Do you remember the cartoons we watched when we were young? To achieve a certain goal, a hero must pass many levels. There are fresh dangers in each level, making you, as the audience, not only afraid of unknown difficulties, but also knowing that the protagonist will definitely overcome difficulties. So in the process of watching the movie, we always hold hope and a little bit of excitement with fear, until the end of the barrier, we liberate with the hero protagonist.
"Legend of the Dragon"-unexpectedly-is such a traditional and straightforward story mode. I said "unexpected" because it is a new Disney movie. Disney, which has been innovating, has gone back to the old-fashioned story mode? But unexpectedly, it conquered me with the old story mode and immersed me in it.
When the first title subtitle "TAIL (Dragon Tail Beach)" was played on the screen, my childhood memories of watching movies were immediately awakened, and I was enthusiastic about it. I know that the protagonist Raya is about to break through the level, and I look forward to her entering a wonderland.
What's interesting is that from the very beginning we knew that Raya was going to break through five levels, Longwei Beach-Longclaw Bay-Longji Mountain-Longya Valley-Dragon Heart City. These five well-designed names give the story a fantasy oriental color. They vividly represent the five parts of an expedition map, and also herald a clear and targeted road to breakthrough. It's just that the hero who broke through the level is completely different from the female characters designed by Disney in the past. She has a hat on her head, a cloak, and a long sword in her hand. The mount is an indescribable giant insect pet.
When Raya opened her lone journey on a ride in a barren land, even though she was alone, even though she passed through a barren land, and even though she was in the dust, it was amazing that my heart was full of hope from the beginning. . This kind of hopeful mood is new and fresh to me after a long absence. When I think about it after reading it, it was the strongest medicine Disney gave me.
hope. The word "hope" is very empty. If you put it another way, I want to say that this movie is full of vitality.
Recalling the mood of the last time I watched "Frozen", depression, loneliness, contradictions, and confusion... the frozen emotional world, until finally broken by magic, our hearts are freed.
The "Legend of Finding the Dragon" is the exact opposite of "Frozen". Although it follows the dual heroine model, it is also a story of a princess, the country, and relatives, but it is full of vitality and thriving. Although the princess is also full of dangers on the road facing challenges, you will always believe that she can find someone on the road together and get every missing crystal.
I can't help wondering where the "sense of hope" in the whole movie comes from. Look again and again, it is the most important visual element that plays a role-water.
"Frozen" created an ice world. It is solid, cold, and isolated.
"Legend of Dragon Hunting" created a water world. It is fluid, enthusiastic, and constantly colliding with new people.
In the ice world of "Frozen", the characters can see either the lonely sea or the deep mountains and forests. The weather is bitterly cold, and they have no companions when they walk in nature for a long time. They can only listen to their own inner voice.
In the water world of "Looking for the Dragon", every drop of water is rushing, even if it is about to dry up, it will do its best to burst out energy, which is different from streams, rivers, waterfalls, water droplets, and fog. Form, the energy of water does not need to be excited, but is everywhere.
Remember the Raya on the poster? Her breast name is "Little Water Drop", and she stands in the rain very steadfastly-rain is also a form of water. When she was in the water world, she was full of hope, invincible, and even her eyes showed invincible confidence. Water is also the only magic weapon to defeat the enemy "dark demon"-this "dark demon" who caused the world to lose its life is afraid of even a drop of water.
There is life only because of water, and animals and plants of various forms will appear in the fantasy world created by the movie. It always gives people a thriving scene-for example, there is a scene in the movie where the dragon Xisu is happy in the water. Swimming in the ground, she swam over beautiful corals and schools of fish, and swaying seaweeds danced under the water. That colorful picture makes people happy.
Another example is the city-state "Dragon Claw Bay" that lives by the water. There are surprisingly many people. Walking on the street, one after another, you can see a wide variety of goods. This city-state is surprisingly prosperous because it has mastered the method to defeat the enemy, and it is even the most dynamic of the five city-states. When Raya walks in such a lively city on the water, no one will worry that she will encounter hardships, at most it is just temptation, but she will definitely not be alone.
The most obvious contrast with "Dragon Claw Bay" is "Longji Mountain", this city state has completely lost its vitality without water. All the people were petrified, and in the end there was only a brawny "Old Teng" who lived alone in the thatched cottage in the mountains.
The waterway is also the only way for Raya and his friends. On the rippling green river, the partners confided their stories and mourned the grief for their relatives. Although they were sad, they always held hope. They believe that the world can be saved eventually, so they come together. Calculating the six years that Raya has been alone since her father became a rock, she has tracked hundreds of rivers without giving up hope, until the end of the last dying creek, awakening the dragon.
The meaning of the water that brings life is self-evident. While the audience was enthusiastically discussing how different forms of Southeast Asian culture can be integrated in this new film, I was amazed that the creators of Disney have found a main thread that integrates different cultural elements. Without the vitality of water, these thriving scenes will lose their foundation. A spoonful of Tom Yum Goong soup, a fight in the rain, a bunch of houses built in the water, a group of dragons that can radiate magic in the water-it is the water that unites them into a world, with food, nature, and architecture. According to mythology, a reminder is given in every energetic picture: as long as there is water, you can live.
"Legend of Dragon Hunting" visually created a world full of hope for us. On the other emotional thread, it also continuously strengthens and reminds the spiritual core "trust" to be told, making people believe that good things will happen eventually.
For "Frozen", the warm and pleasant character "Xuebao" in the cold film is equivalent to the existence of the dragon "Sisu". But Sisu is by no means a character who can leave the scene after she is cute. In fact, she has a mission of trust and constantly strengthens the importance of "trust", which makes the protagonist Raya finally wake up and change herself.
Do you still remember a line in the film, Raya said to Sisu, "You look a lot like my dad."
In fact, Sisu is not only a practitioner of "trust" five hundred years ago, but also the embodiment of Laya's father's will.
Sisu always believes that when facing a new environment, we should treat strangers with love for their loved ones. So she kept asking to bring gifts to meet the new city-state lord, and she immediately became her good partner after seeing Raya at the beginning, and even when faced with the fierce rival Namali, Sisu did not give up. "Convince people with virtue." This Shenlong is not only a respectable god, but also a companion who always warms people's hearts. She is constantly falling into the dangers set by strangers, but never gives up the hope of understanding and communication.
In contrast, the state of Raya's life is more like us in reality. Although we were taught to believe in others when we were young, and tried to accept it and internalize it as our own values, we always encounter betrayal on the way of growing up, which allows us to taste the loss and no longer willing to give sincerely to believe in others.
The pain of being betrayed has always been with Raya. In the six years she has been alone, she has repeatedly thought about why she lost her father. Easy trust is the biggest mistake. Therefore, she brought the food she made, and experimented with various organs and sinister hearts every time she went to a new place. She tempered herself as a fierce and fierce female warrior instead of a delicate princess. The purpose of living is just to live. , But there is no need to have any love and friendship.
Raya's lonely growth is distressing. In a sense, it is a mirror that reflects our hearts. And the appearance of Xisu is like a group of passionate fire surrounding you, she brings people the hope of love again.
Speaking of Sisu, one must talk about her behind-the-scenes voice acting, Okafina. She is my favorite highlight of this film. An external comment said, "Okafina sounds like a cheap aunt who children are willing to play with her." The fact is that she has injected his soul into this interesting and trustworthy character of Sisu.
In a documentary about Disney, "The Unknown Truth: Making Frozen 2", I learned that cartoons are not like ordinary film production, first with the screen and then dubbing. The production of Disney animation is mainly based on the emotional interpretation of the voice actors. As a basis, re-create complex pictures.
Therefore, in "Legend of the Dragon", you can see Xisu's exaggerated expression and hear her super fast speech, and you can guess the expressive power of the film rookie Okafina. Her role in the movie "Don't Tell Her" was once unforgettable for me. In this cartoon, she injects her own character charm into the virtual character, and surprises the audience with a good-looking dragon-she is humorous, sensitive, gentle and trustworthy. It is Okafina herself. Body!
A prosperous world built with the vitality of water, and an adventure driven by trust, intertwined in a new Disney character, Raya. This princess has completely broken the definition of a princess. She is more like a female warrior, a female knight, unshakable on the road of confronting difficulties and obstacles.
If compared with "Frozen", Aisha and Anna, a strong and gentle dual heroine model, have evolved again in "The Legend of the Dragon". The second heroine that Raya faces here-Namali is also a princess, but she is also a fierce female warrior who takes the initiative to attack and kills the enemy, and will never stand still and sit in the castle waiting to be killed.
The confrontation between the two extraordinary samurai "princesses" has injected blood into this story. When we see them fighting like men guarding the crystal land, in the desert, in the snow-capped mountains, and in the palace, we naturally believe that they have the energy to save the world. The charisma of perseverance, bravery, and fearless mission is exactly the hope they bring to the audience.
"Legend of Dragon Hunting" is an animated film full of vitality. No matter in terms of visual construction, emotional drive or character shaping, the creators are always moving in the direction of hope, bringing people a passionate feeling.
When you look at a drop of raindrops, a rippling ripple, and a cloud of rising mist on the screen, you can hardly not be moved by the vibrant details. They symbolize the endless life of nature and make people believe that after the crisis, the earth There will be a rebirth, and the lively crowd will reunite and walk on the bustling streets again.
Although I feel a little regretful in terms of visual presentation-for example, Namali's action pictures are not smooth in my opinion. Considering that this is the result of the cooperation of hundreds of people working at home during the epidemic, I am willing to understand that they can still create such a high-level animated feature film when they are quarantined. It is not difficult to imagine the hard work behind them.
Just as in a period of gloomy days, "Frozen" has brought comfort to thousands of people who have closed their hearts. At the time when the epidemic is raging, "Legend of Dragon Hunting" is undoubtedly also a fable, using the ancient story mode to retransmit the creator's love belief and hope of life.
The last shot of my most memorable film-when Raya sat on her mount again and galloped for thousands of miles, the shot started from the ground. A piece of slender grass covered with rain and dew was run over by a "sudgy" hard shell. Soon they swayed easily and happily, and danced in the wind.
That lens made me seem to smell the fragrance of the earth. It is the vitality of nature, which indicates that the earth will come back to life. And our protagonist Raya has embarked on her new journey-yes, she has experienced the trials of life, and she must have given birth to new hope from the bottom of her heart.
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