Today we are talking about Wish Dragon which is a Sony Pictures Animation movie that was released on Netflix. This was a fun movie and I went in expecting an Aladdin rip-off, but it is far more than that, and I did enjoy it. I think that this is a movie that has flown under many people’s radar, but with an excellent Asian-centric cast and a clever script, this is a family movie that is well worth a watch.
How to Stream or Download Wish Dragon
You can stream it or you can download the film using the Netflix App. Click on the Download button at the end of the review.
The Movie Review
The “hero” of our movie is a teenager called Din. Din is a working-class college student who really wishes that he could reconnect with his childhood friend, Li Na. Li Na moved away with her family when they were kids and her family is much more wealthy and connected, meaning that them being friends would be very difficult.
Din thinks that his luck has well and truly changed when he comes across a teapot. This is no ordinary teapot; it is a magic teapot that contains a Wish Dragon who will grant the user three wishes! What makes this even more special is that these are the last three wishes this Wish Dragon has to grant before he is released into the spirit realm.
I know that this sounds like just another take on the Aladdin formula and I was right there with this frame of thought. However, apart from the three wishes thing, the tone is completely different from the story that Aladdin told. Din is a really likable guy and while the plot of him wanting to be more to impress Li Na and be “good enough” for her is as predictable as they come.
I do think that the humor that the movie has makes it much more bearable. The relationship between Din and the Wish Dragon is a lot of fun, especially as the Wish Dragon is trying to come to terms with our modern world. There is also the added dynamic of a bad guy wanting to get his hands on the teapot so he can use the wishes for something less than honest.
As you would expect from a Sony animated movie, this is pure eye candy. I especially love the look of the actual Wish Dragon and I am surprised my local stores are not full of plush and other toys of him actually. The humor is more aimed at kids, but if you are after something silly and childlike, you will have a smile on your face the majority of the time you are watching this movie.
Is Wish Dragon an all-time animated classic? I would have to say that no it is not a classic, but it was still a fun watch. I do not think the family would be rushing to watch this again, but we all thought it was a solid movie, probably a 7/10 kind of movie. If you are looking for something to watch with the kids that you can have fun with too, you can do a heck of a lot worse than Wish Dragon.
