Us Again

Released with and shown before Raya and the Last Dragon, Us Again is a Disney short relying more on music and movement than dialogue. Set in New York City wherein its people love to dance, the short focuses on an old married couple who used to be very active when they were younger. Art, the husband, has become grumpy in his old age and would rather just watch television while his wife, Dot, tries to get him moving again. When the two go outside in the rain, the water causes them to regress to their young age and soon begin to dance like they did once. As the clouds and rain move, Art desperately tries to get them under to remain young but once he can't reach it realizes that despite their youth being long gone they can still enjoy being with each other. The level of detail that this short has is astounding, which is what one always expects from Disney when it comes to animation. If anything best emphasizes the use of visual storytelling rather than over-expository dialogue, Us Again is one of the top projects to do so thanks to the music, by Pinar Toprak, and choreography. Just by looking at Art and Dot's movements, pictures of their younger days, and their emotions is enough. The dancing especially is flawless as each character dances in their own specific way that often explains who they are. Us Again's one problem is that it's a short film since this could work as a feature length film exploring more of Art and Don's time together.