Disney’s first Southeast Asian themed film is otherwise an amalgamation of their greatest hits: odd couple on the road, searching for a missing (fill in the blank) while learning life lessons along the way. Of course, the story is deeper than that, perhaps too deep, but you get the idea. So how does this tried and true formula work this time?
Pretty darn well, actually. In some ways, the storyline is unnecessarily complicated, and I don’t know if the tiniest of tots will make it through in one sitting- it’s more targeted for thoughtful tweens. The main character, Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) is from a place that was once called the land of Kumandra, a collection of united territories settled along parts of a dragon-shaped lake. But mistrust and betrayal among the tribes led to the splitting of the states that now bear the names Heart, where Raya is from, Talon, Fang, Tail and Spine. Are you writing all this down? Don’t worry, there won’t be a test.
500 years later, and in a quest to find 5 pieces of a magical stone that was splintered along with the tribes, and must be put back together to, hopefully, reunite people once more- Raya will venture upon that quest with a sassy dragon voiced with comedic aplomb by Awkwafina…jeez, I’m already tired of explaining the plot. Let’s get to the part you need to know:
Visually, Raya and the Last Dragon is stunning – absolutely gorgeous. The artists have incorporated elements from the various countries (and one should know that these countries are unique from one another) like Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore, among others. Beyond that, every drop of water, every leaf on a tree or wince on a character’s face is a technical and artistic marvel. The movie’s universe is a wondrous place to inhabit for a coupla hours.
Sisu, the titular last dragon (again there’s a back story about her that I’ll leave you to learn) is the Pumbaa to Raya’s Timon. She’s got a face unlike any dragon you’ve ever seen in the movies-expressive, rubbery, and funny. An old person like me might see a hint of Phyllis Diller in there somewhere.
Another interesting character is Namaari (Gemma Chan), the daughter of a rival chief, she and Raya become close before a betrayal drives them apart. Maybe I’m seeing things that are not there, but the dynamics between Raya and Namaari seem romantic. Are they homosexual? You could make the case, and to the extent that such a thing matters, I believe it adds an interesting subtext to the story arc between the characters. Just an observation.
The movie’s message is that trust is the key to unification. The film goes against its own ethos by having the characters who display trust getting burned for it time and again, but I suppose all’s well that ends well, and all does, in fact, end well (Dude, it’s a Disney film).
Raya and the Last Dragon|3 out of 4 Stars| Reviewed by Kyle Osborne|
In some theaters and Available on Disney Plus as a Premier Access title. If you have a Disney Plus subscription, you’ll need to pay a one-time $30 fee to unlock the film. Raya and the Last Dragon will be available to all Disney+ subscribers beginning on June 4 at no extra cost beyond the normal monthly subscription rate.
