Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.
Release Date: March 5, 2021
97 Movie Reviews
I really want to watch this movie!!!! 🥺But I don't think it is going to happen. But if I took one thing out of the movie cover is that I reminds me of Mulan!- I really want to watch this movie!!!! 🥺But I don't think it is going to happen. Thank you @mrkrupp for such a descriptive outline of the movie. It is as if I were watching it! 😃
Think of Raya kind of like a modern take on Aladdin. Ancient lands, swashbuckling hero, magical sidekick who speaks in pop culture references, all that stuff is here. Not saying that as a bad thing, the formula works, but sometimes Raya can feel a bit like it's going through the motions of an adventure rather than feeling like a true adventure. That on top of its aggressively heavy-handed messaging that just didn't work for me personally keep it from being an all time classic. What did work for me though is GORGEOUS visuals and a stunning world. Some people have drawn comparisons between this world and the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and while there are some similarities, to dismiss it outright because of that is pretty minimialistic. It is it's own unique world with it's own unique set of characters and environments, and it was a fun place to explore. All the characters are great too. Obviously Awkwafina is a ton of fun, but ever other random side character who joins the adventure has personality as well. I loved how by the end of the film Raya has a whole troupe of misfits. All this combined makes Raya a good, but not great, family adventure. A strong intro and a flourishing end neatly ties together this structurally familiar and somewhat skeletal fantasy action-adventure. It would've gone a long way to see the large supporting cast and massive world lore fleshed out the way they were clearly meant to, but even with a run time of just under 2 hrs you can't help but feel there wasn't enough. Despite this, I think the production team did a commendable job condensing Raya's adventure and making sure key moments held up, because of this a lot of what's "missing" is largely forgivable. Good lead characters, beautiful visual direction, clean narrative structure and a resonating end makes criticisms easy to overlook. A very solid Asian inspired fantasy epic and a welcomed victory after the disaster that was Mulan.
I loved this movie. I hope they make a 2nd one. I love fantasy and adventure. I recommend watching this movie as soon as you can!
As an overall throwback, and as a return to the streamlined storytelling upon which Disney built its supremacy, Raya and the Last Dragon is a welcome expansion of the Disney universe. The message is that you have to put aside differences and learn to trust and find common ground. It feels like it's hitting the right notes, with spectacular visuals. There's a darkness here that I think is lacking in a lot of modern Disney films, and I respect that its message isn't just "believe in yourself." Highly enjoyed its message of teamwork & the importance of forgiveness & trust. I had plenty of fun, particularly with its side characters. Raya finds inspiration in all the right places, and imbues it with the emotional weight and bright, fantastic aesthetic we've come to expect with Disney's big-screen adventures. Awkwafina leads a lively voice cast in a visually arresting adventure."Raya and the Last Dragon" gives us a glimmer of hope and unity during this time of division. Highly recommend it.- You won't be able to take your eyes off of "Raya and the Last Dragon' with the beautiful palette of colors that make this Disney film pop off screen. The storyline doesn't break ground but women as the heroes and villains make it all the more interesting. The story, the dialogue, the voicework and animation are all of the highest caliber. Not only are the visuals imaginative and gorgeous but there are life lessons to be learned about trust and selflessness and taking chances. You won't be able to take your eyes off of "Raya and the Last Dragon' with the beautiful palette of colors that make this Disney film pop off screen. The storyline doesn't break ground but women as the heroes and villains make it all the more interesting. Raya finds inspiration in all the right places, and imbues it with the emotional weight and bright, fantastic aesthetic we've come to expect with Disney's big-screen adventures. As an overall throwback, and as a return to the streamlined storytelling upon which Disney built its supremacy, Raya and the Last Dragon is a welcome expansion of the Disney universe. The message is that you have to put aside differences and learn to trust and find common ground. It feels like it's hitting the right notes, with spectacular visuals. It matters that, in a region with so much diversity, the movie itself depicts this diversity in its landscapes, the people that live in them, and the subcultures they live with.There's a darkness here that I think is lacking in a lot of modern Disney films, and I respect that its message isn't just "believe in yourself". Think of Raya kind of like a modern take on Aladdin. Ancient lands, swashbuckling hero, magical sidekick who speaks in pop culture references, all that stuff is here. Not saying that as a bad thing, the formula works, but sometimes Raya can feel a bit like it's going through the motions of an adventure rather than feeling like a true adventure. That on top of its aggressively heavy-handed messaging that just didn't work for me personally keep it from being an all time classic. What did work for me though is GORGEOUS visuals and a stunning world. Some people have drawn comparisons between this world and the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and while there are some similarities, to dismiss it outright because of that is pretty minimialistic. It is it's own unique world with it's own unique set of characters and environments, and it was a fun place to explore. All the characters are great too. Obviously Awkwafina is a ton of fun, but ever other random side character who joins the adventure has personality as well. I loved how by the end of the film Raya has a whole troupe of misfits. All this combined makes Raya a good, but not great, family adventure. A strong intro and a flourishing end neatly ties together this structurally familiar and somewhat skeletal fantasy action-adventure. It would've gone a long way to see the large supporting cast and massive world lore fleshed out the way they were clearly meant to, but even with a run time of just under 2 hrs you can't help but feel there wasn't enough. Despite this, I think the production team did a commendable job condensing Raya's adventure and making sure key moments held up, because of this a lot of what's "missing" is largely forgivable. Good lead characters, beautiful visual direction, clean narrative structure and a resonating end makes criticisms easy to overlook. A very solid Asian inspired fantasy epic and a welcomed victory after the disaster that was Mulan. There are times when its otherwise resonant messages don't work quite as well as intended but Raya and the Last Dragon's beautiful animation (remember that iconic scene from How to Train Your Dragon? Disney gives you their own take based off of Southeast Asian dragons), exciting action sequences, strong voice acting, well-thought-out world building (Avatar comparisons aside), memorable, fleshed out cast of characters, genuinely funny jokes.
'Raya And The Last Dragon'- It is a great fictional movie. I recommend it to those who believe in magic and love adventure and fiction. In this movie, we have the great warrior Raya, the mighty Dragon Sisu, The great warrior and friend Namaari and the chief of heart- Benja. So, this is basically all about Raya, who trusts Namaari and shows her a very special jewel- The Dragon jewel. Namaari, tries to get it and the rulers of other clans. This is where the movie officially begins. After the misunderstanding with Namaari, Raya tries to protect the jewel, but fails as she is alone. Later on, evil orces are unleashed and start turning everyone who comes into their ways to statues. Raya's dad, Benja, is also turned into a statues along way. Now, out of anger, Raya plans to find the last dragon, Sisu, who she finds after 6 years. Together, Raya and Sisu form a great time along 3ith other allies including a toddler, the last person remaining from the spine clan, a little kid and 3 monkeys. Together, they try to restore the parts of the Dragon jewel, which they succeed in and restore peace all around. All the people turned into statues are now back to themselves again.....
As an overall throwback, and as a return to the streamlined storytelling upon which Disney built its supremacy, Raya and the Last Dragon is a welcome expansion of the Disney universe. The message is that you have to put aside differences and learn to trust and find common ground. It feels like it's hitting the right notes, with spectacular visuals. There's a darkness here that I think is lacking in a lot of modern Disney films, and I respect that its message isn't just "believe in yourself." Highly enjoyed its message of teamwork & the importance of forgiveness & trust. I had plenty of fun, particularly with its side characters. Raya finds inspiration in all the right places, and imbues it with the emotional weight and bright, fantastic aesthetic we've come to expect with Disney's big-screen adventures. Awkwafina leads a lively voice cast in a visually arresting adventure."Raya and the Last Dragon" gives us a glimmer of hope and unity during this time of division. Highly recommend it.- Think of Raya kind of like a modern take on Aladdin. Ancient lands, swashbuckling hero, magical sidekick who speaks in pop culture references, all that stuff is here. Not saying that as a bad thing, the formula works, but sometimes Raya can feel a bit like it's going through the motions of an adventure rather than feeling like a true adventure. That on top of its aggressively heavy-handed messaging that just didn't work for me personally keep it from being an all time classic. What did work for me though is GORGEOUS visuals and a stunning world. Some people have drawn comparisons between this world and the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and while there are some similarities, to dismiss it outright because of that is pretty minimialistic. It is it's own unique world with it's own unique set of characters and environments, and it was a fun place to explore. All the characters are great too. Obviously Awkwafina is a ton of fun, but ever other random side character who joins the adventure has personality as well. I loved how by the end of the film Raya has a whole troupe of misfits. All this combined makes Raya a good, but not great, family adventure. A strong intro and a flourishing end neatly ties together this structurally familiar and somewhat skeletal fantasy action-adventure. It would've gone a long way to see the large supporting cast and massive world lore fleshed out the way they were clearly meant to, but even with a run time of just under 2 hrs you can't help but feel there wasn't enough. Despite this, I think the production team did a commendable job condensing Raya's adventure and making sure key moments held up, because of this a lot of what's "missing" is largely forgivable. Good lead characters, beautiful visual direction, clean narrative structure and a resonating end makes criticisms easy to overlook. A very solid Asian inspired fantasy epic and a welcomed victory after the disaster that was Mulan. It matters that, in a region with so much diversity, the movie itself depicts this diversity in its landscapes, the people that live in them, and the subcultures they live with. Highly enjoyed its message of teamwork & the importance of forgiveness & trust. I had plenty of fun, particularly with its side characters. It's so similar to pretty much everything Disney has put out in the last decade that it feels awfully repetitive. Released straight to Disney+ as a result of the pandemic, Raya And The Last Dragon has since been given a cinematic release. As a result of that belated release, I was able to see it on the big screen with my daughter this morning; and boy, if you get the chance to do so, you need to take it. Raya And The Last Dragon is one of the best films of the year; a gorgeous tale of a young girl (Raya) and her quest to reunite the five warring factions of her world with the help of the last dragon, Sisu, who is supposedly hidden somewhere in Tail (one of the five provinces of the kingdom). In the opening sequence, Raya's voiceover explains the history of the kingdom, briefly showing us clips of the five very different parts of the land (Heart, Tail, Spine, Fang and Talon) and I found myself hoping that we would get to travel each of those worlds with her as they looked stunning. I was not disappointed, Raya's quest takes her through all five (Talon is especially sumptuous) and the animation and world building is astonishing, planting you into each of the worlds so effectively that you can almost inhale the atmosphere. The story is exciting and the characters even more so; each one brings their own distinct identity and several of them are very funny (especially Sisu herself, brilliantly voiced by Awkwafina). The message at the heart of the film is a good one, especially in the current climate. Despite the differences between all five tribes, the world works better when they all combine together to fight the forces of genuine evil. Whether Raya can influence her own enemies into this way of thinking.
This movie is a five popcorn type it is sooo good
I love this movie. The animations are unbelievable!❤❤❤
