‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is a sweet and heartfelt story

Category: Movies

The latest animated film from the folks at Disney is Raya and the Last Dragon. This movie has plenty of enjoyment for the entire family and includes action and adventure, along with plenty of humor.

Once upon a time there was the wonderful world of Kumandra, where dragons and humans lived in harmony. That was until an evil force came and the dragons were forced to sacrifice themselves in order to save the humans. All the dragons turned to stone as did humans who came in contact with this evil force. The people split into five regions which became at odds with each other. That was 500 years ago.

Now Raya’s father, Chief Benja, has a dream to unify the regions and live in peace once again. Unfortunately, things do not go according to his plan and things get even worse than before. It is up to Raya to find Sisu, the last dragon, and get his help in restoring peace to the people and all the lands.

 

Once Raya locates Sisu, their journey just begins. Along the way they interact with several interesting characters, including an adorable little baby named Noi, who is a conniving little thief, but an adorable one nonetheless. There are others who come to Raya’s aid, like a cute little street smart boy named Boun, and more, while she tries to retrieve a special item from each of the regions (Heart, Spine, Tail, Fang, and Talon), to unite them an get the magical power to vanquish the evil force and bring harmony back to the land.

Raya is the chief’s daughter, therefore she could be considered a Disney princess. We all know every Disney princess has a sidekick. Raya’s sidekick is Tuk Tuk, a combination of a pill bug and an armadillo. Let’s not forget about the Ongis who are monkey-like con artists. And yes, these characters are available in the Disney Stores and on shopDisney.com.

The main lessons learned in the film are that teamwork and trust go a long way in solving discourse.

The voice talent includes Kelly Marie Tran as Raya, Awkwafina as Sisu, Izaac Wang as Boun, Gemma Chan as Raya’s foe Namaari, Daniel Daw Kim as Benja, Alan Tudyk as Tuk Tuk, Thalia Tran as Noi, and Benedict Wong as Tong the giant. There is no doubt Raya and the Last Dragon will be well received, especially in this time of Covid. It is a fun fantasy and an uplifting escape. And were we not all longing for a new Disney heroine?

Raya and the Last Dragon is rated PG.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.