The Mosley Review: Raya and the Last Dragon
Ya know what's one of the most refreshing things in the world, a major studio delivering something fresh and original after constantly double dipping from its own well. Although it may not feel as original or inspiring at times, it still is a worth while adventure that shouldn't be missed. The mysticism and magical origins of many South Asian tales are always fantastic and are ripe for greatly layered storytelling and this tale is one of them. At times the film came off a bit cynical and delivers the subliminal messages of adulthood and the not so subtle themes of loss and trust, but it wasn't without its charm. The film truly takes us on an adventure across the lands of a new world that is full of colorful characters and beautiful landscapes, but there is a sadder and sometimes darker underlining theme of not trusting anyone that is sometimes beating you over the head. The story sometimes comes to a halt for moments of exposition that re-informs the audience of the direction the story is taking and of world they’re in. It was alright as we got to each region, but it does take away from what could've been some great moments of character discovery. The story does have a number of wonderfully crafted heartwarming moments, comedy, outstanding animated action scenes, but it is pretty predictable. Its not a bad thing, but I would've liked a few more curve balls thrown in towards the end of the 2 half of the film.
The voice cast was truly fun and I loved that it was made up of mostly South Asian actors. Kelly Marie Tran was awesome and fierce as Raya. She brings to life the heart of the character and her strong will to save her family and make her father's dream come true. Daniel Dae Kim was heartwarming and great as her father Chief Benja. As the Cheif of Kumandra's Heart Land, he carries himself with grace and I loved the moments he had with Raya. The chemistry between them was genuine and heartfelt and you fall in love with him every moment he’s on screen. Awkwafina was fun as the water dragon Sisu. I loved the genuine level of discovery and fun she brought to the character and to the film. It was a piece of the film that I wish was shared with the rest of the characters. Her scenes with Raya brought forward the themes of trust and the truth of the world around them and in some hilarious ways. Benedict Wong was good as Tong and I liked that he wasn't your typical brute. He has a strong heart and his story was tragic and I liked that he became a voice of reason at times. Izaac Wang was excellent as the young entrepreneur Boun. He was fun and charming as he constantly was promoting and inviting the team to dine in his Shrimporium on his boat. His story was particularly tragic as he had to learn how to survive on his own after the Druun attacks. Gemma Chan was great as the warrior princess of Fang Land, Namaari. Even though they're enemies, the chemistry between her and Raya was great as they kept trying to one up each other in witty insults and combat. Their fight scenes were a blast to watch and had an emotional depth.
The score by James Newton Howard was excellent and epic in many sprawling scenes, but it was particularly powerful during the backstory of Sisu. Visually the film was stunning to see on the big screen and all the colors of the characters and region designs really popped. Like I said before, the story was very predictable as it progressed and sometimes I felt it dragged on and became uninspiring at moments. It was still a good adventure overall and good action driven animated Disney film that surprisingly had no musical moments. It was almost like a throwback to what the old days of Disney animated films were like. This film is currently in theaters and is streaming on Disney+ with Premiere Access. Let me know what you thought of the film or of my review in comments below. Thanks for reading!
