Rated PG | Runtime 117 min | Disney+ Premier Access & In Theatres
Raya and the Last Dragon takes place in the fantastical Kumandra. A land where dragons have bestowed the gifts of nature and protection. Well, that was 500 years ago. No longer united, the people of Kumandra now identify as citizens of their individual regions. As the leader of the Heart tribe, Raya’s father wants to change this. He invites the leaders of the other four tribes to Heart in hopes of once again uniting Kumandra. From there, the plot continues. And the story is paced well.
Raya and the Last Dragon is a solid film. A visually lush, epic adventure story of a girl, a dragon, and their motley crew. The film is made even more enjoyable by the cast and their lively, comical, and empathetic vocal performances. Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars) is the voice of Raya, and joining her are Benedict Wong (Avengers Endgame), Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), to Crazy Rich Asians alums Gemma Chan and Awkwafina.
But, for me, something was missing. The film is plot-driven. And as such, Raya and the Last Dragon misses out on character development. The bones of each character are there, but they feel binary, two-dimensional, flat. Even the mysterious Druun is an abstract enemy. Slightly longer or more in-depth post-climax sequences could have added character dimension and a less abrupt ending.
If you believe representation matters, please support productions with your dollars, euros, rupees, bahts, etc. And really, do you have anything better to do right now. You might as well add this to the rotation of movies you’ve already rewatched ad nauseam.
