Raya & the Last Dragon (2021)
"In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon."
Not a single word I say will do this movie justice. The animation was gorgeous, stunning, and the highlight of the film for me. The lighting, the color, the textures, the motion - this is a Disney Animated film. This is what makes Disney... Disney. I shed a tear in the middle of the film not because of what was happening, but because of the animation. When Sisu gets that power to hop around on those water platforms was a beautiful sight, and the music (composed by genius James Newton Howard) was an excellent aid to the emotional drive of moments like this. This movie was art.
I was totally freaking out throughout this whole film as we went from clan to clan. The world design, the concept, the lore - I want to know everything about this fictional world. This was basically Breath of the Wild in terms of world building and we only saw a tiny portion. I loved the designs of the citizens and the all culture influences of Southeast Asia. Disney always does a good job of representing different cultures, whether it's the movies or the Disney theme parks.
The story itself was paced a bit too fast. All the characters were interesting and had intriguing backstories and character. But there was also this epic Indiana Jones quest to get all the stone pieces. This movie would've done better if it was slightly longer, just give a better balance of character development along with the action adventure.
We have a brand new warrior princess added to the Disney princess roster. I love Raya as a character and I loved her entire story arc. Anyone can find inspiration of how she made a huge mistake and helped start the literal apocalypse, and then dedicated her life to finding her own redemption by fixing everything. She learned how to see the world differently by befriending and trusting those form different clans, and their unity together is what saved the world in the end.
The moral of the story is that if everyone puts differences aside and trust in each other to work together on a common goal, the world can benefit greatly as we stand as one. Did Raya & the Last Dragon have the best take on this moral? Maybe not, but it's not unwatchable. Honestly, I enjoyed it. Had some laughs along the way too. However, for me the highlight of Raya was the animation. This film was truly a visual masterpiece, and that is why I think so highly of it. I will watch this many times. A new Disney classic to be sure.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆