Raya and the Last Dragon

Raya and the Last Dragon
Starring Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Benedict Wong
Directed by Don Hall & Carlos Lopez Estrada

Disney has been making beautifully animated films for eighty years and I'm fully convinced they can churn out another blockbuster in their sleep. "Raya and the Last Dragon" is Disney's 59th animated feature, and much like its predecessors will go on in decades to come to be another fantastic, lavish, beautifully animated, directed, and performed story that highlights the culture of Southeast Asia, as well as providing an exciting, action-adventure epic with a true emotional resonance at its core.

Five hundred years ago in the land of Kumandra, an army of evil beings known as Druun ransacked the land, turning anyone they touched into stone, including the land's dragons. The last dragons to survive formed a powerful gem that banished the Druun, and managed to turn all the humans back to life, but not the dragons, who remained petrified stone, except for one - Sisu (Awkwafina), who was thought long dead. This led to Kumandra being divided into five different territories, while the gem remained in the land known as Heart.

Five hundred years later, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) is tasked with protecting the gem from the other nations, who all wish to wield its power for their own. Despite a longing to bring the nations together by her father Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim), the tribes ended up fighting one another - after Raya befriended the Fang leader's daughter Namaari (Gemma Chan), who sought the gem for her people - resulting in the gem getting shattered, each tribe taking a piece to their land, and re-awakening the Drunn, who continued their rampage across the land, once again turning everyone (including Benja) to stone.

Six years later, Raya is now a fierce warrior who's traversing the six lands to gather all the pieces of the gem together and find Sisu, whom she believes is still alive, in hopes of not just bringing her father back, but restoring Kumandra to its original glory. The only problem is that she has a problem trusting others, so when she finds Sisu and the dragon wants to befriend others, Raya objects due to her past hurts, which causes friction between the two. As they go from land to land gathering pieces and befriending allies, Namaari remains hot on her heels, hoping to get the gem for herself and bring everyone together under Fang's leadership.

Disney has been known to incorporate different regions, religions, beliefs, and practices to their films, as long gone are the days of the classic white female princess who only desires a man. With the likes of Moana, Merida, Mulan, Jasmine, and now Raya, Disney shows that princesses aren't always wealthy, elitist women whose only desire is marriage, but are fierce, independent fighters in their own right. "Raya and the Last Dragon" is the first Disney animated film to focus on Southeast Asia (basing Kumandra off Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Laos), and the first to showcase an Asian princess in Raya. The film showcased the Southeast Asian culture and brought it to vivid life with animation that continues to look more and more realistic, visiting lands that blend the traditional with the modern, and provide a solid story with deep morals that grown ups and kids can appreciate.

The film follows a traditional pattern where our heroes embark on a perilous, multi-destination journey to gather a McGuffin (an object or device in a movie or book that serves merely as a trigger for the plot) - in this case the missing shards of the gem - but it's far more than your typical animated adventure. The relationship between Raya and Sisu couldn't be more opposite: Raya is distrustful and reserved, while Sisu is energetic, lively, and sees the good in everything, proving them to be the perfect odd couple, and who can both be relatable. We connect with Raya's skepticism of trusting people after she befriended Namaari, which resulted in the gem breaking and the evil being unleashed in the world, but still there has to be some people out there that can be trusted. We connect with Sisu's infectious optimism, wanting ourselves to see the good in everyone, but also understanding that people are flawed and will ultimately look out for their own best interests.

The vocal talent is simply amazing, which again is something you'd wholly imagine in a Disney film. Kelly Marie Tran gives Raya an equal feel of vulnerability and strength, as she continues to distrust people due to the hurt she went through in the past (undoubtedly Tran relied on her own tumultuous relationships with online bullies after "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" to bring this vulnerability to life). Awkwafina continues to dazzle with her upbeat optimism that never feels forced or over-the-top, but goes right to the limit without crossing it. Gemma Chan's Namaari is the most conflicted character, a woman who wants to please her ruling mother and country, but also deals with wanting to do the right thing for everyone.

Then there's the supporting characters on Raya's adventure. Izaac Wang plays Boun, a street-smart kid who controls the boat they travel on. Benedict Wong plays Tong, a warrior from the Spine Land who joins Raya after she discovers he's the last of his people, a man with a gruff exterior but a sweet interior. Thalia Tran stars as Little Noi, an infant that Raya meets in Talon Land who's a grifter and robber along with her three Ongis - monkey-like animals that adopted the young tyke. While each supporting character supplies their own charm and humor, they too have a deeper emotional depth than you'd expect from side characters. Boun lost his entire family after they were turned to stone. Boun lost his wife and child. Little Noi lost her mother, which is why the Ongis adopted her. The stakes are high for everyone involved to bring back what was lost, and the only thing really standing in their way is each other.

"Raya and the Last Dragon" focuses heavily on the aspect of who the enemy really is, and once again Disney hits the nail on the head with its current theme. Nowadays we're at each others' throats simply because we've been told that so-and-so is the enemy, but are they really? We allow ourselves to become divided by ideological politics and prejudices, mistrust and backstabbing, when we really should all come together as one: and only then will we see true change, and see the world restored to its natural beauty. Unfortunately, unlike "Raya," I doubt we'll ever have such a Disney happy ending.

Showcasing the Southern Asian culture, "Raya and the Last Dragon" is filled with life-affirming messages, stunning animations, exceptional voice acting, and an action-adventure epic that'll keep the children entertained and the adults enlightened.

The Score: A+