Set in the fictional land of Kumandra and based on real Southeast Asian cultures, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is an animated Disney adventure about a warrior princess on a mission. It’s a story of a girl who lives in a fragmented world divided by hate and lust for power.
Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, the film takes us back to days where thousands of years ago, people used to live in peace and harmony with the mystical dragons. When a purple-black blob monster - the Druunes - which turns anyone it touches into stone, rises to attack the land, magical dragons unite their forces into a gem and the last water dragon named Sisu (Awkwafina) uses the gem to vanquish the enemy. While the magic works and all the people came back to life, unfortunately, the dragons do not.
But instead of mourning over the loss of their warrior dragons, lust for power takes over and people became greedy for the jewel stone, further dividing Kumandra into five countries; Heart, Fang, Spine, Talon and Tail. Each of them is named after a part of the dragon.
500 years later, Heart’s Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim) invites the people of the five kingdoms for a truce to reunite Kamundra that now lies in ruins. Since the stone resides with Benja, other kingdoms believe that Heart is a thriving land because they have the magical gem.
Following her father’s footsteps, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), the princess of Heart trained to be the guardian of the dragon jewel, befriends the princess of Fang Namaari (Gemma Chan) and shows her the place where the gem is kept. Chaos breaks out when Fang tries to steal the gem, further breaking it into five pieces and reactivating the Druunes who again turns many, including Raya’s father, into stone.
Legend says that the last water-dragon Sisu is still alive somewhere and that’s who Raya has to find to make things right again. Six years later, Raya embarks on a quest to find Sisu and the pieces of stone to bring everyone together and fulfil her father’s vision of loyalty. During the journey, she encounters a variety of misfits from a junior restaurateur and boat captain Boun (Izaac Wang) to the one-eyed warrior Tong (Benedict Wong) and Little Noi (Thalia Tran), a con baby who uses her cuteness as an alley. Hesitant at first but soon they bond over their shared trauma of the Drunnes. Raya evades every danger during her journey but her real battle is to let go of her rage after Namaari’s betrayal.
Raya leads the charge of the clan as she is fierce and has an endearing quality. She has just the right mix of vulnerability and strength in her character and thus stands out as a role model who exhibits courage and perseverance. Paired with ever-cheerful Sisu, the two form a bond that brings the laughs and emotional weight the film needs. Sisu’s comic performance is captivating, making the character look innocent. Her goofiness and humour are hilarious at times. Sisu beautifully portrays the last water dragon which has very little self-awareness.
Namaari represents a young woman forced by her mother to act against her own beliefs. Her conflict with Raya becomes the central relationship of the film with both standing at a crossroads as to whether they should only look out for their own people or think for the entire Kumandra.
Chief Benja and Raya showcase a heart-touching father/daughter duo in just a few scenes. Captain Boun’s smooth-talking and his famous shrimp congee save the day every time while rough and tough Warrior Tong is both funny and brave. The most adorable character is the con baby Little Noi who ultimately joins the Kumandra gang. The characters feel both classic and new at the same time, embodying versatility with awe-inspiring visuals. The whole ensemble strikes a nice balance between realism and the mystical, bringing their A-game.
The film emphasises the importance of trust, forgiveness, reconciliation and overcoming prejudice to heal a broken world. It highlights fallibility and the uncertainty that often accompanies courage just as Raya did in reuniting the world.
While the film lacks the usual Disney musical numbers, it has some striking imagery that Disney has ever produced. The animation is fresh and invigorating with an equal amount of action. Inspired by Southeast Asian countries, Kumandra unfurls some breath-taking shots. Bright colours and beautiful animation mixed with intelligent creativity makes Kumandra stand out from other Disney settings. Filmmakers Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada produce one of the most visually escapist Disney films for a good while. 
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