The year’s first dose of imagination and escapism has arrived in the form of Raya and the Last Dragon, the latest animated offering from Disney.
Raya and the Last Dragon continues the studio’s efforts for inclusion (both gender and cultural) and representation (drawing inspiration from South East Asian cultures and countries like Singapore, Thailand and Philippines) in their live action as well as animated films, as was the case with Moana, Coco, and Soul . This not only allows for the films to broaden the scope of the target demographic and viewers, but also grants filmmakers the opportunity to experiment with and deliver fresh stories.
Set in the fictional ancient land of Kumandra, the film sees the titular princess Raya on a quest to find the last living Dragon, Sisu, in order to retrieve an ancient artifact and contain a self-sustaining plague that has ravaged the land and turned people to stone, battling rival faction kingdoms out to get the artifact for their own purposes.
The very first frame is enough to grab a hold of your attention and is a testament to the level of precision, detail and care that has gone into crafting this film. The animation is gorgeous and colorful, resulting in the film being wonderfully realized, and boasting some breathtakingly creative sequences.
Likewise, the story is also given the same treatment. It is brilliantly thought out, establishing the characters, mythology and world building in an inventive manner. It is conveyed in a way that is thorough but not too time consuming, and still leaving room for an energetic film brimming with action, adventure and fantasy, akin to Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings.
While Raya and the Last Dragon falls prey to the usual “Disney formula”, it also subverts them in unexpected and surprising ways. The film also stands out as one of the darker entries in the Disney animated canon, despite the presence of genuinely hilarious moments. The prologue sets the stage for a desolate, post-apocalyptic world (reminiscent of Mad Max: Fury Road) where people are driven to mistrust each other, and are in a power struggle with one another, often resorting to tactics, vengeance and violence. This not only makes the resolution of the film feel more seamless and earned, but makes the underlying themes of trust, co-existence, harmony, unity and faith feel more relevant and topical in today’s time.
Kelly Marie Tran and Nora “Awkwafina” Lum as the central characters are other prominent highlights of the film, carrying it with ease via their vocal performances and heartfelt chemistry, with the latter have an evidently great time essaying her role.
Further praise should be given to the action sequences, that are fresh and brilliantly stylized for an animated film (paying great homage to the Asian influences), the diverse set composition, stunning character and creature designs and for James Newton Howard’s catchy musical score.
Raya and the Last Dragon is another strong offering from Disney, and continues to broaden the scope of creativity and imagination from their filmmakers. It is a delightfully entertaining and fresh adventure, enjoyable to viewers of all ages, and one that is sure to excite, engage and stay with you long after.
Texts of A Pop Culture Buff 