Film Review: 'Raya and the Last Dragon'
Disney’s newest princess is a sword-wielding girl on a mission. ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’(2020) follows Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) in her quest to free her home from evil, but first, she must overcome her own cynicism and distrust of others. The film’s South-East-Asian-inspired design is stunning, and the resulting scenery and action sequences are proof that Disney benefits from diversifying its influences. Although the central message of forgiveness and trust doesn’t quite land right, this plot point is dwarfed by high-quality storytelling and engaging characters.
These new Disney princesses prioritize their own happiness, and enjoyable life with friends and family is one worth fighting for.
Long ago in the land of Kumandra evil creatures called Druun invaded, petrifying the living and feeding off fear and distrust. Only the dragons, masters of water and magic could defeat these monsters, but when the world needed them most, they sacrificed all their power into one orb to repel the Druun and vanished. Generations later, Kumandra is fractured by warring tribes. Chief Benja of the Heart tribe (Daniel Dae Kim) is a dragon orb guardian, and he trains daughter Raya to follow the legacy. In an effort to forge peaceful relations with the other four nations, Chief Benja invites the leaders of every tribe to feast. Raya quickly befriends the princess of Fang, Naamari (Gemma Chan), and in a show of 12-year-old logic, leads Naamari to the (unguarded?!?) hidden orb room. Naamari betrays Raya to steal the orb and alert her mother Virana, chief of the Fang tribe (Sandra Oh). In the ensuing fight, the orb is broken and the Druun are set loose on the Heart tribe. Raya is the only surviving member of Heart and vows to defeat the Druun to restore the world, and most importantly: Her father. To do so she must find the last dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina).
The most recent decade of Disney animation has recentered itself on tales of royalty. They harken back to classic stories of choosing love overpower (Ariel), protecting one's people (Pocahontes), protecting one's family (Belle and Mulan) discovering one's birthright (Aurora), and of course following one's dreams (Aladdin and Hercules).
‘Princess and the Frog’ (2009) marks the return of modern Disney princesses; Tiana’s aspirations to open her restaurant marks a new age of updated priorities. These new princesses on the block aren't chasing love, but rather personal goals which contribute to their happiness. Rapunzel in ‘Tangled’ (2010), is after her beloved floating lanterns. Merida in ‘Brave’(2012) seeks freedom from oppressive traditions and a magic cure for her mother. Elsa and Anna in ‘Frozen’ (2013) both seek freedom, Anna wants to enjoy life outside castle walls and Elsa wants to escape the fear her power causes. Moana in Moana (2016) must restore the heart of TF* and save the world.
Raya follows in the footsteps of ‘Moana’ and ‘Mulan’ (1998) as she leaves home to restore balance and save her father. These new Disney films have maintained their love for happy endings, romance, and life lessons, but have slowly shifted genres to fantastical adventure. By doing so they bring their young audience to worlds where romance is optional but problem-solving and perseverance is not.
These new Disney princesses prioritize their own happiness, and an enjoyable life with friends and family is one worth fighting for. Raya proves that saving yourself may be harder than saving the world, but she can do both.
Raya and the Last Dragon can be found on Disney+ and select theaters.
