Raya & The Last Dragon

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio Ballarat and South West Victoria, and ABC Radio Central Victoria on March 15, 2021.

(PG) ★★★★½

Director: Don Hall & Carlos López Estrada.

Cast: (voices of) Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Thalia Tran, Lucille Soong, Alan Tudyk.

Lovely day to take a weapon or a hat for a walk.

Disney princesses ain't what they used to be, which is a good thing.

In the past decade or so we've had the rebooted Rapunzel, Wreck It Ralph's Vanellope (she's totally a princess... of the track!), Frozen's Elsa and Anna, and islander warrior Moana - all strong yet complex characters that aren't merely waiting to be rescued by a prince. These ladies are more likely to be doing the rescuing.

Add to that list Raya - a fierce fighter, racked with guilt, who won't rest until she has restored her kingdom to its former glory. And there's nary a prince in sight.

Raya's quest is a pretty significant one - she needs to rid the land of the ghostly Druun, a wave of evil spirits which have turned the majority of her land's population to stone. To break their curse, she needs all the pieces of a mystical artefact called the dragon stone. Unfortunately the leaders of the neighbouring countries aren't keen to give up their pieces of the stone because they help keep the Druun at bay.

There is a formulaic "hunt the McGuffin" element to Raya & The Last Dragon that makes the film feel a tad predictable, especially when held up against the more adventurous film-making of studio buddies Pixar, but this is the only downside to this otherwise wondrous adventure. 

The story assemblies a fascinating array of characters along its journey - Raya and her pet Tuk Tuk (a Disneyfied pangolin), erratic dragon Sisu, 10-year-old entrepreneur Boun, con artist infant Noi, and the mighty warrior Tong. All are broken by grief and are seeking in Raya's attempts to re-assemble the dragon stone a way to re-assemble themselves, and indeed their whole nation. It's a Wizard Of Oz-style trip to make oneself whole again, but instead of flying monkeys, there is an army of warriors led by the equally fierce "Disney Princess" Namaari - a character just as fractured and interesting as the "good guys" of the tale.

Each of these players is beautifully animated, cleverly written and perfectly voiced by an all-star cast of Asian heritage. Tran and Awkwafina are spot-on in the leads with the latter stealing the show, Chan adds great humanity to Raya's nemesis Namaari, while Wong is an excellent mix of tough, funny and fragile as the massive mighty Tong.

With its impressive fight sequences and action-packed diversions, plus a healthy dose of comedy, Raya & The Last Dragon is great family fun, filled with enough heart and soul to overcome its more familiar plot moments.