Raya and the Last Dragon is a 2021 Disney animated feature set in the fictional world of Kumandra where the titular protagonist has to track down the last dragon and save humanity.
Disney is on a roll right now! Their lineup of animated features has been quite impressive lately, and fans are excited to see more. Raya and the Last Dragon is now their latest title that you should be looking forward to. Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada with a screenplay written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, it stars Kelly Marie Tran in the titular role of Raya, and it also features other incredibly talented actors such as Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong and Sandra Oh. It’s truly a magical cinematic experience that you’ll be sure to have a great time with.
Taking place in the fictional fantasy world of Kumandra where humans and dragons have lived together, the story focuses on our main protagonist Raya (Tran) who is looking for the last dragon known as Sisu (Awkwafina) in order to hopefully save the world before the evil spirits take over. As the movie goes on, she then meets up with a gang of misfits from different tribes, and they’re going to unite and bring peace to Kumandra once and for all. It admittedly sounds like a very formulaic premise, but it’s still a magnificent film with sensational characters and stunning animation that you would expect from Disney by now.
The entire voice cast does a great job with their roles, and they all add something important to their characters. As the lead hero, Tran makes Raya such a likable protagonist, while also bringing a ton of wonder and heart to the film. The bond she eventually forms with the rest of the group is quite touching to see. However, the real standout is the outstanding Awkwafina as the dragon Sisu. She’s fantastic as always, but this will easily be recognized as one of the highlights of her acting career. The bummer is that the warrior princess Namaari, voiced by Chan, is unfortunately pretty underdeveloped, because her motivations are unclear sometimes.
Right from the intro, the filmmakers do an amazing job of setting up the world of Kumandra to the audience. Visually, it’s remarkable to look at. The culture that they showcase from start to finish is so incredibly unique. This is such a vibrant and colorful movie, and you obviously have to praise the animators for their hard work. The pacing does admittedly feel rushed at times, because when they go from one tribe to another, it’s not always cohesive. The narrative flow does tend to lose itself during some scenes, but then it picks itself back up in the last act.
Raya and the Last Dragon is another worthy addition to Disney’s library of animated classics. Even with its flaws, families will have a spectacular time watching this magnificent film. You can tell this is a very special story for the filmmakers, and they have all worked so hard to bring their vision to life. If you’re a Disney fan, you certainly do not want to miss this.