LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — We have some new flicks that you can catch straight from the comfort of your couch!
Film critic Josh Bell shows his two picks in this week's Bell Breakdown.
First up this week is the animated epic "Raya and the Last Dragon," now playing in theaters and streaming on Disney+ with Premier Access. The latest Disney animated movie takes place in a mythical land called Kumandra, influenced by the culture and folklore of Southeast Asia. Raya, voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, is the daughter of the ruler of one of Kumandra's five regions, and is being trained to guard the magical stone that protects Kumandra. So there's a princess with a cute animal sidekick, but this isn't a love story or a musical. It's an action-oriented story about a quest to restore Kumandra after a dark force sweeps the land. There's plenty of comedy, too, mainly from Awkwafina as the wisecracking dragon who helps Raya save Kumandra. It's a fun, if slightly derivative, fantasy story with gorgeous animation. That's "Raya and the Last Dragon," now in theaters and on Disney+.
Now streaming on Netflix is the teen dramedy "Moxie." Amy Poehler brings some '90s riot-grrl energy to her adaptation of Jennifer Mathieu's 2017 young adult novel. Poehler directs and co-stars as the mother of teenager Vivian, who starts an old-school photocopied zine at her high school. Vivian's zine, called "Moxie," inspires her fellow female students to stand up for what they believe in. There's also, of course, a romance with a sensitive skater boy who supports Vivian's feminist awakening. The movie is earnest and oversimplified but also endearing and sweet, with winning performances and effective cross-generational resonance. That's "Moxie," now on Netflix.
