If you asked me to sum up “Raya and the Last Dragon” in one word, I would say “trust.” It follows the journey of Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a warrior charged with saving the world from evil, blob-like monsters called the Druun that turn humans into stone, in the dystopian ruins of the once-united land of Kumandra. With the guidance of the great dragon Sisu (Awkwafina), she travels in search of the shards of the dragon gem, making allies from different tribes as they attempt to unite all the pieces and banish the Druun once and for all. However, Raya has to deal with her former-friend-turned-betrayer Namaari (Gemma Chan), who is hot on her heels and intent on taking the gem for herself, turning her back on the world to guarantee that only her own tribe survives the impending apocalypse.
Throughout the movie, Raya breaks the traditional Disney princess mold, following in the footsteps of Disney’s Mulan by being extremely competent and independent. However, she struggles with trusting people, spurred by Namaari’s betrayal and the cutthroat surroundings she finds herself in. This allows Raya to kick ass on screen while also being an imperfect person, dealing with her inner demons as she grows and improves herself. It’s extremely satisfying to see Raya slowly learn to put her faith in others in order to defeat the Druun and restore Kumandra’s long-lost unity.
Raya’s character development is enhanced by amazing world-building, incorporating inspiration from Southeast Asian cultures, while also creating completely new traditions unique to the fictitious land of Kumandra. The production team even hired language-creator David J. Peterson, the man behind Dothraki and Valyrian from “Game of Thrones” and, more recently, Ravkan and Fjerdan from the Netflix series “Shadow and Bone,” to make a Kumandran language. This results in a script sprinkled with invented words like “binturi” (traitor) and “dep la” (best friend), giving the setting a new kind of richness I have not felt in other Disney films.
While “Frozen” has Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go,” which has been seared into the brains of every elementary school child and their parents for all eternity, and Moana has songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” fame, Disney made the choice not to make “Raya and the Last Dragon” a musical. According to production staff, they broke the tradition because they didn’t feel that bursting into song would suit the more serious, dystopian mood they were trying to create. Still, as someone who loves listening to (and singing) Disney songs long after the movies have been released, this is a bit of a disappointment. The soundtrack is a catchy blend of Southeast Asian instruments and modern musical techniques, but it still doesn’t quite cut it in my eyes.
Another problem I had with “Raya and the Last Dragon” was the simplicity of its message. Previously, I said I was able to sum up Raya in one word, but I’m not sure that’s such a good thing. Yes, all kids movies have themes, but Raya’s was so focused and singular that at times it felt like it was drilling the values of trust and unity deep into my skull. Occasionally, it felt a bit forced, but it can be overlooked for everything else this movie has to offer.
I think “Raya and the Last Dragon” is a great movie. However, it’s hard for me not to compare it with some of its Disney forerunners. I fully admit bias here. I was around the target age group for “Frozen” and “Moana” when they were released, and those movies both carry a lot of nostalgia for me. It’s unrealistic to expect “Raya” to speak to 18-year-old me in the same way. Personally, I feel that “Moana” especially had more impressive animation (that ocean, that hair!), and pioneered some of the things that “Raya” gets credit for, like featuring a female lead without a love interest. Still, “Raya” is unique and groundbreaking enough to stand on its own, and is well on its way to becoming the next Disney classic.
Photo courtesy of Disney.com
