Raya And The Last Dragon Review: The Mouse House's Latest Toon Is Full Of That Classic Disney Magic
- naterichard98
- Mar 11, 2021
- 2 min read
DIRECTED BY: DON HALL & CARLOS LÓPEZ ESTRADA
STARRING: KELLY MARIE TRAN, AWKWAFINA, & GEMMA CHAN
RATED PG FOR SOME VIOLENCE, ACTION AND THEMATIC ELEMENTS
LENGTH: 107 MINUTES
For quite awhile things were looking quite glum for Walt Disney Animation Studios, after releasing a string of critical and/or financial flops from the likes of Home On The Range, Chicken Little, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, and Meet The Robinsons, the studio found it's stride again with films such as Tangled, Moana, Zootopia, and biggest of all the Frozen films. Raya And The Last Dragon is the latest pic from the animation studio and is being released in a much different way than any of the animated pics before it, with a dual release in both theaters and for a premium fee of $30 on Disney+.
Raya And The Last Dragon is set in the fictional Southeast Asian country known as Kumandra, a once magical and prosperous land that after the guardian dragons sacrificed themselves, was split into five tribes. Hundreds of years later, Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran), sets out to save her father and Kumandra after the magical orb of the dragons was destroyed and split between the five tribes. During her quest she meets Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina), the sole surviving dragon and the supposed creator of the orb and together along with a loyal band of misfits, they set out to restore peace to the land.
While much of Raya And The Last Dragon will feel familiar to Disney loyalists, the film continues the studio's trend of terrific world-building. In just under two hours, audiences will find themselves immersed and enchanted in Kumandra, a setting that is ripe with franchise potential. The animation is some of the most impressive work that Disney has offered up yet, from the extravagant locations and the stunning character designs, Raya does not disappoint in terms of it's visuals. Directors Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada are clearly dedicated to making the film feel as immersive as possible. Much of the film harkens back to the classic Disney films that audiences have fell in love with over the years with hints of animated pics such as Aladdin and Mulan.
Tran proves that she was quite the good fit to voice the titular Raya and Awkwafina is a definite scene-stealer in the role of Sisu and is able to bring her distinct personality that audiences have come to know her for. Both Tran and Awkwafina along with the rest of the voice-cast make the characters in Kumandra feel both memorable and lovable.
Raya isn't perfect, it at times feels almost too predictable and it certainly follows the Disney formula almost beat-for-beat, but it's the craftsmanship around the film and the lasting impression that it leaves that assures the audience that the film's target audience will certainly devour this one.
Raya And The Last Dragon may not be Disney Animations best film in years, but it's another rock solid entry in their filmography full of heart, memorable characters, and luscious animation. It's certainly worth checking out either in the theater or on premium access.
4/5 Stars
Raya And The Last Dragon is now playing in theaters and is available on Disney+ via Premium Access for $30.
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