Raya and the Last Dragon movie review: Kelly Marie Tran looks radiant in Disney’s heartbreaking adventure

Call it an act of repentance on Disney’s part for throwing Kelly Marie Tran under the bus, or call it another excuse for Alan Tudyk to make animal noises for a few hours in return for fairness, but nothing should. removing the fact that Raya and the Last Dragon is another step in the right direction for the House of Mice. And in a happy coincidence, it might just be the most “ irreparable ” film the studio has produced in some time.

Both Tomb Raider and The Legend of Korra, Disney Animation’s latest feature tells the mythical story of Raya, a young woman who embarks on an epic adventure to secure the brilliant McGuffins who will help her unite the Five Tribes. at war of his world. That’s about all you need to know, even though the “ world ” of Raya and the Last Dragon is rich in lore and extremely detailed.

Watch Raya and the Last Dragon Trailer Here

And as you would imagine, there is a dragon in it, but not the kind you think. Sisu isn’t a scaly, fire-breathing monster from Game of Thrones, but a furry, horse-like creature with the demeanor of a sassy Asian-American comedian. Played by Awkwafina, Sisu is treated for humor in the film, perhaps foreshadowing how Disney will make millions of dollars out of the character through lavish sales.

Kelly Marie Tran, meanwhile, plays the titular Raya (pronounced Rye-uh). The actor suffered such a cruel blow after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, when it was essentially written out of the series in a clear example of the world’s biggest movie studio bowing down to racist trolls. Who knows, maybe the deal for her to star in Raya was made at the time, as fair compensation for what the studio was about to do. Either way, Tran deserves all the leading roles and more – not only because of what she stands for, but also because she has a unique combination of courage and gentleness; and an innate ability to attract audiences. In another world, she would direct big budget movies that didn’t feel the need to hide her face behind ones and zeros.

However, there are some things that can only be achieved in animation. What worked in the Mulan cartoon failed miserably in the live-action remake. What worked best – Mushu the dragon – was completely left out. It would be impossible to do a live-action version of Raya and the Last Dragon, not only because it would probably cost a billion dollars, but also because your suspension of disbelief works duplication when watching cartoons.

Take, for example, the “brotherhood” of heroes that comes together in the film’s excellent third act. There is Raya, of course; an “ordinary” person, all is said and done. But there’s also a fast-talking dragon, a middle-aged warrior, an enterprising boy, a baby, three monkeys, and a giant bug. I had a harder time buying Parineeti Chopra as an alcoholic last week.

Directors Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada, along with co-directors Paul Briggs and John Ripa, create truly imaginative action sets, the most memorable of which is farting bugs. There’s a mission-driven structure to the plot – a video game-inspired approach that ends with the required “ boss fight ” – but while it’s slightly simplistic, most importantly, it’s never patronizing. . Likewise, the film is political, but never preaching.

Raya and the Last Dragon, however, has a faint smell of agenda-driven filmmaking that most Hollywood studios dabble in, especially these days. Here, the filmmakers have chosen actors of East Asian descent to play characters clearly rooted in South East Asian culture – it’s like hiring Priyanka Chopra to play a Latina, which also happened.

Also read: Mulan Movie Review: A Monumental Disney Failure, Worst Of Its Live-Action Remakes

We’ve come a long way since veteran Disney directors Ron Clements and John Musker admitted that cultural sensitivity was not at all part of the conversation at the time, when they created Aladdin. But the same filmmakers made sure to portray Maori culture with respect years later when they made Moana. It’s only a matter of time before anyone realizes that maybe Southeast Asian stories should be told by Southeast Asian filmmakers.

Raya and the last dragon

Directors – Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada

Throw away – Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Sandra Oh, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong

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The author tweets @RohanNaahar