Introduction
Released in 2021, Raya and the Last Dragon is an animated fantasy adventure film by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film is set in the fictional land of Kumandra. Kumandra is home to dragons and humans who, long ago, coexisted in peace and prosperity. The film’s protagonist is a brave and self-confident young warrior who embarks on a journey to find the last dragon, Sisu, in hopes of restoring peace and oneness to a fractured world.
The movie has been praised for its inspirational and nuanced themes, along with the high quality of culture from which they were drawn. Raya and the Last Dragon captivates its audience using incredibly vivid animation, moving stories, rich characters, and a rare balance of action, emotion, and humor that entertains children and grown-ups alike.
In the kumandra land is a kingdom united, the realm of humans and dragons lived in harmony. About five centuries ago, the harmony got disrupted with the advent of a dark force referred to as the Druun. These shadowy spirits transformed numerous people and dragons into solid stone. As a desperate measure, the dragons fused together their magic into a single gem and entrusted Sisu with the responsibility of using the gem to drive away the Druun. The gem in Sisu’s possession confirmed the safety of Kumandra as well as solidified the disappearance of the dragons. As a consequence of the armistice, Kumandra got divided into five regions, each named after a part of a dragon, the heart, fang, spine, tail, and talon.
Fast forward to the current age, and we find Sisu’s last guardian, chief Benja’s daughter, and Gem’s guardian, Raya, training to protect the last remnant of Sisu’s magic. During his lifetime, chief Benja dreamed of uniting the five regions, his dream, however, was cut short in the process of a meeting while constellated with chiefs of the other borders. The Druun returned to the land after some time, leading the piece of the gem to them which is now divided into five parts, the Druun spread their curse further than before.
Raya manages to escape the destruction of her home and sets forth on a quest to find the last dragon, Sisu, who is rumored to have lost her magic and vanished. To her amazement, Sisu is discovered and gently retrieved from a river. To her amazement, Sisu is transformed. Although kind, humorous, and full of optimism, her former self had lost her strength. Sisu, on the other hand, is confident that her missing powers and the ability to stop the Druun is embedded in the fragmented pieces of the gem.
Raya and Sisu after some time captured for themselves a number of other new friends to travel with. Boun the young boat captain, Tong the gentle giant warrior, and the mischievous curious baby Noi who rides with monkeys. Each new character suffered from the Druun in some manner, which united them for their shared agonizing all suffered which helped them to rally.
Raya on the other hand throughout the journey has a challenge of letting people in, especially with loss of trust for the Fang lands princess, Namaari. The girl who had once betrayed her to help the gem be shattered. The two are fated to meet each other a number of times, which increases the underlying tension as each tries to be the hero of their narrative.
In the end, it is up to Raya to pursue the path of distrust or to risk it all. Significantly, it is the trust and togetherness of the people that restores peace in Kumandra. They all come together, the gem is restored, the Druun disappear, and the petrified, including the dragons, come back to life. There is Sisu, and Kumandra is whole again.
Main Characters & Casts
Raya (portrayed by Kelly Marie Tran): A courageous and adept fighter set on saving her world, her heart is overlain in armor due to trust issues.
Sisu (portrayed by Awkwafina): The youngest and final dragon, always optimistic, wise and humorous. She is still hopeful of the goodness in humanity that Sisu.
Namaari (portrayed by Gemma Chan): The Fang warrior princess, a rival and counterpart to Raya due to her own battles and sense of responsibility.
Chief Benja (portrayed by Daniel Dae Kim): A loving and wise father to Raya who longs for division, is known as the father of Raya.
Boun (portrayed by Izaac Wang): A clever young boy who runs a restaurant on a floating boat.
Tong (portrayed by Benedict Wong): A warm hearted giant who resides in the Spine area.
Little Noi (portrayed by Thalia Tran): A young girl with exceptional intelligence and dexterity.
Themes and Messages
Raya and the Last Dragon offers salient lessons which resonate in both the modern age and antiquity:
- Trust
Raya’s most prominent challenge throughout the story becomes the regaining of her faith in humanity. It is through this lens that we understand the importance of trust and why it is elemental in the life of the protagonist.
- Unity
The beautifully crafted world of Kumandra in the film illustrates the reality of our world, which becomes divided out of ignorance and fear. It is through the lack of understanding that the film tries to say that division is a reality, and there shall be no peace unless there is consideration.
- Forgiveness
The story illustrates that holding on to anger serves to punish yourself more than it serves the person. It is taught through the interactions that both Raya and Namaari have, and how they deal with the challenges that life burdens them with.
- Courage
The characters in the film recognized the absence of peace in their world. Neither of them proposed the solution to this issue, and each of them faced it in their own way. Raya’s true testament of courage becomes visible through her capacity to forgive, rather than to hold bitterness.
- Hope
In the entire film, the character that is seen to be the most positive is Sisu, and the only character that has a strong belief in humanity.
Visual Style and Music
Raya and the Last Dragon offers breathtaking animation. Its lands embody the Southeast Asian rivers, mountains, forests, and cities thanks to the various cultures and environments, which form the core of the painstaking research done for the film. That is why the filmmakers, rightfully, received great accolades for the thoughtful representation of the intricate details of the unique clothing, cuisine, and even architectures of Southeast Asia.
The dragon Sisu is portrayed using a gorgeous and playful design, and the flowing colors paired with a contrast of soft light magic is both eye-catching and gentle. The use of magic is, for the most part, spellbinding; balanced and not too overwhelming.
The film is underscored with mesmerizing music done by James Newton Howard who seamlessly integrates the traditional and the contemporary. The composer strengthens the emotional scenes with orchestral music, and produces a sense of wonder throughout the rest of the film with his thematic motifs.
Reception and Impact
Raya and the Last Dragon was released to both audience and critical acclaim, and, while the film was mainly focused on the intricacies of emotion, culture and storytelling, also received a multitude of nominations and awards for animation and voice performance.
The fictional land of Kumandra, while drawing inspiration from a multitude of real life cultures, is able to serve children with an exposure to the south-eastern part of the world, and, therefore, the film initiated positive dialogues on the representation of South-East Asia in prevalent animation.
The focus of the movie, `Raya and the Last Dragon,’ is a fantasy adventure about a young girl who must save her world from evil forces. It’s a beautiful story about the faith, trust and mending of relationships that it takes to unite the world. In an era of cer there’s so much conflict, the movie is a unique reminder of the power of unity and the beauty of faith. Believing in a over to you is more than enough to unite the world. With an exceptionally wonderful tale and a set of impactful lessons, it solidifies the idea of an unwavering belief system in an ununified world.
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