RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON – Review

We’re still a few weeks away from the big Spring break (even with the past year’s at-home learning it’s still a big deal), but the major film studios aren’t holding back their big “family-friendly” flicks for virtual and in-theatres (welcome back NYC and LA) viewing. The last couple of them were live-action/animation hybrids with rendered (CGI and some classic hand-drawn) characters interacting with flesh-and-blood actors. First was the pixel-powered furball at the center of FLORA & ULYSSES, streaming on Disney+. And last weekend saw the big-screen return of the chaos-causing cat and mouse TOM AND JERRY careening through the canyons of the Big Apple, and filling up movie theatres while streaming for a few weeks on HBO Max. Speaking of mice, the “mouse house” strikes back today with a feature that harkens back to those iconic full-length fairy tales and fables from their golden age. Of course, this one uses the latest tech to give us its fully rounded heroes, villains, and magical critters. Now to be clear, this is from the Disney Animation division, a separate entity from the Pixar people, though they’re all “under the same tent” (and with the acquisition of Fox they’re joined by Blue Sky). While the Pixar products of last year were wowing critics and audiences (ONWARD and SOUL should both get Oscar noms, with the latter being the front runner for Animated Feature and Music Score), the Disney Animation artisans were crafting this fantasy fable from a far-off land all about RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON.

And just what is that far-off place? Why the Asia-inspired land known as Kumandra, or really formally “known as”. The story actually begins 500 years before, when some demonic creatures known as the Drunn (whirling magenta-colored storm clouds) attacked the villagers, absorbing souls and turning the people to stone. Luckily their dragon protectors came to the rescue by pooling their magic auras into a small round blue-glowing orb. Ultimately the Drunn turned all but one of the dragons to stone. Their lone survivor Sisu used the orb to banish them and return the statutes of the villagers to life. But there was not enough magic to save her dragon family and Sisu went into hiding. In tribute to their rescuers, the land was divided into five countries, each named after a part of the dragons: Tail, Talon, Spine, Fang, and Heart, where the orb is hidden and guarded. Its main guard and Heart’s leader is General Benja (voice of Daniel Dae Kim) who is training his young daughter Raya as a protector. But Benja has a dream to unite the five lands into Kumandra, once more, and so invites people from the other four lands for a discussion. Unfortunately many believe that the orb has gifted Heart with prosperity (rich crops, good soil, etc.) which inspires an act of deception that reveals the orb’s location. The resulting struggle shatters the orb into several pieces, each scooped up by different countries. It also brings back the Drunn who turn Benja into stone. Several years later, the now-teenage Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) roams the land on her pet Tuk Tuk (a weird armadillo, pill bug, bear mix), searching for the pieces and hoping to find Sisu. But even with the help of the last dragon, and a motley crew recruited from each land, can she defeat the Drunn and be reunited with her beloved papa?

Once again the formidable talents at the Disney Animation Division “step up their game” in a spirited competition with their sister studios in which the winner, or winners, are the lucky lovers of superb, superior cinematic storytelling. Viewers will be initially stunned by the eye-popping visual delights on display, from the cool blues of Benja’s palace (loved the water running up the stairs) to the warm deserts of Fang, each of the background designs is worthy of a gallery display (or a lush “coffee-table hardcover collection). Luckily these mesh seamlessly with the inventive character designs. Though at first, she may seem to be the simplest of characters, Raya may be the most complex in the visual representation of her emotional states. In a nod to a favorite cinema hero, her shape prior to engaging in battle, with her wide-brimmed hat and cape/robe, is a near match to “The Man with No Name”, Clint Eastwood’s Italian Western icon of the 1960s. My favorite human design of Raya’s crew would be the bulky Tong, a gentle one-eyed giant whose noggin resembles a battered football though is still capable of tenderness. And then there is the fantastical menagerie of creatures. We see the Tuk Tuk go from cuddly “kid critter” to an affectionate armored speedster. There’s the simian-inspired trio of ‘kleptos” called the Ongis. Then there are, of course, the dragons, well dragon. Sisu, with her blue and violet-tinted fur, moves with the grace of a swimming eel with a touch of a boa (the snake and the feathery costume accessory), while her feline face accents her wide quizzical eyes. These wonders were given animated life by a legion of skilled artists led by the inspired direction of the filmmaking foursome of Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs, and John Ripa.

In addition to those talents, a gifted acting ensemble gives voice to these colorful characters and creations. Tran conveys the heartache and determination of Raya, while Gemma Chan is her rival Namaari, who reveals a touch of empathy and becomes the rare villain with a chance at redemption. Kim is warm and nurturing as father Benja, and Benedict Wong is full of bluster and pathos as Tong. And what of that “last dragon”? Sisu is giving voice, and lots of sassy attitude, by Awkwafina. Her rapid-fire, “street-smart’ line delivery infuses the film with unexpected energy. Plus her magic and allow Sisu to take a human form that closely resembles…Awkwafina herself, though with an unruly mop of white hair (with that same blue/violet tinge). She adds lots of infectious humor, but also creates a jarring shift in the narrative. Up until her intro, the story is set on a fairly straight heroic saga, a classic fable or quest. The zany antics, and modern slang, and vernacular of Sisu don’t quite mesh with the drama of the previous sequences. Luckily the pacing gets back “on track” as Raya’s own version of the “magnificent seven” jells. Perhaps the writer wanted to evoke the antics of Robin Williams’ Genie or even Eddie Murphy’s tiny dragon Mushu, but the story’s flow is disrupted to the point of near derailment. However, everything does come together again, leading to a most exciting and emotional finale, full of heart and action (did I neglect to mention the nifty weaponry Raya wields). Thanks to all these terrific talents RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON is a most delightful allegory about reaching out to unite for the common good. Especially now, that’s a most welcome notion truly for “all ages”.

3 out of 4

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON opens in select theatres and streams exclusively via Premier Access on Disney+.