I recently watched the Disney Film “Raya and The Last Dragon.” If you have a mind that seeks adventure, dragons, and a hidden gem found in a diverse part of the world, then this movie was destined for you.
When compared to other Disney movies, such as Moana or Merida from the movie “Brave,” the lead role is a female character who seeks to help their family or community. Moana needs to find the heart of the island, ; while Merida must transform her mother back from being a bear. These women all have to venture out showing their femininity and power when working in the world.
In “Raya and The Last Dragon,” a gem which holds the world in unity, created by a mystical dragon, has broken causing a dark spell to spread, which turns people into stone. Raya goes on a mission to revive the world, with friends she meets on the way.
This movie may not seem like it is relatable to a typical person who has parents that aren’t stone, but all people go through hardships and seek to fix them. Physical harm may come in the way, but there are ways to overcome this, similar to mental struggles with modern help to overcome these problems. In this movie, it allows ways to compromise and move farther in life with aid and people to support.
The main characters are Raya, who embarks on this journey to weld their land back into unity and defeat the spell. Sisu, a good friend that Raya meets while traveling, creates ideas to revive the land with her creative imagination. Lastly, her travel buddies named Boun, Little Noi, Tong, and Ongis come from all over the land, help with transportation and care for each other.
This movie’s art was hands down phenomenal. However when I think of dragons, I imagine a big booming, fire-breathing dragon that is colorful with scales, big claws and somewhat of a monster. I acknowledge it is seen by children from all ages who may be sensitive to those topics, however I think the artist and production crew should have made it more imaginative and exciting to see a dragon.
The plot was dull in relation to components which affect the way characters interact with the surrounding environment. There was no intense fighting, creating significantly less tense moments. The climax is skipped over, or not mentioned as a main aspect of the movie with less heart felt emotions.
For a small child trying to watch this movie, it is probably tricky, as the plot is not that simple. It includes dragons, gems, fight scenes and royalty all getting thrown at the audience in a span of 10 minutes. It is very fast-paced and hard for a little kid to wrap their minds around. Even a grown adult may not fully understand the movie; with just one turn of the head you may have just missed the most important part.
However, if you do miss the earth shattering moment, the art is breathtaking. It is expressed in brilliant colors attracting the viewers’ full attention. Because of the diversity in the movie, there are patterns, colors, and cultural symbols that all make the movie seem like you are immersed into it, really bringing it to life.
The action is mind-blowing, with boats and mountains, snow and cities all having a conflict that detours the characters from getting to their end goal. The conflicts connect the friends through an understanding of their pasts, through family experiences and cultural identities.
Overall, this movie has some tender moments that unite the audience with the reality of the movie. While it is free on Disney Plus, it is worth paying $10 at the movie theater to watch this stunning movie because of how it submerges the audience into the film and the design exposure of cultural and artistic elements.
