by Sebastian Gordon

“Raya and the Last Dragon” became available on Disney Plus On June 4th, 2021, originally released in theaters on March 5th of 2021. The movie is rated PG and has a runtime of 1 hour and 57 minutes. 

The movie earned 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a pretty high score. In addition, the movie has grossed $132.9 million worldwide (not including Disney+ Premier Access). Currently, it is the eighth highest-grossing film of 2021. 

Overall, audiences had positive remarks about the movie. However, there was criticism for the lack of actual Southeast Asian representation among the film’s voice cast. 

The story starts in an alternate fantasy world called Kumandra, where humans and dragons live side by side. However, monsters called Drunn began ravaging the land. In a valiant effort to stop their terror, the dragons sacrifice themselves to save the humans.

Five hundred years later, the Drunn attack once again. To stop this threat, the movie’s main character Raya sets off on a journey to find the last dragon and restore peace. Along the way, she makes friends and learns the true history of Kumandra’s past. 

The movie is adventurous and shows characters overcoming many challenges. The message is warm, like in several Disney movies. 

The characters develop a lot throughout the story, and their goals change. Raya is also shown with flaws to connect with the audience more. 

Watchers were very enthusiastic about the action scenes and the stunning animation. Nevertheless, critics say there was an improvement to be made. 

“It really simplified complicated issues of the human experience, so as an adult, I couldn’t connect to the theme of trust,” writes Regina P. 

Richard L. says, “The audience consensus really sums up this movie perfectly; the story is one giant cliché, but it’s nice and fluffy.” 

Another online user describes the movie as “forgettable” and “average” compared to the usual “Disney Magic.” Thus, there are several mixed responses towards this film.

I thought it was relatively good. The plot was wholesome, and the characters were unique. It was a little basic, but the story was still relevant.

It was a great film. Even so, it was not Disney’s best work. There were many unanswered questions, and the work seemed to be rushed, leaving the story “unfinished.” 

I’d recommend watching it once for yourself to form your own opinion. I’d give it a score of 7/10.