Movie and Film Profile: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

Raya and the Last Dragon was generally released theatrically on March 5, 2021, and simultaneously on the same day on Disney+ for customers with Premier Access. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Inspired by traditional Southeast Asian cultures, mythology, architecture, clothing, and martial arts tradition.

DMFE Rating: ★★★¼☆ (3.25 out of 5 stars)

Caution: Possible Spoilers Ahead!

The story takes place in Kumandra, a once-unified land. Long ago, dragons and humans coexisted peacefully until malevolent spirits known as the Druun turned living beings to stone. The dragons sacrificed themselves to create a magical Dragon Gem that defeated the Druun. Afterward, Kumandra split into five rival regions — Heart, Fang, Spine, Talon, and Tail — each guarding a piece of the fractured gem.

Princess Raya, daughter of Chief Benja of the Heart tribe, is trained to guard the Dragon Gem. When she befriends Princess Namaari of Fang, she naively trusts her with the gem’s location. The gem is broken during a confrontation, the Druun return, and Raya’s father is turned to stone.

Six years later, Raya searches for the last dragon, Sisu, believing she can restore Kumandra. Raya finds Sisu, who learns that each shard of the Dragon Gem restores part of her powers. Together, they travel across Kumandra to reclaim the gem pieces, gathering allies along the way, including Boun, Noi, and Tong.

As tensions escalate between the tribes, a final confrontation results in Sisu’s apparent death, unleashing the Druun once more. Faced with extinction, Raya ultimately chooses to trust Namaari. The tribes unite, restore the Dragon Gem, defeat the Druun, and revive those turned to stone, including the dragons themselves. Kumandra begins the process of reunification.

The soundtrack for Raya and the Last Dragon was released on February 21, 2021. The film’s score was composed by James Newton Howard. In addition to the original score, the film soundtrack features an original song titled “Lead the Way” written and performed by Jhene Aiko which can be heard during the end credits.
At the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, Raya and the Last Dragon was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film - Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho. 

First released on home video (DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray) on May 18, 2021. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray was released in an Ultimate Collector’s Edition, Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook and as a Target Exclusive. Re-released on Blu-ray on November 14, 2023, as part of the Disney Legacy Animated Collection. Raya and the Last Dragon is available on Disney+.

CAST & CREW

• Director(s): Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs (Co-Director), John Ripa (Co-Director )
• Producer(s): Osnat Shurer P.G.A., Peter Del Vecho P.G.A., Jennifer Lee (Executive Producer), Jared Bush (Executive Producer), Nathan Curtis (Associate Producer), Jennifer Christine Vera (Associate Producer)
• Screenplay: Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim
• Story: Paul Briggs, Don Hall, Adele Lim, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Kiel Murray, Qui Nguyen, John Ripa, Dean Wellins
• Cinematography: Rob Dressel (Director of Cinematography Layout), Adolph Lusinsky (Director of Cinematography Lighting)
• Editor(s): Fabienne Rawley ACE, Shannon Stein
• Composer: James Newton HowardHeads of Animation: Amy Lawson Speed, Malcon B. Pierce III
• Animation Supervsor(s): Andrew Feliciano, Jennifer Hagar, Mack Kablan, Brian F. Menz, Justin Sklar, Vitor Vilela
• Art Director: Shiyoon Kim (Characters), Ami Thompson (Characters)
• Production Designer: Paul Felix, Mingjue Helen Curtis, Cory Loftis
•  Voice Cast: Kelly Marie Tran (voice of Raya), Awkwafina (voice of Sisu), Izaac Wang (voice of Boun), Gemma Chan (voice of Namaari), Daniel Dae Kim (voice of Benjamin), Benedict Wong (voice of Tong), Jona Xiao (voice of Young Namaari), Sandra Oh (voice of Virana), Thalia Tran (voice of Little Noi), Lucille Soong (voice of Dang Hu), Alan Tudyk (voice of Tuk Tuk), Gordon Ip (voice of Merchant #2), Dichen Lachman (General Atitaya, Spine Warrior), Patti Harrison (Tail Chief), Jon “Dumbfounded” Park (voice of Chai), Sung Kang (voice of Dang Hai), Sierra Katow (voice of Merchant, Fang Officer), Ross Butler (voice Spine Chief), Francois Chau (voice of Wahn), Paul Yen (voice of Merchant #1)
• Additional Voices: Isabella Abiera, Duece Basco, G. K. Bowes, Reggie De Leon, Liza Del Mundo, Terri Douglas, Tania Gunadi, Ren Hanami, Ben Hisoler, Jennie Kwan, Aleks Le, Kayla Rose Melikian, Yabo Obien, Lucian Perez, Vyvan Pham, Griffin Pautu, Vincent Rodriquez III, Abraham Sigler, JB Tadena, Lily Villegas, Jenn Wong, Sanyee Suan

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• MPAA Rating: PG
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• Sound: IMAX 6-Track, Dolby Surround 7.1, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
• Format: Color
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Genre(s): Action and Adventure, Animation, Fantasy (from movies.disney.com)

BOX OFFICE (from IMDb.com)

• Budget: $100,000,000+ (estimated)
• Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): $8,502,498
• Gross (U.S. & Canada): $54,723,032
• Gross (Worldwide): $130,423,032

RATINGS

• My Rating: 3.25 (out of 5)
• Rotten Tomatoes: 93% Tomatometer) | 97% (Popcornmeter)
• Metacritic: 74 (Metascore) | 6.8 (Popcornmeter)
• IMDb: 7.3 (out of 10)
• The Movie DB: 78% User Score)
• Letterboxd: 3.2 (out of 5)
• Combined Rating: 76.50

MY THOUGHTS
A visually stunning and action-packed Disney adventure, Raya and the Last Dragon shines with breathtaking animation and rich worldbuilding, but its emotional beats and character arcs don’t always land as powerfully as its ambitious themes of trust and unity. While the film delivers strong fight choreography and a compelling fantasy setting, its pacing and repetitive conflict keep it from reaching the very top tier of modern Disney classics, making it a solid, good-but-not-great. 

Have you seen Raya and the Last Dragon? Share your thoughts in the comment section. 

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