The confrontational scenes between Raya and her nemesis Namaari (Gemma Chan), feature amazing fight choreography that never becomes too violent or scary for the children who might be watching. Raya And The Last Dragon showcases plenty of action, frequently drawing comparisons-at least from me-to the Indiana Jones franchise. This creates a fictional world that, while not representative of a specific culture, allows those who are of Southeast Asian ancestry to see at least some parts of themselves represented. Similar to Disney’s prior work in Moana, where they established the Oceanic Story Trust, a variety of experts were brought on board to encourage authenticity. Raya And The Last Dragon utilized a buffet approach to including cultural elements in the film, creating the Southeast Asia Story Trust to assist in those efforts. Along the way, their entourage grows to include Boun (Izaac Wang), the ten-year-old owner of the “Shrimporium” boat restaurant from Tail, Noi (Thalia Tran), a toddler con artist with her own band of Ongis from Talon, and Tong (Benedict Wong), a warrior giant from Spine. Able to appear as both dragon and human, Sisu joins Raya on her quest. Through a ceremony with one of the pieces, Raya brings back the dragon Sisu (Awkwafina). She plans to collect the broken gem pieces, hoping to defeat the Druun once again. Now Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) journeys across the various lands, each named after parts of a dragon, with her pill bug companion Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk). Kumandra’s dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity by creating a Dragon Gem, but 500 years later the Druun has returned. The film takes place in the fictitious world of Kumandra, where an evil force known as the Druun threatened to destroy everything it encountered. Despite any possible intentions to the contrary, Raya and global politics are inescapably intertwined. The completed film, a melange of Southeast Asian inspirations, now enters theaters and Disney+ Premier Access at a time of heightened anti-Asian racism and attacks. In the case of Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon, the film began development as early as 2018, yet it finished as a virtual production, with the majority of the cast and animators working from home. Funny thing about global pandemics: they infuse a whole lot of extra meaning into movies, whether the filmmakers intended it or not.
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