Raya and the last dragon
Image Credit: Disney
Simon Dillon,
7th Jun 2021
Tags:
Life
Review
Family
Fantasy
Raya and the Last Dragon is yet another film I refused to watch on streaming, as I wanted to see it at the cinema. Again, I’m glad I waited, as this is much better appreciated at an immersive, big-screen level, where the lovely little nuances of the excellent animation can be appreciated.
I’m also pleased to report that Raya and the Last Dragon is a terrific piece of work; a first-rate fantasy adventure with plenty of action, humour, and heart.
In the fantasy land of Kumandra, Raya is a young warrior trained by her father Benja to defend a mysterious gem containing the power exuded by the last dragons. The dragons died to stop evil spirits known as the Druun from ravaging the world and turning people to stone. Unfortunately, people then turned on one another to possess the gem, which led to a world divided into regions named after parts of the dragon (Fang, Tail, Talon, Spine, and Heart, where Raya lives). Benja longs for the reunification of Kumandra, but after the gem is shattered in an attack on its secret location, the Druun return. Catastrophic events follow, propelling Raya on a quest to locate the final, long-lost dragon that survived the previous war with the Druun, in the hope of restoring Kumandra for good.
Raya is assisted by a bunch of oddball characters.
Along the way, Raya is assisted by a bunch of oddball characters including a ten-year-old boat restauranteur, a con artist baby and her monkey entourage, a savage warrior from Spine, and Raya’s trusty steed, a cross between an armadillo and pill bug. When find-the-dragon quest evolves into locate-all-the-gem-pieces quest, plenty of thrills ensue, including chases, fights, a Raiders of the Lost Ark style booby trap escapade, and plenty of close shaves involving the Druun, which resemble a purple version of the Obscurus from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
As already mentioned, the animation, overseen by directors Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs, and John Ripa, is superb. Whether depicting foggy forests, desert wastelands, lantern-lit towns, or rainbow-coloured dragons, the brilliantly framed visuals are a delight for the eye. Conversely, James Newton Howard’s score is a delight for the ear. The narrative is engaging and satisfying, and the vocal performances – including Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Alan Tudyk – are all solid.
Raya is a terrific protagonist.
Family-friendly themes of courage, overcoming division, and learning to trust are present but not preachy. In addition, the film has a strong emotional core, allowing the viewer to genuinely care about the various characters, and root for their success in attempting to break the power of the Druun. Raya is a terrific protagonist, with proper action chops, and I expect she’ll prove inspiring to many younger audience members.
In short, Raya and the Last Dragon is great fun; not necessarily groundbreaking, but as a piece of adventure entertainment, hard to fault. One more thing: If you’re going to see this at the cinema (and you really should), don’t turn up late and miss the magical, lovely Singin’ in the Rain-inspired short Us Again that plays before the main feature.
