Review: Disney fantasy 'Raya and the Last Dragon' features intense action, amazing Awkwafina
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Featuring an eccentric magical creature and a Disney princess you really wouldnât want to mess with in a fight, the animated âRaya and the Last Dragonâ is an epic and sassy fantasy adventure for youngsters not yet ready for âGame of Thrones."
Directed by Don Hall (âBig Hero 6â) and Carlos LoÌpez Estrada (âBlindspottingâ), âRayaâ (â â â out of four; rated PG; in select theaters and streaming on Disney+ Friday) is a Southeast Asian-inspired melding of magic, comedy, some goofiness, strange animals and butt-whupping warrior women. With Kelly Marie Tran voicing the sharp-tongued title character, and Awkwafina amazingly inhabiting an adorably oddball water dragon, the film wrestles with tonal inconsistencies but features fantastic action scenes to go with a touching underlying narrative about the power of trust.
âRayaâ is set in the fantasy world of Kumandra, where 500 years have passed since the harmonious coexistence of humans and dragons was tragically disrupted by the Druun, a mysterious race of purple globs with black smoke that turn living things into statues. The last of those dragons, Sisu (Awkwafina), was able to use a magical gem to save the day, but then disappeared. In the aftermath, the humans broke into warring kingdoms.
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When we first meet Raya (Tran), princess of Heart â one of the disparate lands named after dragon parts â she is a young girl whoâs become a new guardian of the dragon gem. Her idealistic father, Benja (Daniel Dae Kim), yearns to unite the factions, but whatâs meant to be a diplomatic reunion ends up creating even more of a divide. The gem is broken. and an attack by the resurrected Druun leaves Benja a stone figure.
Six years later, Rayaâs a stoic, untrusting nomad traveling with her roly-poly best friend/transport Tuk Tuk â part armadillo, part dog, part bug â to seek out Sisu, find all the pieces of the gem and save her dad. Once found, Sisu admits to Raya that sheâs not the greatest dragon (âIâm a really strong swimmer!â she joyfully insists), yet agrees to help Raya in her quest. Their traveling party becomes a motley heroic crew, picking up a 10-year-old shrimp boat captain (Izaac Wang), a toddler con artist and a gruff lonely dude (Benedict Wong). They encounter various obstacles, including Namaari (Gemma Chan), Rayaâs dangerous arch enemy from the Fang clan.
âRayaâ shares a lot of its best aspects with fellow Disney cartoon âMoana,â especially when it comes to comedy and its central empowering journey. And because itâs not based on anything, the film sometimes feels remarkably original, although there are plenty of familiar fantasy themes and the occasional âRaiders of the Lost Arkâ or âStar Warsâ nod.
Each kingdom has its own individual charm: Fang features a bunch of classical-type structures built along water (a weakness for the Druun) while Talon has a bustling street-market vibe. The Southeast Asian influence is seen throughout Raya, from the locales to gorgeously rendered flying dragons.
Then there's the amazing fight sequences. Rayaâs blade attack comes from martial arts in the Philippines, Namaariâs fighting style is based on Muay Thai kickboxing, and their battles are more intense and vicious than expected from the Mouse House (in a good way).
The scuffles are pretty serious, as is the genocidal presence of the Druun, which Sisu describes as âa plague born of human discord.â On the other hand, âRayaâ has farting bugs whose toots explode. However, the filmâs goofiness entertains more than it distracts.
Tran at least gets a lot to say here â and a decent part â to make up for being underutilized in the last âStar Warsâ movie. She nicely navigates the characterâs lighter and darker sides, though her voice works a lot better for older Raya than her younger self.
The casting of Awkwafina as Sisu, though, is absolute perfection. Sheâs hilarious giving life to the characterâs self-deprecating manner, in both dragon and human form, and also sells Sisuâs evolution from weak link to wise, confident heroine.
Watching her skip through the sky using her magic is as enjoyable as seeing Raya mosey into one of her thrilling, two-fisted, sword-swinging altercations. Together, they make âLast Dragonâ a neat new entry to the fantasy-movie canon.