Luca (2021 film)
2021
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Mar 5, 2021 · Read Critics Reviews. There are no surprises in the story, but if you're looking for beautiful animation and a positive message that's fun for the whole family, Raya and the Last Dragon...
- (303)
- Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada
- PG
- Walt Disney Animation Studios
Mar 5, 2021 · A wonderful adventure blending Southeast Asian mythology and imagery, with a smart story of unity and courage. Read Brian Tallerico's review of the Disney film, available in theaters and on Disney+.
- Disney's latest animated film has action, heart, and introduces an exciting new hero.
- Raya and the Last Dragon Visual Development
- Disney+ Spotlight: March 2021
- Verdict
By Nicole Clark
Updated: Nov 3, 2022 8:43 pm
Posted: Mar 2, 2021 2:00 am
Raya and the Last Dragon debuts on Disney+ with Premier Access in most Disney+ markets, at the same time as it is released in theaters on March 5.
Where recent Disney princess films reminded young girls they too could be heroes, Raya and the Last Dragon teaches its viewers about the perils of going at it alone. It’s a smart next evolution of the action princess coming-of-age story, with a clear throughline to princess predecessors in Frozen and Moana. Like Moana, Raya strikes out into the world on a classic hero’s journey. Like Elsa, Raya is emotionally closed off at the start of the film. Unlike these other heroines, Raya doesn’t lack self-confidence or understanding of her abilities. She’s a skilled fighter, a quality she does not question—and it’s about time.
Raya and the Last Dragon, Disney’s first film starring a Southeast Asian princess, opens with its own lore. The once prosperous land of Kumandra used to be brimming with dragons, creatures whose existence was tied to water and life itself. When the villainous drune attacked—an enemy capable of turning all to stone—dragons fought to defend themselves and humans alike. The last living dragons pooled their power into the dragon gem, which revived the humans. But the dragons remained frozen in time, with the exception of Sisu, the last living dragon. Raya’s epic quest kicks off when the dragon gem shatters, unleashing the drune back into the world.
Raya and the Last Dragon’s framing around themes of trust breathes new life into the Disney animated action-adventure format. The waypoints along Raya’s hero’s journey each challenge her to be vulnerable with others — in addition to posing physical challenges, like swinging between ravines — giving the supporting cast real opportunities to shine, and Raya plenty of opportunities to outwit her opponents.
As Raya and dragon Sisu barrel through the regions of Kumandra (Tail, Talon, Spine, Fang, and Heart), their relationship deepens. This is also true of Raya’s confrontations with childhood-friend-turned-villain Namaari (who is also a princess). Each fight reveals something new about their rocky past, and how they might make amends. Scrapping romance gives Raya and the Last Dragon more space to give platonic relationships their due.
Raya and the Last Dragon is also one of Disney’s best films about grief. Disney’s princess films have always been about grief, as practically all of the princesses have lost a family member (or multiple) by the start of their movies. In prior films, these deaths mostly act as backstory and character motivation. By contrast, every single significant character in Raya and the Last Dragon has experienced devastating personal loss, is motivated by grief, and has spent a lot of time alone. Their decision to trust one another — to form a chosen family — feels much more meaningful with this weight.
Disney’s princesses have always had enormous sway in pop culture, particularly for American children. The toys, costumes, and music from any recent release can feel inescapable. Raya and the Last Dragon will give Southeast Asian girls not one but two princesses — both of whom are amazing fighters, and both of whom learn valuable lessons about leaning on friends and family for help. Before this, young Asian American Disney fans had Mulan, the well-loved classic that Raya and the Last Dragon effectively pays homage to without feeling recycled. (Some parallels with Mulan are obvious: a young woman using her fighting skills on a quest to protect her father, and a dragon companion voiced by a comedian.)
Disney did a fair amount of research. Similar to Moana, Disney created what they call a “Story Trust” of artists, academics, and others, which they leaned on for issues of cultural accuracy. The team visited Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Screenwriters Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen are both Southeast Asian, as is Kelly Marie Tran who voices Raya. But there’s the fact that most of the other voice actors — a packed roster of talent that includes Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Awkwafina, and Sandra Oh — are East Asian. And because Kumandra is a “fantasy” world drawing from a number of different countries in a larger region, it risks blurring cultural references to the point where they become unrecognizable or incoherent to the people who expected to identify with the movie.
It’s a fine line to tread, and part of a larger conversation about the extent to which films featuring unrepresented ethnic groups are asked to carry the burden of “accurately portraying” that group. The idea that any one film, even if it meets the highest standards of research and casting, could capture “Southeast Asia” already falls apart. There is no single identity, as Southeast Asians aren’t a monolith. And like Mulan, this film mostly reads as distinctly American, with jokes about things like working on group projects at school that feel a bit out of place in a world that is supposedly fantastical.
Raya and the Last Dragon is a beautifully animated, action-packed hero’s journey, and a great next evolution of Disney’s modern-day princess films. Where princesses like Moana and Elsa spent their films learning to trust in their powers, Disney’s first Southeast Asian princess Raya is already an excellent fighter, capable of besting even the strong...
Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 11, 2022. Zoë Rose Bryant Loud and Clear Reviews. Raya and the Last Dragon is a visually striking spectacle with equally effective emotional...
Mar 2, 2021 · Raya and the Last Dragon review – charming and stylish Disney tale. A visually impressive and involving adventure offers up a tweaked version of a quest narrative we know well with a...
- 2 min
- Benjamin Lee
Mar 1, 2021 · Movies. Movie News. ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’: What the Critics Are Saying. The first reviews are quick to praise Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina’s dynamic, as well as Disney’s first...
Raya and the Last Dragon is Disney's best animated film in years, a thrilling, emotional and heartwarming film with a really good message. Kelly Marie Tran gives an incredible lead performance and Awkwafina is also incredible and really funny. Gemma Chan, Izaac Wang, Daniel Dae Kim and Benedict Wong are all great.
