Cool visuals, otherwise disappointing (spoilers)

When you’re watching an animated film and you’re distracted by minor aesthetic details, like how realistic a stream of water looks in the background of a chase scene, then you obviously aren’t being engaged by the narrative. Such is the tale of ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’.

As an adult, the by-the-numbers (basically videogame-level) structure of the plot and exposition-laden dialogue was agony. “We have found the sacred Gem of Fleegle! Now we must to take the item to Drooper’s Cave and stop the evil Snootwangler from taking over Blorp-a-dorp! Then we need to acquire a vial of enchanted water from the Fountain of Snorky to...” and so on.

Adding salt to the wound was Awkwafina, lending her raspy, Phyllis Diller-esque vocal stylings to Sisu, the emaciated My Little Pony-like dragon of the title.

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