ReviewRaya and the Last Dragon movie review: Disney animation inspired by Southeast Asian culture

This story of a warrior princess trying to save her land takes inspiration from Southeast Asian culture, with input from anthropologists
However, his is no cultural appropriation – unless you count the shameless references to the Indiana Jones movies

American cinema

James Mottram

Published: 1:00am, 2 Mar, 2021

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3.5/5 stars

The first original Walt Disney Animation in nearly five years, Raya and the Last Dragon is set in a realm known as Kumandra – a reimagined version of our world heavily inspired by Southeast Asian culture.

If this might have some up in arms about a Hollywood studio once again trampling into another continent for a swift bit of cultural appropriation, it’d be an unfair accusation.

Disney’s Southeast Asian Story Trust, a coalition of anthropologists and other specialists, led the scrupulous research for the project, while Thai-born Fawn Veerasunthorn (Moana) is credited as head of story.

It means this brightly hued fantasy comes with a feeling of authenticity, rather than being just another cartoon cranked out to appeal to the Asian market.

The story focuses on Raya (voiced by The Last Jedi’s Kelly Marie Tran), a warrior princess who must go in search of dragon gems (something akin to the infinity stones in Marvel’s Avengers saga) to bring peace to her land. The Druun – fearsome, smoke-like creatures that hundreds of years earlier caused chaos when humans and dragons lived in harmony – are back to cause more strife.

To help in this mission, she must hunt out Sisu (The Farewell star Awkwafina) – a verbose turquoise water dragon, the last of its kind. “I’m not, like, the best dragon,” she opines. Her magic power? She’s a strong swimmer (“I slaughter when I hit the water!”).

Joining them are a ragbag of characters, including a light-fingered toddler, three monkey-like creatures and Tuk Tuk, a sort of armadillo-pill-bug hybrid that rolls around like an armoured tank.

Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, Raya and the Last Dragon may be ultra-respectful to Asian culture, but it’s less concerned with plundering from Indiana Jones; as our heroine traverses booby-trapped catacombs, there’s a real feeling of Steven Spielberg’s intrepid archeologist here.

A still from Raya and the Last Dragon. Photo: Disney

The animation even switches to anime for one delightful section where they hatch out a plan to retrieve one of the gems.

Among the supporting cast on vocal duties, Doctor Strange star Benedict Wong pops up as an eye-patch-wearing giant, Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim voices Raya’s father, and Gemma Chan is Namaari, a rival to Raya. There are plenty of chases, fights and leaping about, but the film works best when Sisu is on screen.

Awkwafina’s rat-a-tat-tat patter (something of an equivalent to Robin Williams’ Genie in Aladdin) brings the story alive, adding another memorable character to the Disney canon.

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