Raya and the Last Dragon review

Is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first original film since 2016’s Moana yet another worthy entry in the Disney Animated Canon, or is it deserving of little more than petrification by the Druun? Time to find out as we take a look at:

I'd been anticipating Raya and the Last Dragon since I saw the promotional trailers and having finally seen it (via Disney+ Premier Access), I'm happy to report it's quite the appealing fantasy adventure, whilst being much more than just simple escapism! With that being said, let's look at what makes this flick worth taking 'the first step'!

Raya and the Last Dragon takes place in the fictional Southeast Asian land of Kumandra, which is divided into five nations named after various parts of the dragons their inhabitants revere (Heart, Fang, Talon, Spine, and Tail). The Heart Land’s warrior princess, Raya, seeks to find the last dragon, Sisu, to put an end to the plague known as the Druun (which turns its victims to stone, multiplying in numbers as a result). Even with Sisu by her side, can Raya save Kumandra, or will it take more than just the last dragon and the fabled Dragon Gem to finally stop the nigh-relentless Druun?

This flick admittedly may not have the most groundbreaking of premises or plot structures, but like its fellow Walt Disney Animation movie, 2016’s Zootopia, Raya and the Last Dragon shines in how the story its world unfolds in is applicable to current events (e.g., the divides in the U.S. involving such matters as right-wing vs. left-wing politics, pro-vaccine vs. anti-vaccine, etc.) as well as to humans on a societal scale. Much like in today’s world, at the time the main storyline begins, the people of Kumandra are starkly divided against one another, to the point that Raya’s initial modus operandi can be summed up as, in her words, “Don’t trust anyone”. However, despite sounding incredibly pessimistic, the film thankfully avoids going too far via its message of the importance of trust. While this may sound like something out of My Little Pony at first glance, what makes such a message worth listening to/’picking up on’ is how applicable it is, especially in times of division like what numerous viewers (e.g., those from the U.S.) are most likely going through. Granted, the message isn’t that one should be trusting toward everyone, as the film does make sure to show the consequences of such naïveté, but it’s also made clear that not trusting anyone isn’t beneficial, either. 

Essentially, this flick appears to advocate in favor of a healthy middle ground; while trust shouldn’t be given with reckless abandon, not affording others some degree of it or not even making an attempt at establishing trust in the first place (such as by providing a gift as a token of good faith, as Sisu proves to be fond of throughout the film) isn’t any better, as trust is a key foundation in forming unity, whether it be between a few individuals (like the movie’s unlikely fellowship of protagonists) or between whole nations. Raya’s father, Chief Benja, sums it up best: “Someone has to take the first step.” Raya and the Last Dragon’s message of the significance of trust may not be communicated in the most subtle of ways, but it’s a message that’s so desperately needed in today’s tumultuous and polarized world that there’s a good chance it wouldn’t be as effective if it weren’t so blunt; to quote John Doe from the 1995 crime thriller Se7en, “Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention.”

When it comes to the cast assembled to bring the characters of Raya and the Last Dragon to life, I’m happy to say Disney once again continued their streak of terrific casting in terms of the actors and actresses assembled for this feature film! 

Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina, voices the titular ‘last dragon’ known as Sisu, and suffice to say, I can see why some viewers have compared the actress’ voiceover portrayal to that of Eddie Murphy as Mushu from Mulan (the 1998 animated original, not the wasted potential that was the 2020 remake) and the late great Robin Williams’ Genie from Aladdin! I’d previously gained something of a familiarity with what Awkwafina was capable of via her scene-stealing supporting role in 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians (funny enough, Adele Lim, one of the screenwriters behind Crazy Rich Asians, helped pen the script for this movie!) and she brings arguably the same sharp-witted comedic timing to her voiceover performance as Sisu, with some of the most noteworthy lines of the film standing out thanks to Awkwafina’s performance! Granted, despite the actress' contributions, not all Sisu's humorous lines 'hit home' (for lack of a better term), but these verbal misfires are thankfully few and far between. Awkwafina succeeds in providing her character with bountiful energy while simultaneously having enough restraint in her vocal portrayal to avoid coming off as obnoxious. This skillfulness also shines through during scenes with a more downcast tone, as Awkwafina manages to convey the analogous emotions called for with solid believability, thus enhancing Sisu’s emotional depth and in turn making the water dragon that much more worth investing in. One of Raya and the Last Dragon’s directors, Don Hall (who previously helmed 2014’s Academy Award-winning Big Hero 6), told CBR.com, “Sisu was written with Awkwafina in mind, and I can't imagine somebody else as Sisu. Awkwafina is Sisu. Sisu is Awkwafina”, and I can’t exactly argue with him!

However, Sisu is merely the deuteragonist of this flick, so let’s cover the actress responsible for bringing the main heroine to life! Kelly Marie Tran, who previously came to mainstream attention with her supporting role in the divisive Star Wars sequel trilogy, voices Raya herself, but funny enough, she wasn’t the first choice for this key role; initially, Cassie Steele was supposed to be the one to play Raya, but in August 2020, Tran was revealed to be taking her place. Despite this, I think it’s safe to say Tran was the right person to replace Steele, as she infuses Raya with an aura of world-weariness that helps viewers to ‘buy’ what a distrustful cynic the princess of the Heart Land has become (which is rather justifiable, considering what it’s revealed she’s been through) by the time the main narrative starts. Despite this, Tran’s portrayal is certainly not all pessimistic, as she communicates the various dimensions of emotions her character displays (e.g., confident, elated, witty, etc.) in a way that feels convincing. She may have started her career with live-action roles, but as the eponymous protagonist of Raya and the Last Dragon, Tran shows audiences she also has quite the promising future in the world of voice acting!

Although Raya and Sisu have undeniable chemistry thanks to Tran and Awkwafina's voiceovers (as well as the script by Lim and Qui Nguyen), it felt as though there weren't enough moments involving the two of them bonding/connecting with one another (though this may be a matter of debate/opinion); if they had one or two additional scenes to display how their relationship (platonically speaking) was evolving, the movie as a whole could've benefitted further; thankfully, these two major characters still possess enough of a believable dynamic (once again, in large part thanks to their actresses) as is to enable viewers to get behind them and their mission!

Add in such names as Gemma Chan (who, like Awkwafina, was also a member of the cast of Crazy Rich Asians) as the Fang princess (and nemesis of Raya) Namaari, Benedict Wong (who played the similarly named Wong in Doctor Strange and reprised the role in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame) as the ‘gentle giant’ Spine warrior Tong, and Daniel Dae Kim (who’s previously had voiceover roles in hit TV shows such as the beloved Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra, as well as the animated Justice League series) as Raya’s cherished father Chief Benja, to name a few, and you have a talented cast that breathes life into their onscreen characters and play a key role in making them well-realized and engaging!

It’s been nearly 16 years since Walt Disney Animation made their first foray into full-length computer animation, and suffice to say, the progress their animators have made in honing their skills in this type of animation are on clear display in Raya and the Last Dragon! The amount of thoroughness packed into things like the water (particularly as seen in the ‘running on raindrops’ scene) or characters themselves is definitely something to admire, such as in the below image from early in the movie:

There's a clear and painstaking attention to detail present in this still, particularly in the context of the hair on both Raya and Sisu. The fact that one can make out multiple strips of hair on the two of them (more-so on Sisu, though this can be justified by her glowing thanks to the Dragon Gem shard she's holding granting her such an ability) is testament to the meticulousness on the part of Disney’s animators!
Another visual area this movie shines in is the 5 lands that make up Kumandra itself, which each have their own distinctive aesthetic; Tail, for example, is an arid desert environment peppered with mushroom-like rock structures:

Raya’s homeland of Heart, on the other hand, is teeming with lush, tropical greenery topped off with a visually unique mountain, as seen below: 

This variety in the settings enables all 5 territories of Kumandra to stand apart from one another, in turn making for an adventure that feels like it's unfolding in an expansive, yet legitimate 'world' (since our own world also has different environments depending on the countries or continents in question)! While I wish more time was spent in these 5 lands to further flesh them and their inhabitants out further, one could argue the fact that I have this kind of strong response to begin with is testament to the animators' abilities when it comes to realizing a compelling fictional world onscreen! With all this being said, Raya and the Last Dragon is a shining example of how Walt Disney Animation has arguably mastered the art of computer animation on a level comparable to that of Pixar Animation Studios!

The composer behind the music of Raya and the Last Dragon is James Newton Howard, who's previously worked with Disney on films such as Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Treasure Planet (and, as mentioned on my Top 5 ranking of movie composers, also collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the first two installments of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy). While Howard's score may not be on the level of something like John Powell's scores for DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon (another animated fantasy film involving dragons) and its two follow-ups, there's still plenty to love about his work on Raya! This movie's soundtrack is able to be quite unique-sounding thanks to its incorporation of such instruments from Southeast Asia as lutes and chimes, as well as hand drums, skin drums, and rattles, among other instruments. In addition, a chorus can be heard at certain points in the score, such as the tracks "Prologue", "Fleeing From Tail", and the beginning portion of "Storming Fang", to great effect (especially in the case of the latter track). However, a track definitely worth mentioning has to be "Running on Raindrops" (which gets a reprise in the equally, if not even more, memorable "Return") which, turns out, was the first theme Howard wrote for this movie! While the scene it accompanies is visually striking, "Running on Raindrops" greatly enhances what happens onscreen thanks to the enchanting aura it produces, plausibly in the same way as "The Egg Travels" from Dinosaur before it did! While this soundtrack may not be my favorite of Howard's works (Dinosaur holds that title), his work for Raya and the Last Dragon is nonetheless definitely worth listening to and serves as yet another thing the film has going in its favor!

While it certainly has a few 'kinks' that could've been ironed out prior to release, Raya and the Last Dragon is a fantasy adventure film which proves Disney is anything but out of ideas (as some claim is the case)! With likable characters that are well-acted enough to get readily invested in, excellent animation, a compelling setting in the form of the world of Kumandra, and a universally applicable message that's arguably more timely now than ever, this is definitely a movie worth supporting, whether it be in the form of watching it in theaters (provided you feel comfortable doing so, given the ongoing pandemic, of course) or watching from the comfort of your home via Disney+ Premier Access!