Raya And The Last Dragon (Animated Movie Review)

 

Title: Raya and the Last dragon

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Language: English

Running time: 107 Minutes

Released: March 5, 2021

Network: Disney+Hotstar

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis:

Raya, a fallen princess, must track down the legendary last dragon to stop the evil forces that have returned and threaten her world.

Review:

Raya and the Last dragon is an animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. This movie was theatrically released in US on March 5, 2021. It is also available in Disney+Hotstar access as a result of covid pandemic's impacts on theatrical release.

A power struggle for the gem splits Kumandra's people into five tribes named as Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon and Tail. Heart ends up holding the gem.

Raya (Voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) – brave warrior princess of heart and also has been training to become a guardian of the dragon gem. Raya has some natural charm, you will love her from the start. Her valorous performances and genial character helps her to achieve her target. 

“People, being people, they all fought to possess the last remnant of dragon magic.” – Raya

Sisu (Voiced by Awkwafina) – the last dragon in existence. She is an amusing, funny and vulnerable personality but she is also brave enough to face the difficult situations. Sisu is the cutest dragon you will ever witness. Her character development will surely steal your heart (Well, I felt like I really want to meet her once even though I know she's a fantasy creature ). 

“It may feel impossible but sometimes you just have to take the first step, even before you’re ready.” – Sisu

Namaari (voiced by Gemma Chan) – the warrior princess of Fang and Raya’s rival. This character development irks you for sure at the beginning yet you cannot hate her entirely at the end. Her brazen personality will make you admire her at least once in a while. 

“In a different world, maybe we could have been friends.” – Namaari

Some other fascinating characters are: 

Boun (Voiced by Izaac Wang) – a charming 10 year old entrepreneur.

Little Noi (Voiced by Thalia Tran) – an infant con artist from Talon.

Tuk Tuk (Voiced by Alan Tudyk) – adorable friend of Raya. It is a mix of an armadillo and a pill bug. It is one of my favorite characters. 

Chief Benja (Voiced by Daniel Dae Kim) – is the leader of Heart and great father to Raya.

“If we don’t stop and learn to trust one another again, it’s only a matter of time before we tear each other apart.” – Chief Benja

All the people are fighting the Drunn - threatening evil spirits that turn people and dragons to stone. Raya finds Sisu by her handiwork and tries to collect the gem pieces to fight back Drunn to recover the people that turned into stone.

Direction by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada is exceptional. The screenplay was written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim. They both did impressive work. Music by James Newton Howard matches-up the story. Animation works are done in an outstanding way. Every technician deserves a round of applause. 

Overall, this film give us an exhilarating feeling through fierce story with an awe-inspiring animation work. 

I highly recommend this movie to all the animation lovers and also to those who likes gratifying story tracks. 

Happy Watching!!!

"Raya And The Last Dragon"  Trailer