Funny, heartfelt, and most of all, visually stunning, “Raya and the Last Dragon” is the kind of movie that makes me miss the theater experience. Disney’s latest animated pic is a sumptuous fantasy inspired by mythology and imagery from several Southeast Asian cultures, and features the studio’s first Southeast Asian princess.
Besides being an important and overdue milestone, “Raya and the Last Dragon” is simply great entertainment for kids and adults alike. Its exposition-heavy intro going into detail about how the idyllic world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons once lived alongside one another, was forever changed by an evil force will go well over many younger audience members’ heads, but the rest of the plot is easy enough to follow along, and besides, every scene is visually dynamic. This gorgeous film would almost be worth watching even on mute.
The story takes place 500 years after the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity from the Druun, a “mindless plague” that transforms living creatures into stone. Since then, Kumandra has been divided into disparate factions and tensions are high, with some societies thriving and others struggling. Still, everyone is protected from the Druun — until the gemstone containing the last bit of magic dragon is broken into pieces, weakening its powers and reawakening the Druun, who swiftly turn Kumandra into a post-apocalyptic nightmare with threats lurking around every corner.
A lone warrior, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), is determined to track down the legendary — some say fictional — last dragon, Sisu. She manages to summon Sisu (Awkwafina), who isn’t quite the majestic creature she envisioned, and the pair team up to collect the pieces of the gemstone and restore it to its former glory, saving Kumandra and uniting its people.
Awkwafina is perfectly cast as Sisu, bringing warmth and humor to the overly excited and idealistic dragon.
Raya and Sisu’s high stakes journey sees them assembling a rag-tag group of allies and traveling across different lands. The epic adventure through varied landscapes was a powerful reminder of just how much I’m missing traveling in the age of COVID-19, but it was lovely to tag along with Raya on her big trip.
That trip is about more than Raya showing off her considerable swordsmanship and survival skills. To save her land and its divided people, the fiercely independent warrior needs to learn how to rely on and trust other people — even her enemies. At its core, “Raya and the Last Dragon” is a testament to teamwork. And refreshingly, unlike so many Disney films before it, a handsome prince has no role to play. Along with her comrades, Raya manifests her own happy ending sans a love interest.
“Raya and the Last Dragon” is now in theaters and available for rent on Disney+. Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen penned its script.
