Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon is stunning with a message of hope, unity and trust that we need now more than ever. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon is coming to theaters and Disney+ with premiere access on Friday, March 5th. The film was written by Asian-American screenwriters, Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim and finds magic in Asian culture, traditions and scenery. The film is a deeply heartfelt story with new Disney characters all are sure to love. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
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Raya And The Last Dragon Quotes
Raya And The Last Dragon Coloring Pages
Raya And The Last Dragon Parents Guide
After Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) was betrayed by someone she put her trust in, the Dragon Gem (which protects the world from the Druuns) was shattered into pieces. The Druuns turn people and dragons to stone and must be stopped, so Raya searches for the last dragon, Sisu (Akwafina) to help. Along Raya’s journey to find Sisu and reunite the gem stones, she teams up with unlikely friends and also an enemy, Namaari (Gemma Chan), who seeks to stop her.
Raya And The Last Dragon Age Appropriate
Lets take a look at what parents need to know before allowing their kids to view Raya And The Last Dragon.
Language: The language is very mild and appropriate for all ages. The strongest words you will hear in this film is butt-kick and a word that sounds like badda** but instead bad-axery is said.
Violence/Death: There are some fighting scenes with sword battles, characters shot with arrows and dark creatures called “Druuns” which may scare younger children. Characters are turned to stone and there is discussions of the death of a parent, which may be triggering for some children.
Overall Thoughts
Raya And The Last Dragon is a beautiful story about hope, trust and unity. In a time when our country seems more divided than ever, a time when trust has been lost from the news sources we watch to even our fellow neighbors, and when the world seems hopeless as a deadly virus ravages our world; could the healing we need come from a mere Disney film? Perhaps. The parallels in this film to our world today is uncanny, in Raya, Druuns are sweeping their world like the plague and can only be stopped when those divided begin to trust one another again and unite to stop it. While these heavy themes may easily be lost on the younger crowd which will flock to see this film, it will ring loud and clear to those ears who need to hear it the most.
The voice casting in Raya And The Last Dragon is spot on. Kelly Marie Tran brings all the heart with that hint of girl power which embodies her character. Viewers really feel for Raya, and this is indicative to the emotion Tran gives to her character. Tran has not had it easy when it comes to working on Disney films, she received a barrage of hate and cyber-bullying from her role as Rose in Star Wars, so much so it caused her to shut down her social media channels. And while she has yet to return to social media, fans do get a sense of a “comeback” through her spirit in Raya.
And while Tran brought all the heart to the film as the beloved Disney heroine, Awkwafina brought the laughs as Sisu, the last dragon. Akwafina’s performance is being compared to Robin William’s the Genie and in all honesty, Sisu is probably the funniest Disney sidekick since Genie. Along with Akwafina’s unique vocal style, animators perfectly captured her resemblance in the characters features and expressions.
As expected from an animated film out of the Disney camp, Raya And The Last Dragon is visually stunning. With much of the film being completed in quarantine, it was impressive to see the labor of love taken in every detail of Raya. The world will never tire of Disney animated movies, and every generation has those films that define their childhood, this one will be no different, and I suspect Raya will become an instant hit the world over.
