Raya and the Last Dragon

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Carlos López Estrada directs. Rob Dressel behind the camera. James Newton Howard scores. Shannon Stein cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1$100M budget — tentpole studio territory.
• 2Released 5 years ago.
• 3Directed by Carlos López Estrada, shot by Rob Dressel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by James Newton Howard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Shannon Stein shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina and Gemma Chan carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "A quest to save her world.".
• 8IMDB entry: tt5109280 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Classified under 10 themes, including "kung fu", "sword", "warrior woman", "female protagonist".
• 10Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

Rob Dressel

Original score

James Newton Howard

Editing

Shannon Stein

Production design

Cory Loftis

VFX supervisor

Dale Mayeda

Sound

Shannon Mills

Runtime

107 min · 1h 47m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$100,000,000

Box office

$130,423,032

Return

130% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

PG

IMDB

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) ↗

Also by

Carlos López Estrada

• 
  High and Mighty

  2017 · ★ 8.5
• 
  Bear

  2012 · ★ 8.2
• 
  Legion

  2017 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Blindspotting

  2018 · ★ 7.3
• 
  Summertime

  2021 · ★ 6.4
• 
  Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

  2023 · ★ 6.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  International Trailer

  Trailer · Official
• 

  ▶
  Raya and the Last Dragon | Big Game Ad

  Teaser · Official
• 

  ▶
  Official Trailer

  Trailer · Official
• 

  ▶
  Official Teaser Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• garethmb2021-03-01

  In a magical land known as Kumandra; Humans and Dragons co-exist in harmony. When a threat in the form of creatures known as Druun arrive and threaten to destroy everything; the Dragons combine their power to defeat them but in doing so all but one of the Dragons remains. In the new Disney animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon”; audiences are introduced to the narrative of the story by Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), who tells that the world has become fractured and she is to blame. A sacred relic that the Dragons used to Defeat the Druun has given her kingdom prosperity but the surrounding kingdoms all named after various parts of a Dragon are envious of their position. When Raya’s father Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim); attempts to unite the other kingdoms, a tragic betrayal results in the relic becoming fractured with each kingdom taking a fragment. As if this situation was not bad enough; the fracturing of the relic ushers in the return of the Druun and they quickly resume turning everything not protected by a barrier of water to stone. The story then jumps years into the future where Raya and her faithful companion Tuk Tuk (Alan TudyK) are searching the rivers of the kingdoms in an effort to find the location where the last Dragon Sisu (Awkwafina) is rumored to have been sleeping for 500 years. Raya is eventually able to locate Sisu who is a very playful and animated creature and the two set off to save the day by obtaining the missing fragments through any means necessary. Naturally, their journey will be filled with dangers, adventure, and humor, as the various kingdoms have their own unique visual style and characters; some of whom join with Raya on her quest to provide much-needed support, perspective, and at times; humor. The movie is visually amazing as the artists clearly were inspired to create a world that combines elements of many Asian cultures yet has its own unique traits. I marveled at the details of the water and ripples and how the railings on a boat showed uneven discoloration and wear in just a casual scene where the characters talked. It is this attention to detail that really adds to the magic of the film as well as the immersion into fantasy. The supporting cast was great and there are some characters I do not wish to spoil who practically steals every scene in which they are in. My wife and I were captivated from the very start as Disney has created a film that embodies much of their classic themes and yet expands upon them to create a film the entire family will enjoy. The movie will be released in cinemas and via a paid option for Disney+ subscribers. We attended a press screening at a cinema; our first in almost a year and found the setup to be very safe and it was amazing to see such visual splendor on a big screen. Disney has once again created a new classic and has given audiences the magic that they are known for at a time when it is most needed. 4 stars out of 5.

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• Manuel São Bento2021-03-01
  ★ 7/10

  If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com Disney purchased Pixar way back in 2006, and many incredible animated films have been released under both banners. Therefore, it’s quite understandable that many people don’t recognize the difference between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar itself. The latter studio released two movies just last year (Onward, Soul), while the former’s latest original film dates back to 2016’s Moana. So, there was a lot of anticipation for a new animated movie from the studio that gave us classics such as Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, and more recently, the Frozen saga. With Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) at the helm, and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen (feature-film debut) tackling the screenplay, did they succeed in delivering a good film? Well, if I must answer “yes” or “no”, I’ll go with the first one. Let’s start with the positives. The one thing everyone expects from a Disney animated movie is beautiful animation, and Raya and the Last Dragon features tons of gorgeous, creative, jaw-dropping sceneries. The different lands that the story takes the viewers through look impressively realistic, some of them clearly drawing inspiration from real Asian places and culture. The character drawings also look excellent, even though they’re not too far from what we’ve seen from 3D animation in the last few years. Technically though, my standout goes to James Newton Howard’s addictive, chill-inducing score. From the emotional tracks to the riveting tones that elevate every action sequence, it’s a score that I’ll struggle to get out of my head for the next couple of weeks, especially its main theme. In fact, I’m actually listening to it while writing this review, and I’m feeling full of energy. The sound effects for the Druun monsters are pretty eerie, it’s hard not to feel the weight of their threatening presence, but the inspirational, tear-inducing soundtracks leave me floored. The action scenes are wonderfully shot and animated, bringing high levels of entertainment and excitement to a partially adventure-driven narrative. Raya’s sword fighting is indisputably the most captivating type of battle seen throughout the entire runtime. Story-wise is where things get a little disappointing, to be completely honest. While the visuals share outstanding imagination and creativity, Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen’s formulaic screenplay is much more straightforward and unsurprising than expected. I knew Raya and the Last Dragon wasn’t going to deliver a groundbreaking narrative, but a videogame-style script is far from being a good alternative. The third act tries to challenge its story’s predictability with one little unexpected moment that I undoubtedly love, but besides not changing the outcome predicted in the first ten minutes of the film, it severely damages a secondary character. Regarding this last issue, I can’t deny that it’s my main problem with the movie, but I would have to go into spoiler territory to fully explain it. Therefore, I’ll only address the character’s inconsistency, which unfortunately affects the film’s primary message. The main themes revolve around trust and how if we treat other people kindly, they’ll treat us in the same way. A lovely note that parents will surely want to transmit to their kids, without the shadow of a doubt. However, the character in question spends the movie not knowing where to stand, constantly betraying everyone, and even blaming others for something that same character triggered in the first place. Despite having a significantly negative impact on my enjoyment of the film, the ending does work quite well and compensates for my problem with the said character. Kelly Marie Tran lends her voice to Raya, a protagonist easy to root for due to her clear motivations and important mission, while Awkwafina is very funny as Sisu, a goofy dragon with more depth than what the viewers might expect from the first impression. Everyone in the cast delivers extraordinary voice work, and every character has some sort of captivating trait that makes the audience support them, except for you know who. Having in mind that kids are indeed the target audience, I’m positive all will feel delighted with this movie. Boasting a predominantly Asian American cast, all delivering exceptional voice work, Raya and the Last Dragon follows a partially disappointing, formulaic narrative but compensates it with stunning animation, a chill-inducing score, and quite a nice ending. Walt Disney Animation Studios returns with an original story that lacks surprising elements, lending all the creativity and imagination to its entertaining, fast-paced adventure packed with undeniably impactful visuals and incredibly riveting action sequences. Despite a significant problem with an inconsistent character that profoundly affects my enjoyment of the film, all other characters are extremely likable, goofy, and well-written. A delightful message about trust and treating others kindly is ultimately well-transmitted to the viewers, which I hope parents will show their kids. Final remark: James Newton Howard’s score will not leave your minds for a long, long time. Rating: B

  Read full review ↓
• SWITCH.2021-03-08
  ★ 7/10

  'Raya and the Last Dragon' is a solid step back in the right direction for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Over the past 20 years, they've struggled to find their confidence and voice as a studio, certainly due to complicated changes of leadership and the rise of genuine artistic and financial competitors, but 'Raya' is the kind of film in which they do their best work - an entertaining and exciting experience built on a strong protagonist with a clear motivation and a powerful internal conflict. The legacy of Disney animation has been to speak to the deep emotional truths of the human experience in a way that is accessible to anyone, and with its themes of self-belief, moving through grief and trauma, and finding the trust in others and ourselves, 'Raya and the Last Dragon' is a worthy part of that legacy. - Daniel Lammin Read Daniel's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-raya-and-the-last-dragon-a-solid-return-to-form-for-walt-disney-animation-studios

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Walt Disney Animation Studios

  US

Key crew

• Sound Effects EditorSamson Neslund
• Sound DesignerShannon Mills
• Visual Effects SupervisorDale Mayeda
• Sound Re-Recording MixerDavid E. Fluhr
• Sound Re-Recording MixerJeff King
• Set DesignerCamille Andre
• Visual Effects SupervisorChristopher Hendryx
• Visual EffectsArchana Senthilkumar
• Animation SupervisorMack Kablan
• Animation SupervisorVitor Vilela
• Sound Re-Recording MixerGabriel Guy
• Sound Re-Recording MixerDerek McGinley
• Sound RecordistPhil Levine
• Animation SupervisorAndrew Feliciano
• Sound Effects EditorDavid C. Hughes
• Animation SupervisorJustin Sklar
• Animation SupervisorJennifer Hager
• Animation SupervisorBrian Menz
• MusicianPedro Eustache
• Story ArtistDavid G. Derrick Jr.
• Foley ArtistJohn Roesch
• Simulation & Effects ArtistAvneet Kaur
• SongsJhené Aiko
• ProducerOsnat Shurer

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• kung fu
• sword
• warrior woman
• female protagonist
• dragon
• vietnamese
• south asian
• warrior
• 3d animation
• audacious

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical2021-03-05PG
• Digital2021-03-05PG· Disney+ Premier Access
• Physical2021-05-18PG· DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD

Also known as

International titles

• Dragon EmpireUS
• ڕایا و کۆتا ئەژدیهاIQ
• Raya en de Laatste DraakNL
• Raya et le dernier dragonFR
• Raya und der letzte DracheDE
• Raya e l'ultimo dragoIT
• Raya y el último dragónES
• Si Raya at ang Huling DragonPH
• 라야와 마지막 드래곤KR
• ראיה והדרקון האחרוןIL
• รายากับมังกรตัวสุดท้ายTH
• 魔龍王國HK
• 魔龙王国CN
• Raya And The Last DragonUS
• Η Ράια και ο τελευταίος δράκοςGR