Disney’s 59th animated feature has arrived in select theaters and for a premium price on Disney+. It might be the lone movie that hasn’t been delayed due to the current conditions in the world.
Raya (Kellie Marie Tran) lives in a fantastical world where dragons once kept the world united, but have been absent from the planet for hundreds of years. With an old threat returning to wipe out civilization, she must seek out the last dragon and reclaim what it will take to save everyone.
With each feature, Disney’s animators are consistently improving the visuals. Raya excels here, being a spectacle that’s so visually pleasing. We follow Raya as she travels the world of Kumandra. Each nation has a unique environment and color scheme. Thus, every section of the movie stands out as she journeys through auburn deserts, blue-neon markets, and dusty grey ruins.
Raya does not follow the trajectory of the majority of animated Disney movies. This is an action-adventure that focuses on close-combat fight scenes. However, parents shouldn’t be alarmed. The action is fun to watch and completely harmless. Every impact or impending blow is removed. It will excite children with its fights and near non-stop movement. Everyone else will enjoy the visual aspect and choreography, despite the fact that there are no actual stakes.
The titular Last Dragon (voiced by Awkwafina) is here to be the central comic relief character. In real life, Awkwafina has a larger than life personality and it fits the way the character was written. Her voice and comedic timing is unmistakable. In fact, the entire cast (Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, and Sandra Oh, among others) totally shine. There is not a weak link here.
Unfortunately, the script these actors are given is incredibly weak. The world created here can’t decide if it’s an authentic land built on honor and customs OR if everyone speaks with the delivery of Gen-Z teens on TikTok. I imagine the modern dialect choices were purposeful in an attempt to appeal to a young audience, but it completely took me out of the movie.
Because of its purposeful outreach to younger viewers, I’m surprised there isn’t a single musical number. Not only do original songs help with pacing, but they help with exposition in a memorable way. Raya desperately needed a musical number to give her more depth, because as it stands, she feels like a side character in her own movie. I understand this is a movie about connection and unity, but so little is done to tell us why to care about these characters, that each of them are one-dimensional.
Raya and the Last Dragon is a better than average animated experience because of the incredible animation and voice work. This is a beautiful movie that will be a good way to help the younger, and older among us, pass time. Sadly, it doesn’t reach the heights of Moana (or fantastic animated movies released last year – Over the Moon, WolfWalkers). It’s a sweet movie that could have been propelled by musical numbers and a script worthy of the work the animators put in. This is worth waiting till it’s free on Disney+. C+
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