Whether it’s Pixar or Disney Animation, Disney usually has been striking gold with their animated properties for the last number of years. Even the ones that some might consider the “weaker” ones are still pretty great, relatively speaking. They knock it out of the park with the powerful musicals in Moana and Frozen, they can recapture the spirit of a classic story with a modern twist in Tangled and they can also make something political and extremely profound with Zootopia. DreamWorks does great stuff and even films from Studio Ghibli are near perfect movies, but they don’t hold a candle to the magic and quality that comes with a Disney animated movie (arguably). They’ve been dominating this medium for decades, both from a critical and a financial perspective and they will more than likely continue to do so for many years to come. We as film fans can look back at all the great Disney Animated movies that came out the last decade and introduce them to a new generation in the next 20 or 30 years, and one movie that might be the first one to show the newer generation is Raya and the Last Dragon. Raya and the Last Dragon s enchanting, deep, awe inspiring and action packed. The animation is flawless, the themes will resonate with everyone and the voice work from Kelly Marie Tran & Awkwafina is outstanding. This is the best Disney Animation movie since Zootopia.
In Raya and the Last Dragon, humans and dragon were once living life in harmony in a fantasy world known as Kumandra, but when forbidding savages known as the Druun impose on conquering the land, the dragons make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the lives of all humanity. 500 years later, the Druun have returned to finish their work, and it’s then up to a rogue and lone warrior, Raya, to trace down the last dragon that saved humanity so that she can put a stop to the Druun for good.
With each animated movie under the realm of the Disney umbrella they continue to step their game up with each individual one. The animation in Raya and the Last Dragon is absolutely gorgeous and is, by far, there best looking movie to date. From the shots of the land, the waves of the ocean, to a little grain a dirt from the desert and the designs of the dragons, Raya and the Last Dragon is a feast for the eyes. The attention to detail in this movie is a testament to how much work and talent goes into these kinds of movies, but it also continues this idea of how much animated movies have progressed with their visuals over the last 20 years. Even if some might want to nitpick certain narrative aspects or other things, once can not deny the beautiful and awe struck visuals that are in Raya and the Last Dragon.
We tend to not discuss action in animated movies, and rightfully so, because animated movies aren’t known for their visceral action sequences. The action in Raya and the Last Dragon is on par with the latest Mission Impossible movies, the MCU or something you did see from the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. In other words: the action in this movie is incredible. The choreography and the fluidity of each hand to hand combat sequence to every sword duel is something that animated movies tend to not deliver, yet Raya and the Last Dragon is the first of its kind to go more adult and more intense by doubling down on powerful and extremely fierce action. All the action in this movie was generated from computers, rather than someone physically orchestrating face to face with the actors, which speaks volumes to how realistic and stimulus they felt in this movie.
The visuals and action are two outstanding Raya and the Last Dragon, as is the voice work from the entire cast. From Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Sandra Oh and Benedict Wong, the voice work in this movie displays their talents in spades. But the bright spot with the voice work is the relationship that Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina share together. We won’t get into spill with Kelly Marie Tran’s and Star Wars because what she received post Last Jedi is egregious and tragic. That being said, it is great to see her shine as a lead in another Disney adventure. She brings so much life to the character of Raya with confidence, optimism, force and vulnerability. Awkwafina has also been someone we’ve been eating up ever since Crazy Rich Asians. Not only is she down right hilarious but she’s able to showcase a more genuine side to her character, which suggests that she’s not just there to give the yuck yucks.
Raya and the Last Dragon is an indication to the impact that Disney has had with its storytelling in the form of an animated movie. It looks as if theaters are slowly opening back up, especially in places like New York. Maybe not a full capacity but it seems we’re closer to things getting back to normal than this time last year. That being the case, if a theater is open near you, see this movie on the big screen. Raya and the Last Dragon is the first great movie of 2021 and the impact that this movie will have with audiences, mainly with young women, is a gift.
My grade for Raya and the Last Dragon: A
Zane's take at the Cinema's 