Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.
As a kid, one film that i had a fond memory in the VHS days is Disney's Mulan, this classic film came out during the Renaissance era in 1998, its about Chinese girl Fa Mulan who disguises as a man to not only replace her father in secret (due to his health issue), but also save the country from the Huns, along with her dragon sidekick Mushu. Ok, so we have a classic film from Disney Renaissance that i had a good'ol times, but what about Disney did the same thing, but taken place in Southeast Asia that instead of saving the country, but all about finding dragon's treasure, right?
"Raya and the last dragon" is a 2021 animated fantasy action/adventure film that was directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada (both of them also a writers of the story), produced by Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho, screen-written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim (also for story), then story written by Paul Briggs, Kiel Murray, Qui Nguyen, John Ripa and Dean Wellins.
Ever since we have plenty of princesses in Disney, the studio decided to make another Asian princess (despite we already have Mulan, but i digress), but they wanted to focus on serious tone movie, not just for kids, but for nearly mature audience as well, mainly a recent action film in Asia (again, Mulan did it first in Renaissance) and world building. Not to mention, its the first film to be made from a new leaders after John Lasseter calling quit from um... Unprofessional act. Where Pete Doctor took over as Chief Creative Officer in Pixar, while in Disney animation studio's CCO is Jennifer Lee (after being exhausted from being a mother and a co-director of Frozen 2). As we all know, this film was supposed to be released in November 25th, 2020. But due to 2020 being the S***iest year ever from... Obvious reason. They decided to pushing ahead to March 5th of this year, not just releasing on theaters, but also on Disney+, but the downside is that despite you paid a subscription fee on Disney+ monthly, you also gotta a Premier Access before you watch a recent film.
Don't you just hated when your theater was shut down that gotta go to the video-on-demand brand like Disney, and all the sudden you gotta pay an expensive access to see a recent film? I know how you feel if you're seriously need to be rich as hell! (Sorry for reaching my limit.)
So, with all that said, will this film with give us the magic for peace, or is this film that i would love to die into a stone?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
With the movie about the dragon, we expected for our hero's adventure to bring peace to save ther other dragons and even humanity? Well, in case of writing, its surprisingly well, for the most parts i assume.
The plot takes place in fictional Asian world known as Kumandra, a world where its based on dragon's body parts that the humanity live together with the dragons. However, a ravaging plague called Druun are spreading in attempt to wiping the dragons and humans, but one dragon, Sisu, was the last one to save the world thanks to using the magic gem. But the damage was already done that humans in five tribes, Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon, and Tail, are turning against each others. 500 years later, we introduce a girl Raya, a warrior princess of Heart who lives with her father to watch the magic gem to be safe, one day, they brought over four other tribes for the feast to hopefully that everything is gonna be fine, however, Raya meets the princess of Fang named Namaari to hanging out together for not just wanting to see dragons again, but also checking the magic gem, but that ended up got Namaari's attention to get a gem for the tribe's will, resulting into a fight, but once the gem got dropped and broken, not only they took the pieces, but ended up making a huge risk that the Druun are coming back to turning almost all humans into stone, including Raya's beloved Benja. 6 years later, Raya is on her mission that not only capturing five shards of gems to save the world, but also helping the last dragon Sisu.
I gotta say, the writing of the story and the setting is not only impressive, but also intense that Disney are not screwing around, sure it does paces itself to refresh from action scenes with heart warming and fun moments, but its quite like a rollercoaster ride. The fascinating part about this film is not just the story or the intensity, its the setting in Kumandra, its pretty cool for the world building for their origins and the challenges to survive from the Druun. But of course, since this is a Disney, there's always gotta be the message in this film, its about unity and trust to save their lives as possible without killing each others, and that makes the writing's execution done well. Once again, since this is a Disney animated movie, there's always gotta add some humors in this film, i find them to be fun, i did chuckles and smiles at some points, but other times some jokes could be immature, like a beetles acting like a landmine with a methane gas with explosion (Cause you know, fart jokes??), although there some jokes that i a problem, but il save for later.
While the jokes are a double edged sword, but the writing are well done for the story, world building and even messages.
The Animation
Since this is a Disney animated film, you think this film looks always impressive with $100 mission+? Well, what do i have to judge, this movie looks impressive as always.
For the starter, the world setting is obviously done based on traditional Southeast Asian cultures and i think they did a nice work for its design of the villages and the people. It makes it look beautiful and colorful, from blue and jade in Heart, a orange desert on Tail, a flashy purple in the village of Talon, a icy deep blue in forest on Spine to rich appearance in Fang. Its a well crafted setting what they're going for.
As for the animations with quality and effects, they're pretty good and beautifully done with all the textures of the design, the effects of the magics from the dragon like Sisu and evil threats like Druun, and a realistic feel from the mist, snow and even water.
And as for the movements, when its all quite, its all nice and smooth for the humans, but when we're reaching to the action scenes, their moves are also good, but even if they move sorta like in Star Wars The Clone Wars show, but in fairness, at least the action scenes are fun to watch. But of course, for Sisu's animation, her design looks pretty cool and has a quirky and quicker move in her style, as a last dragon of Kurmandra.
Surprisingly, the movie doesn't have a musical parts, since it focused more on action impact film, understandable, but i get used to it from other studios.
The animation are outstanding for the effects, the presentation of the setting and the action scenes.
The Characters
With a fascinating world building in Kumandra, you think the characters are trust worthy? Well, i probably think so.
Lets start with our titular hero Raya herself (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran), a lone warrior princess of Heart who's on her journey with her pet rider Tuk-Tuk to seeking Sisu to bring back the way it used to be in her past since she lost her father from Druun. It may sounds like she's gonna be an anti-hero, but she's a fierce and courageous in her personality, despite she has a road block of trusting people. Even though she's a flawed warrior princess, but at least she's fascinating and well-written protagonist. But i will give a credit for Kelly Tran, at least her role is a lot better than being in Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Next up is Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina), who's the last dragon in Kumandra with her quirky personality. Even though she's also a fascinating sidekick in this movie, but this leads to my criticism. Don't give me wrong, i may like Sisu, but its just that the way of her appearance and being a comedic role is pretty much the gender bender version of Mushu from Mulan, which similar to Eddie Murphy to fit his personality to Mushu, Awkwafina does it too on her own comedic role. But again, im not saying i dislike her, i find her likable, but its just that she just comes off as unfitting and unoriginal since its been done before. But once again, il give a credit that Awkwafina did a pretty good work of her role and she's also a well-written character.
And we have our main antagonist, Namaari (voiced by Gemma Chan), another warrior princess, but from Fang that caused Raya having a trust issue from her childhood, but like Raya, she also needs the shards of magic gem for her own will. She's a rather a good villain on her role, which at first, we thought it gonna be good when Heart and Fang merge together after being an enemy, but she swerved us that she's the main villain for looking at the magic gem all along, even though im aware she's similar to Mother Gothel from Tangled (Even though i've never seen it, but maybe i will on Disney+). Despite some similar, but she looks cool and Gemma did a nice work of her role.
As for the rest of the characters, most of them that we have are Raya's sidekicks. There's Boun (voiced by Izaac Wang), who's a young entrepreneur and a captain of his ship "Shrimporium" from Tail tribe, Noi (voiced by Thalia Tran), who's strangely a baby con-artist with her ninja skills from Talon, Tong (voiced by Benedict Wong, aka Wong in MCU) who's a big brute from Spinal, but has a kind-heart and formidable persona to seeks revenge for losing his entire people in Spinal, Chief Benja (voiced by Daniel Dae Kim, aka Johnny Gat from Saints Row series), who's Raya's father to teaching her to be the guardian of the magic gem, Virana (voiced by Sandra Oh) who's the chieftess pf Fang and Namaari's mother, and Tuk-Tuk (voiced by Alan Tudyk) who's Raya's pet rider that it looks like a cross between armadillo and a pill bug.
Do these character that i can trust them? Well, i'd say yeah, they're fascinated and likable that we can relate. While Sisu is fun, but could've been something original than being a copycat.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall, Raya and the last dragon is a pretty good, but its not as perfectly epic as Frozen. While it has some mixed bag jokes that i had some issue and Sisu being female version of Mushu, but everything is pretty good. With well-written story for its setting, the plot and the moral, the animation are still outstanding and the characters are fun and also well-written.
Even though im probably late to talking about it on spring of 2021, but hey, its always my depending mood for my review or not.
For my recommendation, i'd say give this one a look, cause im sure some of you will love this movie. Even though its not as perfect as Frozen, but its still a great film to watch.
For my rating, its pretty close, but as i said, it wasn't as perfect as i expected. So, il give it a 9/10.
So this ends of my movie review after my long hiatus, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on https://ko-fi.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
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