Raya and the Last Dragon review: Disney’s latest is a visually dazzling adventure

Following the release of films like Wonder Woman 1984 and Mulan, Raya and the Last Dragon is the latest Hollywood blockbuster to premiere directly on premium VOD (and in select theatres). Like those films, Raya and the Last Dragon probably plays better on a building-sized screen with room-shaking sound. While the film offers up some intricate world-building, this is really an action spectacle that somehow feels less involving in your living room than it might have in a theatre. (This isn’t meant to advocate going to a movie theatre right now – follow your local guidelines and exercise your own judgment on that front.)

Raya and the Last Dragon begins on an incredibly bleak note for a Disney film. In the opening moments, we learn in a voiceover from Raya (Star Wars’ Kelly Marie Tran) that the world of Kumandra has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Where the residents once lived in a fertile environment surrounded by dragons, that peaceful balance was upset with the arrival of the Druun, a “mindless plague” of creatures that turned everything they touched into stone. Following the destruction of the dragons, Sisu, the last dragon, concentrated all of her magic into a gem and vanquished the Druun away, freeing all of the citizens of Kumandra except for the dragons, who were all turned to stone. After the battle, the people of Kumandra turned away from each other, settling into their own clans that each fiercely sought out the powerful dragon gem for their own gain.

That’s quite a chunk of heady exposition to drop within the first three minutes of the film, but it sets up the complicated stakes for Raya, a warrior from the “Heart Land” clan, the protectors of the dragon gem (to the utmost displeasure of Kumandra’s other citizens). When Raya accidentally allows the gem to be shattered following an attempt by her father (Daniel Dae Kim) to unite the residents of Kumandra, she sets off into the bleak world outside of “Heart Land.” She soon discovers Sisu, the last surviving dragon (Awkwafina), who she enlists in her journey to bring together the shattered pieces of the dragon gem and unite the realm.

From there, the film quickly moves from set piece to set piece as Raya, Sisu, and Raya’s cute pet pill bug Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk) embark on their quest to gather up the pieces of the dragon gem. Meanwhile, they try to stay ahead of Namaari (Gemma Chan), the warrior princess of “Fang Land,” Raya’s one-time friend who betrayed her trust and led to the catastrophic splintering of the dragon gem.

With its Asian-led cast and emphasis on Southeast Asian cultures and traditions, Raya and the Last Dragon is a refreshing break from the pasty-faced Disney princesses of old. Written by playwright Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), the film also has an empowering feminist message in line with recent Disney entries like the recent live-action Mulan remake. It’s easy to be pessimistic about a massive corporation like Disney finally treating Asian culture in their films with respect just as China becomes the dominant box office force in the world, but regardless of the business motives that may be at play behind-the-scenes, there’s no doubt that Raya and the Last Dragon offers up a more welcome message to kids than Disney standards like The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast.

While the general messaging is extremely positive, the reoccurring notion of forgiveness (even when it’s unearned or not necessarily reciprocated) is a strange message to push in times like this. Sisu is constantly hammering Raya to open her heart to the treacherous Namaari in order to heal, which has the faint whiff of the “very fine people on both sides” argument that was used as a false moral equivalency not too long ago.

With that caveat aside, as per usual with Disney, the voice acting is strong all around, with Awkwafina in particular dialing it up to 11 as the sassy Sisu. The film also offers up some stunning visuals, from elaborate action sequences to the beautifully-rendered imagery of the various Kumandra land divisions, along with a truly inspired finale that I won’t ruin here. That said, unless you have an incredible home theatre set-up, the film feels less immersive than it likely would be in a theatre, which might be the deciding factor when weighing spending the $30 on a film that will land on Disney+ soon enough.

It may carry a hefty price tag at the moment, but if you’re looking for a vibrant new take on some familiar Disney tropes, you could do a lot worse than Raya and the Last Dragon. It’s an intricate and refreshing animated action feature that should allow a vast swath of kids (and their families) to feel properly represented in a Disney movie for the first time, a heartening notion that easily outshines the film’s minor faults.

Raya and the Last Dragon is out on Disney+ premier access and in select theatres on March 5.