RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Disney’s recent animated features, Frozen, its sequel, Moana and Zootropolis have all been successful, including at the box office and at the Academy Awards, with Frozen and Zootropolis winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The films have also been lauded by critics with most of them praising their animation. Because of this, expectations were high for their latest animated feature, Raya and the Last Dragon, which was originally meant to be released in cinemas in November last year, unfortunately, the pandemic caused by the worldwide spread of COVID-19, led to the closures of cinemas with a lot of films having their release dates postponed. Raya and the Last Dragon has recently been released on the streaming service, Disney+. However, does it live up to the high quality of their previous animated features?

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it's up to a lone warrior, Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) to track down the last dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina) and stop the Druun for good.

Although Raya and the Last Dragon doesn’t rank as one of the best films created by Disney, it is still a fun and adventure packed feature that is suitable for the whole family to watch, however, many people may be put off by the Premier Access fee of £20 that you have to pay in order to watch it. The reason behind the additional payment is because Raya and the Last Dragon was originally scheduled for a cinema release, however, because in the UK, they’re still closed, the feature has been released on Disney+ before it’s released on Video On Demand and DVD and Blu-Ray in a couple of months time. Because Raya and the Last Dragon was one of my most anticipated films of last year, I didn’t really mind paying the additional payment, however, I do think that £20 is expensive, especially when a lot of people are struggling financially. 

Unsurprisingly, the strength of Raya and the Last Dragon lies in its imaginative and vibrant animation. It’s set in a fantasy land called Kumandra, which is inspired by Southeast Asian cultures of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The filmmakers and production team traveled to all these countries to do background research except Myanmar, Malaysia, and Brunei. The Head of Story for the film was headed by Thai artist Fawn Veerasunthorn. The team formed the Southeast Asia Story Trust, a collective of consultants for the film including Dr. Steve Arounsack, an associate professor of Lao Anthropology at California State University. It’s clear a lot of hard work and creativity has gone into making Raya and the Last Dragon look visually stunning. What I love most about animation is that there is no limit to one’s imagination and that’s certainly the case with Raya and the Last Dragon. The characters and creatures all have unique appearances, especially the dragon, Sisu, and a "con baby" named Little Noi and her trio of monkey-like companions known as the Ongis, who adopted her after her mother was lost to the evil Druun. It’s because of its vibrant animation why I wished I’d seen Raya and the Last Dragon at the cinema. Although not a fault of the film, I was frequently distracted and struggled to fully focus. I do plan on rewatching Raya and the Last Dragon one day, hopefully, my feelings towards it will improve.

One of the weaker aspects of Raya and the Last Dragon is its story which follows a formula that has been used several times in Disney’s other animated films as it follows the main character as she and her companions travel to restore peace to their world. During my watch, I felt that it was very similar to Moana which focused on its titular character also travelling with another character in order to save her world. Because of this, Raya and the Last Dragon felt predictable and a bit repetitive as the characters travelled to different tribes in order to find the missing orb pieces. This is disappointing as, prior to watching the film, I was hoping for a more original story.

The script for Raya and the Last Dragon was written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim and sends out an important message about why trust is important. Over the course of the film, the characters learn to put their differences aside and trust each other in order to live in a more peaceful world. 

In the majority of their animated features, Disney have succeeded in creating memorable characters who have gone on to leave lasting impression. This is still the case with Raya and the Last Dragon which is filled with unique and interesting characters. Raya is a brave and inspiring heroine and a great role model for younger viewers to look up to. Despite losing her father near the beginning of the film, Raya continues to search for the missing pieces of the orb in order to bring peace to her world. Her personality is similar to that of Moana as both are determined to succeed in their mission. At first glance, Sisu looks like she could be a serious dragon, however, her personality is witty and energetic and is similar to Mushu from Mulan. Voiced by comedienne, Awkwafina, Sisu steals almost every scene she appears in. Raya and Sisu’s companions include Little Noi, the Ongis, a young entrepreneur named Boun (Izaac Wang), who is a skilled cook, and a fearsome warrior, Tong (Benedict Wong). Another tradition most Disney animated films have is a cute little animal that is the main character’s side kick. In Tangled, Rapunzel had a chameleon named Pascal and Moana had a pet rooster named Heihei. Raya’s sidekick is Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), a steed that is a mix of an armadillo and a pill bug.

The most impressive aspect of Raya and the Last Dragon is the talented voice cast, which includes Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong and Sandra Oh. Tran first rose to fame as Rose (pun unintended) in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. Unfortunately, following a cruel backlash from fans, Rose’s screen time was cut in the follow-up, The Rise of Skywalker. As Raya, Tran delivers a heartfelt performance, making her character all the more likeable. Awkwafina is clearly having a lot of fun with her portrayal of Sisu and delivers a lively performance. Chan voices Namaari, who is a warrior princess of the Fang Land and Raya's enemy, with Oh voicing her mother, Virana. 

What’s most refreshing about Raya and the Last Dragon is the lack of an unnecessary love interest for Raya and no musical numbers. In many of their earlier features, including Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, one of Disney’s traditions included a Prince Charming character for the main female character to fall in love with and catchy songs. However, recently, Disney has realised that it isn’t necessary for their female characters to have a love interest. That’s still the case with Raya and the Last Dragon. Although I’ve enjoyed most of Disney’s original songs and think that the musical numbers made their features all the more entertaining, I’m glad that there weren’t any in Raya and the Last Dragon as, because it’s an adventure packed film, I think that a random song would have felt a bit out of place.

Featuring imaginative animation, Raya and the Last Dragon is a fun animated feature that is packed full of adventure.

7/10