'Raya and the Last Dragon' is the latest animated film from Walt Disney Pictures and features the voice talents of Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina. The story tells the tale of a land divided into various factions whose distrust and anger lead to a dystopian era and the release of hideous creatures who turn all they touch into stone, including the mystical dragons that once protected mankind. Several years later, we follow the titular character as she travels through the world in an attempt to save it, meeting Sisou who is the last living dragon and key to salvation.
Whatever problems I may personally have with Disney as a company, I can't deny that their recent animated features have been high quality and 'Raya' is no different. What is now known as Disney's Second Renaissance is still on a roll here with the quality you'd expect by now. The animation is a beautiful mixture of various cultures of Asia and each land is unique and memorable. The music by James Newton Howard is another masterpiece, though a bit quiet in places. The film has some big action set pieces not seen in a Disney animation in quite a while, with the high quality choreography seen in live-action films.
Overall this is a much darker story than usual with only a few moments of the typical comic relief thrown in. The story's themes of trust, revenge, and redemption are strong ones not usually seen enough of in Disney or even modern animated films and it's cool to see the studio tackle a more mature film like this. My only real drawbacks are with the usual kids film trappings such as the previously mentioned comic relief and the story feels too similar to previous films and shows like 'Moana' and 'The Last Airbender' but these really are little more than personal nitpicks.
'Raya and the Last Dragon' is an excellent film to usher in the recent reopening of theaters nationwide. I highly recommend seeing it in theaters if at all possible. It's beautiful, dark, fun, and action-packed with really positive messages to teach kids that's been sorely lacking in family films lately. And props to the opening short, which is a sweet little cartoon that tells its story in song and dance that's likely up for an award.
A+
Photo(s) & Video are the property of the Walt Disney Company.
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