RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON review - Beautiful, naked cowardice

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)

Raya and the Last Dragon is a 2021 fantasy adventure film co-directed by Carlos López Estrada and Don Hall. You probably know full well already, but it was released by Disney on VOD (and in cinemas pre-vaccine, if you thought this movie was literally to die for), and fell off a cliff because the corporate goons at Disney really think digital copies you don't get to keep are worth $30 when Netflix and YouTube exist, so a lot of The Discourse™©® surrounding it hasn't even been about whether it's good or not--it's been whether or not a C-list e-celebrity ought to be "cancelled" over it. To get my hOt TaKe on that whole shitshow out of the way off the jump: I enjoy Lindsay Ellis's work and do not condone any of the harassment that has come her way over a rudimentary tweet, though I do not believe "cAnCeL cUlTuRe" exists and think she's put her foot in her mouth a few times over this, especially in her bewilderingly naïve assumption that a ton of the hatred coming her way isn't coming from fascists pretending to be "wOkEsCoLdS" (another meaningless, terminally online buzz word I don't give a shit about because I have real problems). Anyway, I think that's a shame, as Raya is really good, but it's fascinating because it's also blatantly a safe, corporate product in some places, and a jaw-dropping watermark for Western animation in 2021 that could have easily have been so much better and more relevant with like two obvious tweaks.

On a technical level, you are not going to get a movie from Disney these days that is not astounding. Raya is no exception, but its technical bones are outmatched by mesmerizing art direction--as it should be. Breathtaking vistas, monumental architecture, ramshackle wardrobes--it's such a pretty world, you just wanna get lost in it. The last Disney 3D animated flick that looked this phenomenal was Moana, and I think Raya is much more thrilling a picture (personally, I thought the idea of Moana was better than what we got, especially the whispers of what Taika Waititi wanted to do with it--the final work is pretty good, still, and has its highlights). That's not because Raya has fight scenes, but because those fights are spectacular, with tons of interesting movement. Complimenting these combat sequences is Raya's secret weapon: its breakneck pace.

Say what you will of Raya's story, but it has a killer pace in its favor. Things are always moving, and this leads to some truly exhilarating scenes because this is one lean, mean watch. It's a sword that cuts both ways, however. The very same frenetic pacing is what hobbles the character development, since these folks are rarely allowed to breathe and just be. Again, it's a shame, because there are some fuckin' wild characters in here, like a swindling baby, the horny Rule 34 dragon (Disney, you fools! You have awakened the scalies, now we're going to have zoomers who want to fuck dragons in ten to twenty years!), and the plush-to-be rolly-polly crossed with a hamster. They're great, imaginative characters for Raya's (as in the protagonist) makeshift, multicultural Avengers team, but I get the feeling that would have been better served if this were a TV show instead--even though that'd lead to many more tortured comparisons to Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Raya and the Last Dragon definitely has comparisons to Avatar, like lush worldbuilding, whimsical magic, mix of action/globetrotting adventure peppered with jokes, multicultural inspirations, and its Zuko-esque antagonist-turned-friend. If you loved Avatar, Raya is definitely your style. But it's got more Marvel vibes than you might expect from that recommendation, and I don't think stuff like Raya, Avatar, The Dragon Prince, or Children of Blood and Bone need to be couched in a bubble within fantasy, as has occurred to Tolkien's work being labeled as "high fantasy". I don't necessarily think stuff like low and high fantasy are bad terms, but I think these works belong in the wider berth of fantasy. Heaven knows fantasy could use more associations with non-European creations.

Back to the characters, because I do want to say that I really like Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) as a protagonist. She's unique within the pantheon of Disney princesses, and her dynamic with Namaari (voiced by Gemma Chan) is seriously great. Unfortunately, the clear intent (an intent vocalized by Marie Tran, mind you) of these two characters being new idols for the "enemies to lovers" enthusiasts is restrained by Disney's inability to present canonically queer characters who aren't stupid background characters. Fucking imagine just how cool it would have been for so many queer women of color growing up now to have that representation in a would-be tentpole-whatever-marketing-nonsense film such as this. Not only is it disappointing from this angle, it'd make so much more emotional sense for Raya to be so willing to be fooled by Namaari's tricks if she's got a crush. Marie Tran does a great job trying to sneak that characterization in--which reminds me, some praise of the voice acting is long overdue.

As a lead performance, Kelly Marie Tran imbues Raya with loads of charisma and strength. Likewise, Gemma Chan has you willing to buy Namaari's deceptions and her own hopes to fix their dying world, tempered by her fear of what the other lands might do in the aftermath, seeing as she's kindaaaaa to blame for the devastation. Other performances are all around solid, as is the mighty creative musical score, courtesy of James Newton Howard. Oh, and Awkwafina is fun as Rule 34 dragon, even when the script doesn't give her much fun to say.

Raya and the Last Dragon aims for Marvel style banter and misses the mark by several orders of magnitude. Whenever it's trying to have humorous dialogue, I feel dead inside. I know it's super cool to dump on the MCU (there's surely criticisms to be had of it after so many installments), but I could laugh at the repartee in Guardians of the Galaxy (either one, they're both terrific) or Thor: Ragnarok. Fortunately, Raya does have some real good jokes up its sleeve, especially one towards the end, before the final battle. Awkwafina is delightful in that conversation. Even better, when the dialogue isn't shooting for The Avengers but hitting The Avengers: Age of Ultron, it's honestly written really well. I can take or leave the cringey themes of "stronger together", but I really do love how bold its story decisions can be towards the end. They go to... some places, and I wasn't expecting it. Obviously there's a certifiably Disney ending, but there was a moment or two where it had me more willing to expect something else than I'd like to admit.

All in all, Raya and the Last Dragon is a damn fun film, and one of the better latter day entries into the Disney princesses saga. It's definitely something a little different, which is what I wanted after Moana felt too formulaic. Now I can't wait to see the freaks at Disney ruin it with an awful live adaptation of it in thirty years. Til then, Raya and the Last Dragon gets a 9/10.

Awesome

Summary:

In spite of its cowardly incapability to deliver on the visible queerness of Raya and Namaari's love/hate relationship, Raya and the Last Dragon remains an exciting, inspired evolution of the Disney princess.