I thought this movie started off really strong. I found the whole concept and the setting of the world to be very interesting. But then the dragon character appeared and everything started spiralling downwards. Sisu (the dragon) was annoying, and ruined the entire tone of the movie as soon as she popped up on screen. I get that this is Disney and they like to have a lot of humour thrown in, but Sisu was just too much. For most of the movie, she was just comic relief. Then the movie continued going downhill by introducing a ninja baby who had been raised by monkeys. I was so disappointed to find that this promising movie with a great setting was taking this route of just filling the movie with ridiculous comic relief characters.

The movie also felt way too fast. The characters were jumping from location to location like it was nothing. It would have been nice to stop and breathe, and to spend some time exploring and learning about the different regions in this world. But instead, the characters just leapfrogged from one location to the next, barely brushing over the intricacies of what seemed to be interesting places and cultures. There was simply too much going on for a movie of this length.

It wasn't all bad though. As I said, it started well. And although I wouldn't say the ending was great, it was certainly decent - although I'm still confused as to why the dragons all came back at the end, when they didn't come back the last time the gem had been forged. Maybe I missed something? Anyway, the main issue was with the middle 70%, and it's not even that it was bad, it's that it was generic and extremely disappointing. I felt like there was so much potential for a great story to be told in this world, but instead we got a bunch of shallow, comic relief side characters rushing from one location to the next, not even giving us a chance to explore these seemingly interesting places.


I'm probably being too generous when I give this movie a 6/10.

The absolutely stunning animation is a feast to watch, although the story might be a bit too predictable for adults.
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'_Raya and the Last Dragon_' is a story that mirrors reality and some of the problems we face currently. It brings a positive story about coming together in a time of turmoil and polarization, in the face of a (not so subtle real world metaphor) imminent threat. With the best technical visuals an animated movie can probably bring us today, likeable characters and a good balance between serious and lighter tones, this is a perfect movie to watch with your kids or just alone on a big screen.

Beautifully Animated
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'_Raya and the Last Dragon_' is once again a new frontier in (3D) animated film. The absolutely stunning animation is rich in color and with a lot of attention to detail. The lightning, water, facial expressions and movements are of a level rarely seen before. Disney once again proves to be at the utmost forefront of technical capabilities in (3D) animated film.

Problematic Editing
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One of the most noticeable issues in the movie is the editing. Pacing and tone are never actually bad, but events happen fairly quickly one after another, which makes the journey not feel like much of a challenge to overcome. There are also some tonal issues between moments when the dragon is on screen, and the main characters conflict. Considering the primary focus group for Disney is kids, this is not something I would call as too problematic.
The cutting is too fast for my taste though. A bit more time to be able appreciate the beautiful shots of landscapes or other scenes would have been nice. And where the editing mostly starts to fall apart is when fast paced scenes (like fighting scenes) happen. The cutting is too often and too fast, which can trigger a feeling of dizziness at times.

Predictable Story
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Again, as a movie primarily aimed at kids, I do not expect depths to the likes of '_Mulholland Drive_', '_Se7en_' or even '_Spirited Away_', so the following is not a major complaint. The characters are decent, sometimes original, and well rounded, world building is done well (although I personally thought the exposition could have been a bit better integrated) and the dialogue does not feel forced and has a good flow.
At the end of the movie I do feel the characters and story are a bit lacking in depth. I think that even without making the characters or story more complicated, this could have been improved by giving a but more time for the characters (and viewer) to grasp the situation they are in. To let them contemplate the situation, and give them some time to breath.
Because of the clear message the movie is giving off, the story is fairly predictable. And even while the message of trust can be a bit in your face at times, this does not detract of the enjoyment I had while watching.

Conclusion
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With beautiful animation, good world building, a nice sounding score and rather original characters and the general fast pace, this is a movie that is a feast to watch (especially with kids.) The decent but predictable story is good enough to carry it's message properly, without it getting annoying. Overall '_Raya and the Last Dragon_' is a good new addition to the Disney animated movie collection.

First of all: What is good about this movie? Raya tells a story about a south east asian girl who has to face the consequences for trusting other people and by that let the country fall apart. Lost her father and her home, she now tries to amend her mistakes from the past and search the for last remaining dragon that could fix all that happened. As so far a quite ordinary Disney tale... But Raya outshines with its South East Asian setting, the cultural references in food e.g. congee and traditions e.g.liveries. Background and soundtracks are quite fitting in this tropical asian atmosphere and gives the viewer a proper impression of South East Asia. If the goal was depicting cultural aspects correctly, Raya did a quite great job. Another good point are the characters. They are very creative and original: Tuk-Tuk a pet with a driving function, Boun a little energetic boy (quite ordinary), Tong a big warrior with a hard shelf but a soft inside... but the best are the monkeys and the con-baby. The con-baby is that thing that keeps the viewers watching. It's cute but perfidious, something contrary that fits quite well, a big entertainment factor. On the other side Raya did a terrible job by depicting some other characters. Rayas father a warm-hearted ideologist never blames anyone and only sees the good in people. Deluded. A goofy "dragon" or should I call a unicorn-snake that is both naive and ignorant and that also tries to envoke the gullible part in Raya. Convincing her trusting and believe everyone with no exceptions. As the story continues the people of Kumandra were rescued by the "power of trust" at the end as the [spoiler] broken gem wondrously regains power at the end (quite strong plot armor) and depretified anyone and even the dragons that should have been already awaken by the first gem magical blast from 500 years ago but nevermind plotconvenience! [/spoiler]. To summarise, Raya is quite an ordinary preachy Disney film like some others. Nevertheless it outshines through its style, originality and some characters. Also, it's the first Disney movie with an south east asian heroine. But the story is quite simple and provoke you to trust everyone with no doubt and shows you an deluded perception of life. The movie was not bad at all, in fact it was in some parts very enjoyable, but in most parts too utopistic and unrealistic.

In a magical land known as Kumandra; Humans and Dragons co-exist in harmony. When a threat in the form of creatures known as Druun arrive and threaten to destroy everything; the Dragons combine their power to defeat them but in doing so all but one of the Dragons remains.

In the new Disney animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon”; audiences are introduced to the narrative of the story by Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), who tells that the world has become fractured and she is to blame. A sacred relic that the Dragons used to Defeat the Druun has given her kingdom prosperity but the surrounding kingdoms all named after various parts of a Dragon are envious of their position.

When Raya’s father Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim); attempts to unite the other kingdoms, a tragic betrayal results in the relic becoming fractured with each kingdom taking a fragment. As if this situation was not bad enough; the fracturing of the relic ushers in the return of the Druun and they quickly resume turning everything not protected by a barrier of water to stone.

The story then jumps years into the future where Raya and her faithful companion Tuk Tuk (Alan TudyK) are searching the rivers of the kingdoms in an effort to find the location where the last Dragon Sisu (Awkwafina) is rumored to have been sleeping for 500 years.

Raya is eventually able to locate Sisu who is a very playful and animated creature and the two set off to save the day by obtaining the missing fragments through any means necessary. Naturally, their journey will be filled with dangers, adventure, and humor, as the various kingdoms have their own unique visual style and characters; some of whom join with Raya on her quest to provide much-needed support, perspective, and at times; humor.

The movie is visually amazing as the artists clearly were inspired to create a world that combines elements of many Asian cultures yet has its own unique traits. I marveled at the details of the water and ripples and how the railings on a boat showed uneven discoloration and wear in just a casual scene where the characters talked. It is this attention to detail that really adds to the magic of the film as well as the immersion into fantasy.

The supporting cast was great and there are some characters I do not wish to spoil who practically steals every scene in which they are in. My wife and I were captivated from the very start as Disney has created a film that embodies much of their classic themes and yet expands upon them to create a film the entire family will enjoy.

The movie will be released in cinemas and via a paid option for Disney+ subscribers. We attended a press screening at a cinema; our first in almost a year and found the setup to be very safe and it was amazing to see such visual splendor on a big screen.

Disney has once again created a new classic and has given audiences the magic that they are known for at a time when it is most needed.

4 stars out of 5.

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Disney purchased Pixar way back in 2006, and many incredible animated films have been released under both banners. Therefore, it’s quite understandable that many people don’t recognize the difference between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar itself. The latter studio released two movies just last year (Onward, Soul), while the former’s latest original film dates back to 2016’s Moana. So, there was a lot of anticipation for a new animated movie from the studio that gave us classics such as Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, and more recently, the Frozen saga. With Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) at the helm, and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen (feature-film debut) tackling the screenplay, did they succeed in delivering a good film?

Well, if I must answer “yes” or “no”, I’ll go with the first one. Let’s start with the positives. The one thing everyone expects from a Disney animated movie is beautiful animation, and Raya and the Last Dragon features tons of gorgeous, creative, jaw-dropping sceneries. The different lands that the story takes the viewers through look impressively realistic, some of them clearly drawing inspiration from real Asian places and culture. The character drawings also look excellent, even though they’re not too far from what we’ve seen from 3D animation in the last few years.

Technically though, my standout goes to James Newton Howard’s addictive, chill-inducing score. From the emotional tracks to the riveting tones that elevate every action sequence, it’s a score that I’ll struggle to get out of my head for the next couple of weeks, especially its main theme. In fact, I’m actually listening to it while writing this review, and I’m feeling full of energy. The sound effects for the Druun monsters are pretty eerie, it’s hard not to feel the weight of their threatening presence, but the inspirational, tear-inducing soundtracks leave me floored. The action scenes are wonderfully shot and animated, bringing high levels of entertainment and excitement to a partially adventure-driven narrative. Raya’s sword fighting is indisputably the most captivating type of battle seen throughout the entire runtime.

Story-wise is where things get a little disappointing, to be completely honest. While the visuals share outstanding imagination and creativity, Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen’s formulaic screenplay is much more straightforward and unsurprising than expected. I knew Raya and the Last Dragon wasn’t going to deliver a groundbreaking narrative, but a videogame-style script is far from being a good alternative. The third act tries to challenge its story’s predictability with one little unexpected moment that I undoubtedly love, but besides not changing the outcome predicted in the first ten minutes of the film, it severely damages a secondary character.

Regarding this last issue, I can’t deny that it’s my main problem with the movie, but I would have to go into spoiler territory to fully explain it. Therefore, I’ll only address the character’s inconsistency, which unfortunately affects the film’s primary message. The main themes revolve around trust and how if we treat other people kindly, they’ll treat us in the same way. A lovely note that parents will surely want to transmit to their kids, without the shadow of a doubt. However, the character in question spends the movie not knowing where to stand, constantly betraying everyone, and even blaming others for something that same character triggered in the first place.

Despite having a significantly negative impact on my enjoyment of the film, the ending does work quite well and compensates for my problem with the said character. Kelly Marie Tran lends her voice to Raya, a protagonist easy to root for due to her clear motivations and important mission, while Awkwafina is very funny as Sisu, a goofy dragon with more depth than what the viewers might expect from the first impression. Everyone in the cast delivers extraordinary voice work, and every character has some sort of captivating trait that makes the audience support them, except for you know who. Having in mind that kids are indeed the target audience, I’m positive all will feel delighted with this movie.

Boasting a predominantly Asian American cast, all delivering exceptional voice work, Raya and the Last Dragon follows a partially disappointing, formulaic narrative but compensates it with stunning animation, a chill-inducing score, and quite a nice ending. Walt Disney Animation Studios returns with an original story that lacks surprising elements, lending all the creativity and imagination to its entertaining, fast-paced adventure packed with undeniably impactful visuals and incredibly riveting action sequences. Despite a significant problem with an inconsistent character that profoundly affects my enjoyment of the film, all other characters are extremely likable, goofy, and well-written. A delightful message about trust and treating others kindly is ultimately well-transmitted to the viewers, which I hope parents will show their kids. Final remark: James Newton Howard’s score will not leave your minds for a long, long time.

Rating: B