To Bring Back Their Loved Ones, a Woman and Dragon Unite

Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) in
"Raya and the Last Dragon"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

In terms of computer animation, it seems as though Walt Disney Animation Studios has caught up with the vividness and originality of Pixar.  Between movies like “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Frozen,” “Big Hero 6,” “Zootopia,” and “Moana,” we’ve seen how Disney has developed another branch for their impressive animation output to provide audiences with memorable animated movies outside Pixar.

We now have their next animated adventure with directors Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada’s film, “Raya and the Last Dragon.”  Although it doesn’t quite reach the heights of some of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s previous films, it still manages to be a heartfelt and beautifully animated tale.

Centuries ago, the dragons of Kumandra placed their power in an orb that wards off evil spirits known as the Druun.  After a dispute over the orb, the people of Kumandra divide into five tribes along a river that resembles a dragon: Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon, and Tail.  Five hundred years later, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a young woman from the Heart tribe, escapes an attack on her home from the Druun and sets out to find the only surviving dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina).  Raya and Sisu then go on a journey to find the missing orb pieces amongst the other tribes and use the power to defeat the Druun once and for all.

Tran delivers an emotional vocal performance as the film’s protagonist, evoking a strength that helps you get caught up in Raya’s determination to reach success in her quest.  As Raya must overcome her flaws, Tran’s investment in her character helps to create an engaging heroine who has a lot to lose, but does everything that she can to defeat the all encompassing evil.

Awkwafina brings her comedic talents to the role of the fast-talking, humorous Sisu.  She continues the tradition of Disney’s witty sidekicks to create a character who’s as memorable as many of those sidekicks who’ve come before, giving the audience a lot of entertaining back-and-forth between her and Raya that keeps their friendship entertaining.  However, just like Raya, Sisu has much to fight for, and Awkwafina’s ability to transition to the dramatic side of Sisu when needed allows us to feel for her character as she ponders her own losses and tries to recover what she’s been living without.

Although there are some the supporting characters who get a tad annoying, there are a few who stand out, such as Daniel Dae Kim, who voices Chief Benja, the wise and peaceful leader of Kumandra’s Heart Land and Raya’s father; Gemma Chan, who voices Namaari, a warrior princess from the Fang Land and Raya’s conflicted nemesis; and Sandra Oh, who voices Virana, leader of the Fang Land and Namaari’s calm and calculated mother.

The screenplay by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim carries several of the beats as other Disney animated movies and have the same messages of believe-in-yourself and see-the-goodness-in-others that we’ve seen many times before, but those messages still have some freshness to them because of the new environments in which the movie takes place.  The story’s main strength lies in how it establishes the history of Kumandra and the impact that it has on the present events of the movie. The first 20 minutes of the film are dedicated toward the cause of the main conflict between the tribes, which is then followed by a sequence that shows the experiences of a younger Raya as they propel her to go on her journey.  This set of events invites us into Raya’s quest as we get an idea of what she will be up against.

Hall and Estrada do well in acquainting us with the environment of the movie.  Just like the many other worlds that Walt Disney Animation Studios has brought to life over the years in their computer-animated films, such as Arendelle in “Frozen,” San Fransokyo in “Big Hero 6,” the titular metropolis of Zootopia, and others, the world within “Raya and the Last Dragon” is gorgeously realized as we venture through the five tribal lands of Kumandra and the regions in between.  We’re given a full sense of who and what resides within this world, such as the desert wasteland of Tail, the snow-covered Spine, and the regality of Fang, introducing us to fascinating settings that are rendered with terrific details.

The directing duo also gives us some wonderful action, particularly the fight sequences between Raya and Namaari, and the characters’ fast and complex movements that they exhibit as they engage in combat help maintain the thrills during these segments.

“Raya and the Last Dragon” may be a little less than some of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s other computer-animated movies from the last few years, but there’s still enough fire in it to entertain and move you.

Grade: B+