Disney Launchpad review: ‘The Last of the Chupacabras’ narrates a beautiful story of friendship

3/5

What's it about?

Pete's Dragon, Lilo and Stitch, and even Beauty and the Beast are tales about misjudged individuals getting close to a beast that they would fear. In The Last of the Chupacabras, a similar wonder happens. Directed by Jessica Mendez Siqueiros, this Disney Launchpad short film revolves around a desolate lady forming a bond with a fantastical animal.

What's hot?

Chepa is a Mexican-American lady in Los Angeles who sells hot tamales from a push truck each day. That wouldn't be so unfathomable if not for the way that she's the last one of her kind in a city visit where she stops for photographs and shocks everybody when she says "Buenos dias." Retiring alone every night to her home, she calls a mysterious animal from her legacy who brings light into her reality.

What's not?

Melba Martinez’s magnificent performance as Chepa sadly is not enough to make this film truly sensational. The film depicts Mexican culture and traditions, yet does so lightly. There's a handcrafted (pun intended) quality to The Last of the Chupacabras that makes it feel like it could've been made thirty years prior.

Verdict:-

The most "Disney" of the Disney Launchpad short movies, The Last of the Chupacabras stands apart from the rest. Despite the fact that the puppetry at work is unique, there's a Muppet-esque quality to the piece that enthusiasts of The Muppet Show will certainly cherish. In case you're taking a stroll down the choice of shorts and are uncertain where to begin, I recommend this film.

The Last of the Chupacabras is currently available on Disney+, part of Disney Launchpad.