Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Review
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Review
Dirs. Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs, John Ripa.
Don't overlook this charming Disney story that lives up to its peers.
Raya and the Last Dragon is the latest Disney movie now streaming on their platform Disney+ for free, having been released on premium earlier this year.
The cinema situation in the World might mean that many people miss out on this flick, but I hope they don’t, I found it sweet and welcoming.
In a similar vein to Tangled and Moana before it, Raya and The Last Dragon is equally enjoyable for kids and adults, with all the whimsy and comedy matched with a strong and mature story.
The plot has some pretty relevant themes for all audiences, with a focus on trust and overcoming differences to save the World. In 2021, the idea of tribalism and ignorance is as relevant as ever, and Raya has a cute message about it, that doesn’t ever delve into contrarianism.
As always, Disney is on top form with animation. The textures, the weather, the hair, all state of the art crisp images. If they wanted to, Disney could probably create the most lifelike animation known to man, but instead they choose to do better. They choose to maintain their stylised visual flair.
It has all the familiar elements of the Disney modern classics. The strong female hero, the cute animal sidekicks and the quest to find the magical object. It’s the same but different, in a good way. The familiarity is contrasted by the films beautiful cinematic style, with some of the best animated imagery Disney has ever produced.
One of the best parts of new Disney is how these films; Moana and Raya are being used as a showcase for World cultures. Here, the South Asian myths and legends are prevalent in the story as their cuisine and nature. Kids will learn without realising and fall in love with new places and peoples.
A great voice cast, headed out by Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran, who I think does an impeccable job at the empathetic and root-worthy heroine. The characters are likeable, the visuals are memorable and the film has a certain Je ne sais quoi about it. It’s not to be missed, and finds it footing amongst the recent Disney hits.
8/10
Review by Elliott Thomas Griffiths
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