In Defense of Raya And The Last Dragon
When Raya and the Last Dragon came out last year, it was generally met with great reviews and proved to be very popular on Disney+. Yet this film seems to been getting a bad rap since it's release and I don't think that's very fair. The talented people at Walt Disney Animation Studios poured their hearts and souls into this film like always and I feel this film is a lot better than it's detractors give it credit for.
Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada and Don Hall, the film follows Raya as she travels the land of Kumundra to gather the pieces of a magical gem to combat the evil Druun. Along the way she meets the wisecracking optimistic dragon Sisu, a clever boy named Boun, a resourceful con baby Little Noi and her trio of Ongies, and a big brute with a good heart named Tong. Raya is also being perused by her rival Namaari who's collecting the gem pieces for her clan. It seems like a lot to take in, but the film is tightly written as it focuses on Raya's journey and the characters are introduced to her naturally throughout the film. The film also does an excellent job building the world of Kumundra as we explore the different nations and how they operate. The humor is also really well done with plenty of great jokes with clever set ups and wonderfully delivered punchlines. My personal favorite jokes come from Sisu, especially her ablibed lines provided by her voice actress Awkwafina. One point of divisiveness among critics of the film is how the film handles it's message regarding trust. The common critique is that it's too simplified and could be a harmful lesson to kids. First of all, taking the first step to trust someone isn't that complicated. If you want someone to trust you, you got to put in the effort to earn it, and vice versa. Secondly, you do know this is Disney, right? The company that goes above and beyond sending good and helpful messages to kids, who make up a majority of their demographics? Yeah, I think this film did a good job handling it's message and I'm sure kids will aspire to work for trust and give trust when it's earned.
On to the characters, they're all really well defined and relatable to a degree. Starting with our titular heroine, Raya is a brave, smart and determined woman who (like yours truly) has trust issues. She's accompanied by her pill bug/armadillo companion, Tuk Tuk, who's really her only friend at the start of the film. As the film continues she becomes open up more and eventually learn to trust again. This is mainly thanks to the film's secondary protagonist Sisu, who contrasts Raya's cynical attitude with her charming optimism. in addition to that, she's funny, has a big heart and is very helpful. Together they encounter some unique characters from each of the nations. Boun is a clever and resourceful kid that mans the ship they travel along the river. Noi is a mischievous, clever and cute baby who is backed up by her Ongei friends. Tong acts tough and brutish but the reality he has a big heart and like everyone he just wants his family back. Then we have Namaari, the main antagonist as well as the first openly antagonistic Disney villain after a long slew of twist villains. Namaari is a snarky, cunning and fierce woman who makes for a great foil for Raya. Namaari is also very troubled as she was manipulated by her mother to be a villain. Unlike a lot of Disney villains, Namaari is actually good underneath that and after she discovers Sisu has returned, she no longer enjoys being villainous. Raya's father, Benja, and Namaari's mother, Virana, play significant roles in developing the 2 warrior women; the former inspiring his daughter with hope and optimism and the lady manipulating her child with pride and cynicism. Both of their screen times are brief but each second they're on screen is very impactful.
Bringing these characters to life is the exceptional voice cast, comprising of actors of Southeast Asian/East Asian decent. Kelly Marie Tran was brilliant as Raya, making sound very headstrong and brave while also bringing some sass and genuine vulnerability. Awkwafina absolutely killed it as Sisu as she made her funny, charming, relatable and very caring. Izaac Wang did a really good job as Boun, making him sound really smart, confident and bring in some genuine laughs. Thalia Tran was great as Little Noi, who only speaks gibberish because she's a baby but Tran made her sound so confident and brave. Benedict Wong makes the mighty Tong sound big and brutish while also showing his tender and kind-hearted side. Gemma Chan did a great job as Namaari, making her sound very intimidating, sassy and troubled. Jona Xiao also did a really good job voicing Namaari as a child, making her sound so innocent at first and nailing her villainous side after the betrayal. Daniel Dae Kim and Sandra Oh did really good jobs as the parents of Raya and Namaari respectively. DDK makes Benja sound so calm and optimistic while Sandra made Virana sound very calm yet full of authority. I also like Alan Tudyk voicing Tuk Tuk like a warm and cuddly animal that's the size of an SUV.
Visually, the film looks amazing, which is to be expected from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The character designs are all very appealing with big expressive eyes, excellent costumes and unique hair styles. I especially love Sisu's design, as she has such a beautiful bright blue color and her lengthy body makes her super agile, especially in the water. The character animation is also really well done with each character having unique walk cycles and believable body motions. The animation really kicks it in to gear with the actions scene with sharp cinematography, amazing choreography and very hard hitting impacts. The backgrounds are also very well down with the land of Kumundra having such beautiful rivers, luscious forests and well detailed building structures. The filmmakers based Kumundra off of the countries in Southeast Asia and they went above and beyond in being authentic and respectful in the film.
The score by James Newton Howard was very well crafted, incorporating heavy use of drums and strings as well as a choir. The music during the action scenes is especially intense with the characters clashing blows with to the sounds of drums. I also really like the accompanying song by Jhene Aiko, Lead the Way, which is a really nice melodic song that incorporates the film's message into the lyrics.
I do have one critique with the film as a whole and that that I thought the Druun weren't anything to write home about. They serve as an effective conflict to get the hero's on their journey, but I thought they were rather dull formless creatures and weren't that intimating. I would've preferred the original design for the Druun in the deleted scenes that the formless dark clouds we got, but I respect the filmmaker's decision.
Overall, I think Raya and the Last Dragon is a great film that more than earns it's place in the Disney Animated Classics canon. With a strong cast of characters, wonderful animation, a really strong cast, a good message, and intense action scenes, this film is an absolute blast from start to finish. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend checking it out on Disney+ when you get the chance.
