This review of Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon contains spoilers.Disney’s newest animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon, takes the audience on an emotional, Southeast Asian-inspired adventure. The film takes place 500 years after the Dragons of Kumandra made the ultimate sacrifice, risking their lives to save humanity and using their remaining power to assemble a magical orb to fend off the malevolent Druun.
The movie, directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, introduces a new warrior princess. We first meet Princess Raya of Heart (Kelly Marie Tran) as a young girl, training with Chief Benja of Heart (Daniel Dae Kim) to become a guardian of the Dragon gem. During a gathering of all the tribes within Kumandra, Raya meets Namaari (Gemma Chan & Jona Xiao), the daughter of Chief Virana of Fang (Sandra Oh). The two bond over being self-proclaimed “Dragon nerds” and travel to visit the gem, only for a fight to ensue. Unfortunately, the orb breaks; as each tribe gets a piece for their land, the Druun return and turn every living thing in their way to stone, including Benja. The scene was emotional, leaving me in tears only 20 minutes into the story.
Six years later, Raya and her trusty sidekick, Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), embark on an adventure to gather the missing gem pieces. She aspires to put the orb back together, bring peace to Kumandra, and stop the Druun once and for all. She summons the beautiful Sisu (Awkwafina), the last living Dragon, in the land of the Tail and the two recover a piece of the gem which grants Sisu with shapeshifting powers.
Throughout her time on screen, Awkwafina’s comedic timing is on point. She expresses her naturally humorous and charming self, garnering all of the attention and becoming the star of the film.
