawl voiced by Gary Oldman, and the evil little scientist Professor Kipple voiced by John Cleese. These two see the aliens, (humans) as brain eating zombies and Charles Baker soon finds himself running for his life and hoping to get on his spaceship to return home and prevent certain death.

There are some terrific opportunities to address important themes in movies like this; Planet 51 succeeds quite well in some of those. Among those is the need to get to know people prior to passing judgment. We see this not only from an individualistic perspective but from a societal perspective. We see not only individuals change but a society that is willing to change. We are often so quick to pass judgment and seek our wisdom from the wrong sources. There are also the challenges of growing up that are addressed quite nicely. There is something else about Planet 51 that I appreciated, which is the theme of loyalty, even at the point of sacrifice. Each character, as they come to understand who they are comes to a point where they are willing to make sacrifices for others. Of course prior to making ones own decision there comes a time when those individuals have to think as opposed to just taking for granted either what society, the military or so called scientists happen to promote. It is often those individuals involved in the decision making process that in reality, do the greatest harm to society and the real opportunity to progress. We also see that sometimes, issues of faith, and science can come together, that is as long as any one side don’t fight against the honest and true search for meaning, and reality.

Planet 51 is a movie that had a lot of potential, there are some nice themes that are addressed but unfortunately it failed to deliver. There is also an incredible sound track to this film that is worth having with some great oldies and a few new tunes that are quite enjoyable. It wasn’t so much the story, the story and the humor came through. There are enough tributes to other films like Aliens, ET, Wall-E, and even some for adults like Singing in the Rain, American Graffiti and more, but the direction seems to provide little inspiration to the voice talents in the film, as a result, Planet 51 falls as flat as the old theories of a flat earth. That is a shame because while Planet 51 is a fun, cute film it could have been an exceptional film. Unfortunately, not only will the kids, but likely the adults find moments where they are bored and wanting more. With the cast, story, and animation in this movie, one would think that you would almost have to work to bring about a lackluster film, but that is exactly what we have, a seemingly uninspired, lackluster film.

On a Scale of 1 – 10, Planet 51 is a fun movie, in fact if you take that 51 and add it up you come up with the rating I give this film, a enjoyable but just a tad better than average 6

To see a video from the movie, just click the video below, if the video don't appear, just click the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnsp93jIEIA


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Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew

http://www.furches.org/donations/index.html

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

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MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

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Phone Number to Call During The Virtual Pew Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8587

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