The movie's intense scenes of swordplay and hand-to-hand combat give it a tougher, more grown-up feel than most Disney animated fantasies - my own young daughter had to cover her eyes a few times. This isn't the first time we've seen a brave young character embark on a quest for magical baubles, and Raya and the Last Dragon is rooted in traditional fantasy lore, with The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones being just the most obvious influences. Movie Reviews Disney's 'Moana' Needs No Prince, Just The Land And Sea This opens the doorway to an ancient enemy called the Druun, a terrible plague that turns people to stone.

One day, all five factions come together and try to reach a peace agreement, but tensions erupt, a fight breaks out and the Gem shatters into five pieces that are scattered across Kumandra. Their magic lives on in a jewel called the Dragon Gem, which is kept in a cave in Heart, but the other four kingdoms covet its mighty powers. It takes place in Kumandra, an enchanted realm inspired by various Southeast Asian cultures and divided into five kingdoms named after a dragon's body parts: Heart, Fang, Spine, Talon and Tail.īefore they became extinct centuries ago, dragons once roamed the land and served as friendly guardians to humanity.

The story is a little complicated, as these stories tend to be. The movie, directed by the Disney veteran Don Hall and the animation newcomer Carlos López Estrada, brings us into a fantasy world that's been beautifully visualized and populated with engaging characters, and it builds to an emotional climax that I'm still thinking about days later.

Its big selling point is that it's the first Disney animated film to feature Southeast Asian characters, but like so many movies that break ground in terms of representation, it tells a story that's actually woven from reassuringly familiar parts. Raya and the Last Dragon is a lovely, moving surprise. Raya, a young warrior princess (Kelly Marie Tran), enlists the help of Sisu, a friendly water dragon (Awkwafina) in Raya and the Last Dragon.

Raya and the last dragon movie cover