With Raya and the Last Dragon, Walt Disney Animation Studios has once again crafted a beautiful animated film. The visual effects, in particular, are nearly indistinguishable from reality. Add a stellar voice cast and a decent story, and you’ve got a top-notch film!
The story revolves around Kumandra, a fictional land based on Southeast Asia, where 500 years ago, a virus erupted and was stopped by the last dragon. Since then, all the dragons have turned to stone, and there is a myth that the last dragon is still hiding somewhere. Due to a dispute, Kumandra is divided into 5 lands that quarrel over who gets to safeguard the last dragon magic. Raya, the daughter of the leader of Heart, protects the last dragon magic with her family. This goes well for years until her father attempts to reunite Kumandra. During this meeting, the orb containing the dragon magic is shattered, allowing the virus to strike again, turning people to stone. In response, each leader takes a piece of the orb and brings it home.
Raya and the Last Dragon delivers a story about selfishness and trust in difficult situations, such as a pandemic. The Super Bowl trailer revealed that the film would be released in theaters whenever possible. Unfortunately, this was hardly possible, thanks to our own pandemic. By releasing the film on Disney+ in March 2021, Disney chose not to show the film in theaters in the Netherlands at all. While starting from March 5, you had to pay an additional VIP fee of €21.99 on top of your Disney+ subscription to watch Raya and the Last Dragon, it is now available to all subscribers.
Visual effects and great voice cast
Raya follows the success of Moana and Brave, where the story and princesses are original and not based on myths, fairy tales, or fables. Raya is also an addition to the list of Disney princesses with an Asian background. After previous criticism of casting white actors in Asian roles, Disney has made a different choice this time. Almost the entire cast consists of stars with an Asian background. Kelly Marie Tran voices Raya, and Awkwafina is an excellent choice for the voice of the dragon, Sisu. Daniel Dae Kim, Gemma Chan, and Sandra Oh, among others, also contribute their voices. Bringing a fictional character to life with just your voice is an art in itself, and the star-studded cast excels at it!
The only downside is occasionally the dialogue itself. Jokes don’t always land well and flatten the film. Despite being a Disney original, the story isn’t exceptionally unique. Many elements resemble other Disney films, making it relatively predictable. But then again, what else do you expect from an animated film suitable for the whole family?
In addition to the well-voiced dialogue, the film’s visual effects are truly remarkable. The numerous natural scenes are barely distinguishable from reality! It’s almost an art to make the animation still look like animation. The clumsy appearance of the dragons, on the other hand, contributes to the animation, and they are also perfectly executed. It’s a pity that Raya and the Last Dragon didn’t appear as a 3D film in theaters. It would undoubtedly have been a feast for the eyes!
Raya and the Last Dragon – DisneyPlus
In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon.
Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, e.a.
Schrijvers: Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim, Paul Briggs
Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios
