Movie Review: Raya and the Last Dragon

Movie Review: Raya and the Last Dragon                                                                       3-6-21

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.

So, what did I think of the movie? Well, I liked it better than Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen 2, but less than Zootopia and Moana. Raya and the Last Dragon has top-notch animation, lots of action-packed scenes, and well-developed characters, though not as engaging as Tangled or Moana.

Raya's pet armadillo/pillbug-like creature Tuk-Tuk getting distracted by a lizard.

The story is also a strong parable on how other countries dislike each other. When the dragons (except Sisu) sacrificed each other to save humanity from the cloud-like Druun, Kumandra was split into five kingdoms: Talon, Heart, Tail, Fang, and Spine. The Druun turn whoever they touch into stone, and it caused the people of Kumandra to become corrupted with mistrust and greed.

Raya trying to retrieve her stolen crystals from the infant Noi and the Ongis, a species of monkey.

Sisu, the blue horse-like dragon voiced by Awkwafina, can also be funny at times. She's a bit like a larger Mushu, though she can't breathe fire. Instead, Sisu is an experienced swimmer, and even has a canonical human form!

Sisu also believes that the world can be a better place if people were more trustworthy and selfless.

In conclusion, Raya and the Last Dragon is a great way to start the year off, though I have a warning for the parents reading this: 'Raya' is a bit more mature than previous Disney films, treading similar waters to Atlantis and Treasure Planet. There's lots of intense action and even some character deaths.

Rating: 3.7 stars out of 5.