I agree that there was a lot of mythology and backstory that needed to be established and it wasn't always done in the most organic and natural way. It did feel rushed at times and there was a lot of exposition that wasn't given enough time to be digested.DisneyFan09 wrote:My biggest problem with Raya (besides being bland and generic) was that it had an overloaded plot and suffered from a rushed storytelling. Too much time was given to incorporate an overfilled plot that it didn't set up the characters in a fluid way.
I feel that the rest of the squad was unnecessary and didn't add anything of value to the narrative. On the contrary, I think it took away time that could have been given to Sisu or spent on deepening Raya and Sisu's relationship. I feel the rest of the characters were only included in order to have a representative of each clan there and to hammer the theme of unity.DisneyFan09 wrote:The same could be said about how the introduction of Sisu, which was way too rushed in order to incorporate the rest of the squad.
While I liked Namaari, I feel the decision to make her into a redeemable antagonist instead of an outright villain was to the character's detriment. Making her a cunning, ruthless, powerful villain would have been a much more entertaining and memorable approach for her than this watered down, lackluster version she turned out being.DisneyFan09 wrote:Naamari was the biggest disappointment, as she had the potential to be truly compelling. But unfortunately ended up just being bland.
The lack of explanation bothered me too. The Druun seemed like a convenient plot device, only there to cause division and strife just for the sake of it. Even a half-baked explanation as to what they are, how they come to be and why they appear when they do would have been better than nothing.D82 wrote:They could've given a more concrete explanation for their existence, though, or for why they appear when they do.
In theory, I would agree, but it's rarely executed well, in my opinion. I have to admit there are have been examples where that was done well like in Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, The Fox and the Hound, Lilo & Stitch, Treasure Planet, and Brother Bear, so it's certainly possible. I suppose I don't really trust in the abilities of the current creative leadership at WDAS to pull that off to my satisfaction. The efforts to do that with Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen II, and Raya left me wanting more. The twist villains weren't great either, but I find this new trend of redeemed antagonist/no villain at all much more ineffective.D82 wrote:A movie without a villain or without a traditional one can be just as good to me.
I agree with the above. Sisu is one of the few sidekicks of the Revival who is pleasant and fun without being annoying. Raya is a good protagonist and her relationship with her dad is well developed. I like Namaari too, even though I feel she never reached her potential as a character. In terms of visuals, I was quite pleased with the character design, particularly of Raya, Benja, and Namaari, and the environments and the animation were top-notch as usual. The world building was interesting, but I felt it wasn't as well thought out as it could have been.D82 wrote:Sisu is a great sidekick to me, Raya a good protagonist and I pretty much like all the other characters as well, especially Namaari, Boun or Benja. Visually, the film is also very attractive to me, especially the character design and the sets and it has interesting world building.
Regarding your criticism of Frozen II, you make valid points and I agree with you, but for me that's still not enough to rank it so low. I'm usually more forgiving when a film tries to do something challenging and unconventional even if it doesn't quite stick the landing.
That sequence was the most out of place, redundant, and ridiculous thing in the entire film. People often cite A Guy Like You as being the most jarring scene in a Disney movie, but I think Lost in the Woods beats that.Disney Duster wrote:How the hell was Frozen less cohesive and uneven in tone when Frozen II is a less sense-making mess with almost the same comedy and drama as the first but it has the bizarre attempt at comedy "Lost in the Woods" and Kristoff disappears for most of the film after that?
That was an issue for me as well. It's not the first time this has happened in a Disney movie, but it felt more egregious here. It was repeated so much it became very noticeable and tiresome.D82 wrote:I do have a problem, though, with another thing you also mentioned on one occasion; that they're not subtle at all with the film's message. They're constantly mentioning Raya's lack of trust in others.
