Raya And The Last Dragon (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Monday, March 08

PG Running Time: 108 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

Raya and the Last Dragon brings Disney back to theaters and Disney+ subscribers (via Premium Access) with a rousing fantasy adventure built around female representation and great characters.
Among the finest of Disney’s animated films from a visual and presentation standpoint. Even at home, this film is a feast for the eyes.
This will likely have cross-genre appeal among all ages and demographics and types of movie fans, balancing action, fantasy, and humor quite well.

NO

It should be mentioned that those tonal shifts between action, fantasy, and humor have caused some people to find Raya and the Last Dragon disjointed and indecisive on what kind of movie it wants to be.
May prove quite dense in exposition and world-building for the youngest viewers among us, who may get lost in trying to follow the bullet points within the story being told.
The themes here are not new and some may feel that Raya and the Last Dragon’s visuals can only go so far and that the film is little more than a retread of other films which have tackled these themes previously.

OUR REVIEW

A breathtaking visual spectacle, Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon arrives with a lot of curious eyes upon it. On the one hand, the film is Disney’s 59th animated feature film, and continues the company’s renewed focus on telling representative stories from different cultures and experiences. The film also marks Disney’s official return to movie theaters, holding to March 2021 release date as we begin to tiptoe back into some normal habits following a year of grappling with the realities of a global pandemic.

Further hedging bets, Raya and the Last Dragon also debuts as a “Premium Access” option on the Disney+ streaming service. Families will have the chance to either venture out into a Safe and Clean theater environment or drop $29.99 to view the film at home for the next couple of months, on any device they have that supports the House of Mouse’s popular platform.

Directors Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), working with co-directors Paul Briggs and John Ripa and eight credited screenwriters, have given families a lot to sink their teeth into as Raya and the Last Dragon proves to be a fantastical adventure full of topical themes, magic dragons, old mythical folklore, and a film largely driven by female characters.

Moments into the film we are reminded of Disney’s consistent ability to produce stellar animation, with richly detailed backgrounds and settings introduced that have a photorealistic look and feel. For kids watching, an ensemble of engaging characters will help navigate them through a story packed with a bit too much exposition and world-building, even if the film - at its core - speaks a very simple message of unity, accepting differences, and coming together to work for a greater good.

As a wonderful James Newton Howard score powers us through this adventure, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) and her father, Chief Benga (Daniel Dae Kim), have possession of a magical orb created out of necessity by a group of dragons. Around 500 years prior to the events of the film, Kumandra, the fictional land inspired by Southeastern Asian landscapes and culture, saw its people ravaged by a shapeless, mystical cloud known as the “Druun.” When encountering the Druun, repelled only by water, living things were surrounded and turned into stone. As a last-ditch effort to save their home, dragons summoned their energy and created the orb to attempt to ward off the menacing villain.

With an oath to protect the orb, Benga has a belief that he can reunite a fractured Kumandra. Over the past 500 years, the country has splintered into five regions – each one named after a part of a dinosaur. Benga and Raya live in “Heart” (in case you needed a reminder they are the good ones), while Benga’s summit brings together the leaders of “Tail”, “Talon”, “Spine” and “Fang.”

Introducing a protective orb foretells what is going to happen and Hall and Estrada and their team build to the inevitable conflict nicely. Over the course of the film, we see parallels to our world today. Ideologies splintered. The loudest trying to be heard over others. A willingness to cut corners to achieve temporary success. And a crying out to stand together and defeat a common enemy.

Raya and the Last Dragon is not a concussive political allegory. Kids will not be indoctrinated into any sort of belief system. However, they will see kindness and loyalty play out before them, while also laughing quite a bit. The film is punctuated with impressively staged action sequences, showcasing how far we have come in our animation evolution.

Raya also places women at the heart of an animated action film, and whether we consider Raya a Disney Princess or character free of that symbolism, she is a force. Tran’s voice grows in confidence as Raya matures and fights passionately for what she believes in. Gemma Chan impresses as Namarri, a rival of Raya’s living in Fang who battles with her conflicting thoughts on what’s right and wrong. Awkwafina initially feels like she’s riffing in a whole different movie, putting voice behind a resurrected dragon named Sisu. Though her comedic timing and buoyant attitude startles a bit at first, she settles in nicely alongside Tran and keeps things moving in a fun and unpredictable way.

The screenwriters develop an entertaining ensemble of supporting characters around Raya, including a tall, lumbering giant (Benedict Wong), a child restauranteur (Izaac Wang), an amazing toddler (Thalia Tran), and Tuk Tuk, an armadillo/pill bug/pug hybrid creature, voiced by Alan Tudyk, custom-made to become that stuffed animal toy sold to millions of households.

The story, admittedly a bit cumbersome at times (perhaps a result of a handful of directors and writers being added and replaced on the way to the final product), may contribute to things being hard for some kids to follow. The core sentiments remain, and the story’s main themes should ring through loud and clear.

Raya and the Last Dragon will not likely save the box office for an entire industry, but Disney has released a film, in as many places as possible, that will likely have far-ranging appeal. Great potential exists for the film to inspire around themes of acceptance, inclusion, and rising above one’s self to, again, help a greater good. Maybe the messages are not new, but in this presentation, Raya and the Last Dragon feels quite significant.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Thalia Tran, Alan Tudyk, Lucille Soong, Jona Xiao

Director: Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada
Co-Director: Paul Briggs, John Ripa
Written by: Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim (screenplay); Paul Briggs, Don Hall, Adele Lim, Carlos López Estrada, Kiel Murray, Qui Nguyen, John Ripa, Dean Wellins (story)
Release Date: March 5, 2021
Walt Disney Pictures

Raya and the Last Dragon brings Disney back to theaters and Disney+ subscribers (via Premium Access) with a rousing fantasy adventure built around female representation and great characters.

Among the finest of Disney’s animated films from a visual and presentation standpoint. Even at home, this film is a feast for the eyes.

This will likely have cross-genre appeal among all ages and demographics and types of movie fans, balancing action, fantasy, and humor quite well.

It should be mentioned that those tonal shifts between action, fantasy, and humor have caused some people to find Raya and the Last Dragon disjointed and indecisive on what kind of movie it wants to be.

May prove quite dense in exposition and world-building for the youngest viewers among us, who may get lost in trying to follow the bullet points within the story being told.

The themes here are not new and some may feel that Raya and the Last Dragon’s visuals can only go so far and that the film is little more than a retread of other films which have tackled these themes previously.