If there’s one theme animated featured films cling to like a protagonist holding on for dear life to a giant pink dragon while flying through the air, it’s the idea of finding the courage to be true to yourself.
It makes sense – we live in a world understandably enthralled with the notion that it is possible, with enough self-belief, bravery and tenacity, to shift the stubborn hands of gate, destiny and expectation and craft a whole new life for yourself.
Who doesn’t want to believe that that kind of change is possible?
Granted, the core demographic of films like Wish Dragon likely haven’t likely given much thought to self-actualising their sandbox play or living their best LEGO life but many of the adults watching most certainly have, at least with more grown-up foci, and really regardless of age, it’s not too early for anyone to start thinking about the kind of life they want.
Wish Dragon goes about delivering its message by adapting large slabs of Aladdin, specifically Disney’s classic feature film from 1992 featuring Robin Williams as the vivaciously garrulous blue genie, with protagonist Din Song (Jimmy Wong) and dragon Long (John Cho) filling in for Aladdin and the Genie respectively.
But while that relationship dynamic might sound hopelessly derivative, as is the idea of Din trying to woo his childhood love and now famous model Li Na Wang (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) when he is poor and she is demonstrably not, Wish Dragon ends up taking a whole other tack in addressing the yearning to be with someone far beyond your station and remaining faithful to yourself in the process.
It does this playfully and beautifully as we see Din, chafing against the strictly-enforced admonitions of his mother (Constance Wu), go on an amazing journey of self-discovery when he ends up with a small jade green teapot one day courtesy of a strange old man he meets when delivering food around the chaotic liveliness of modern Shanghai.
There is, of course, the initial shock of a giant pink and purple dragon leaping forth from a teeny-tint teapot to be dealt with but while Din is initially thrown by Long’s appearance, he adapts pretty smartly, with the relationship between the two being one of equals rather than one person hurrying to catch up the life experiences of the other.
Granted with 1000 years spent in the teapot and a lengthy life lived before that, Long has got more runs on the board, but what makes their budding relationship so much fun to watch is that Din gives every bit as he gets, not cowed in the slightest by Long’s often bombastic, somewhat imperious, impatient demands that Din choose his three wishes quickly so the dragon can go to heaven as he has always wanted.
What starts out as a transactional relationship for both parties soon becomes one where Din’s purity and goodness of heart and Long’s innate humanity, long buried beneath privilege and arrogance, come to the fore, enriching both their lives and infusing the narrative with the verve of a successful, mutually beneficial partnership.
It is the beating heart of this film but it is also it’s comedic centre.
For a film that is willing to get quite serious at times, and some scenes in the final act are quite dark (though perfectly a part of the storyline), Wish Dragon manages to be a ton of riotous fun too.
While not coming close to enjoying the repartee of Scott Weinger and Robin Williams as Aladdin and the Genie respectively, Wong and Cho engender a lot of witty back and forth while also building a palpable sense of friendship, respect and care for each other.
Being an ancient being, Long is none too au fait with modern society, and much hilarity ensues when planes fly overhead and toilets are not used for their intended purpose (water fountain anyone?) and Cho’s delivery of some smartly-written lines and Wong’s ability to be sweetly charming but rambunctiously upbeat too, mean that every line of dialogue sparkles with either good humour or emotional resonance, gifting the film with the kind of heartfelt centre that any animated film of real worth or value should have in spades.
What makes Wish Dragon such a mood-boosting antidote to the great many stresses of our COVID-saturated age is that it manages to mix the light and the dark, the silly and the profound to a consistently uplifting degree.
It has some pretty important things to say and takes many of the characters of some pretty big arcs, but it does so with vividly exuberant animation, richly-alive characterisation and a penchant for segueing from over the top to sobering and back again without once skipping a beat.
To be fair, it’s no Pixar classic, but it comes pretty damn close because it knows that what gives the film its heart and soul is not much the romance between Din and Li Na nor the close if often fraught bond between Din and his mother, though both are mainstays of the narrative, but the close relationship between Din and Long who learn valuable life lessons simply by being with each other.
There’s no great moralising moment or overt, OTT messaging; simply two characters getting to know each other and discovering, rather happily for them, and for us as the appreciative audience, that life is a lot richer and full of possibility than either of them gave it credit for.
While it’s touching to watch, you almost don’t realise you are learning these lessons right along with them, so deftly does Wish Dragon fold in the sage awakenings with exuberantly good fun, a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat plot, and a commitment to be gloriously silly in the midst of some intense plot developments.
It is that most magical of things – a film that can buoy your spirits even when the world outside is saying there is nothing to be happy or glad about, and which takes you into a whole other world while reminding you of all the rich and emotionally-satisfying possibility that exists in your own backyard if you’re just willing to open your heart to it.