Raya and The Last Dragon – A Timely Animated Adventure (Early Review)

The best animated films offer a hopeful window into the times in which they were made. Today’s world has become a very fractured place, one divided into ideological and/or socio-economic factions with very little hope to move beyond that. While it seems like at times like there’s no hope, there’s always a way and that way is together. It may be a simple concept but it isn’t always an easy one to employ. Not only to the better animated films entertain viewers of all ages, they offer some of that depth to make them stand out and give them staying power. Raya and The Last Dragon, is the latest animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios and the latest one to get the Disney+ Premier Access treatment alongside a theatrical release wherever it is possible. That being said, some may not have a choice regarding how they can view the film and the Premiere Access rental price may be a dealbreaker for some. Whichever was audiences choose, they will be treated to a fun time though maybe not an overly original one or one worth going out of one’s way for.

Raya and The Last Dragon takes place in the world of Kumandra where humans and dragons lived together in perfect harmony until an evil force terrorized the land and forced the dragons to sacrifice themselves. Now 500 years later, that force returned to a less harmonious and fractured world. All that stood to keep it all together was Raya (Tran) who was tasked to scour the land for the last dragon in the hopes of repairing the fractured land and people and ensuring their future like her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim) wanted. Little did she know that her journey served as a microcosm of where the land as a whole currently stood. If she was going to succeed, it would have to be a team effort where Raya needed to learn to trust others and herself. Suffice it to say that it was easier said than done. While that arc is certainly a predictable one, it was still compelling to watch as it took her across the land where she had the chance to get up close and personal with the people of the surrounding lands and their cultures.

Raya and The Last Dragon broke up the seriousness of Raya’s journey through humor which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to any Disney fans. Working more often than not, the film was full of hijinks and legitimately hilarious standout moments with plenty of scene-stealing characters including a baby and some monkeys just to name a few.  The story may not be new but what made it work was the camaraderie between Raya and the cast of characters she befriended over the course of her adventure. They were consistently fun to watch together as they all had a vested interest in Raya’s quest. But in the end, this was Raya’s story and that arc was easily the best part of the film. With a brisk running time clocking in at around the 100 minute mark, not a moment is wasted as the film moves at a fast pace. Despite the familiar story, it’s still easy to get invested emotionally in the characters all the way to what will be another emotional ending that still delivered so be prepared.

In terms of animation, Raya and The Last Dragon was stellar and upper tier animation though not quite reaching the top. Even so, the sheer scope and vibrancy of Kumandra was still something to behold while the character detail was still quite impressive. However, what makes it all work was its performances across the board. Tran was phenomenal as Raya, commanding the screen with a vulnerable and relatable turn as a young and broken down woman. Meanwhile, Awkwafina was pretty much Awkwafina as Sisu, the titular last dragon. Though her voice can be an acquired taste in most films, she worked more often than not and was hilarious to watch while her chemistry with Tran was endearing.

At the end of the day, Raya and The Last Dragon may not reach the heights of the top Disney animation, not that it has to, but is still a worthy and timely adventure whenever or however audiences choose to view it.

still courtesy of Disney

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.