The story of a humble, mild-mannered person in possession of an all-mighty and powerful wish-granting being has been done dozens of times, but rarely has it been viewed through an Asian lens on one of the most prominent streaming services. That’s what we will get with Netflix’s “Wish Dragon,” which stars John Cho as a wish-granting dragon.
The film sees Din (Jimmy Wong) coming across Long (Cho), a wish-granting genie trapped inside a small jade teapot. While one might be awestruck at the very sight of a giant colorful wish-granting dragon popping out of a jade teapot, Din is curious as to how a dragon of Long’s size could fit into something so small. And yet, a cynical Long, finally free after 1000 years of captivity, wants to get all this over with so that he can move on with his life.
Both Din and Long make for a mismatched pair, and yet the two go off on an adventure in modern-day Shanghai where they not only learn a lot about each other and themselves but the true value of having a wish come true.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
In Sony Pictures Animation’s Wish Dragon, Din, a working-class college student with big dreams but small means, and Long, a cynical but all-powerful dragon capable of granting wishes, set off on a hilarious adventure through modern day Shanghai in pursuit of Din’s long-lost childhood friend, Lina. Their journey forces them to answer some of life’s biggest questions – because when you can wish for anything, you have to decide what really matters.
Netflix has been making a case for being one of the top animation distributors as of late. Recently, “Over the Moon” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, while “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” was a critical hit.
“Wish Dragon” features an impressive Asian voice cast that includes Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Jimmy Wong, Constance Wu, Will Yun Lee, Jimmy O. Yang, Aaron Yoo, Bobby Lee, Ronnie Chieng.
It also happens to be Chris Appelhans’ directorial debut. Appelhans worked in the art department for films such as “Coraline,” “The Princess and The Frog,” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” “Wish Dragon” is also produced “Shrek” producer Aron Warner. And for some added fun, martial arts icon Jackie Chan is also a producer.
Wish Dragon debuts exclusively on Netflix on June 11.
