Raya and the Last Dragon (pronounced /ˈraɪ.ə/ RYE-ə) is a 2021 American animated movie that mixes fantasy, action, and comedy. It was made by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film was directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, and written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim. The voices of Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Benedict Wong were used in the movie. The story follows a warrior princess named Raya as she searches for a legendary dragon named Sisu to save her father and the land of Kumandra from dangerous spirits called Druun.

The project started in October 2018 and was officially announced in August 2019. The movie’s name and voice actors were later shared with the public. During production, Disney changed some cast and crew members. For example, the originally planned lead actor, Cassie Steele, was replaced by Kelly Marie Tran to match changes in the story and character. The film is based on traditions from Southeast Asia. The filmmakers focused on creating a variety of settings and characters while showing accurate cultural details. James Newton Howard created the film’s music.

Raya and the Last Dragon was shown in movie theaters in the United States on March 5, 2021, and also released on the streaming service Disney+ for customers with Premier Access. The film was delayed twice from its original November 2020 release date because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It became the third most-watched movie on streaming platforms in 2021 and earned $130.4 million worldwide. The film received good reviews from critics and was nominated for several awards, including a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.

Plot

Kumandra is a land in Southeast Asia where humans and dragons live together. It is attacked by the Druun, spirit-like creatures that turn everything they touch into stone. Sisu, the last dragon, uses her magic to create a gem that defeats the Druun and saves the people of Kumandra, but the dragons are not saved. After Sisu’s actions, the gem becomes a source of conflict, splitting Kumandra’s people into five groups called Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon, and Tail, named after their positions along a large river shaped like a dragon.

Five hundred years later, Chief Benja of the Heart tribe keeps the gem and trains his daughter, Raya, a warrior princess, to protect it. Benja believes the five tribes can reunite and holds a feast. During the feast, Raya befriends Namaari, a princess from the Fang tribe, who gives her a dragon pendant. Raya trusts Namaari and shows her the gem’s chamber, but Namaari betrays her, helping the Fang tribe steal the gem. When the theft is discovered, the tribes fight over the gem, breaking it into five pieces. The gem’s destruction causes a crack that releases the Druun, who attack the Heart tribe. Each tribe leader takes a piece of the gem and flees. Benja notices water repels the Druun and throws Raya into a river to save her before being turned to stone.

Six years later, Raya travels across Kumandra with her companion, Tuk Tuk, to find Sisu, hoping she can create another gem to defeat the Druun. In Tail, Raya meets Sisu, who explains the original gem was not made by her but used by her four dragon siblings, who each contributed their magic to it. Raya and Sisu, who disguises as a human, decide to find the gem’s pieces, reunite them, and use them to defeat the Druun and restore those turned to stone. Along the way, they meet Boun, a young restaurateur from Tail; Little Noi, a child from Talon who tricks people; and Tong, a warrior from Spine. All have lost loved ones to the Druun. Namaari, seeking to help Fang gain the gem’s pieces, follows them. Each gem piece Sisu collects gives her one of her siblings’ magical powers. Raya, wary of their new companions, insists Sisu stay disguised. However, when Namaari tries to kill Raya in Spine, Sisu reveals herself to save her.

In Fang, Sisu convinces Raya to ask Namaari to join them instead of stealing the final gem piece. Raya returns the pendant Namaari gave her years earlier as a sign of trust. Namaari, torn between her duty to Fang and her desire to defeat the Druun, threatens the group with a crossbow. Sisu tries to calm Namaari, but Raya attacks with her whip sword after seeing Namaari’s finger move on the trigger, causing the crossbow to fire and kill Sisu. Without Sisu, water disappears, allowing the Druun to spread. Raya chases Namaari, and they fight while others use the gem pieces to help Fang’s people escape. When Raya prepares to kill Namaari, she stops after Namaari reminds her that her lack of trust led to Sisu’s death. They then help others. As the gem’s power fades and the Druun approach, Raya remembers how trust helped Sisu save the world. She urges the group to unite, gives her gem piece to Namaari, and allows the Druun to petrify her.

Boun, Tong, Noi, and her ongis follow Raya’s example, and Namaari reassembles the gem before being turned to stone. This action sends a shockwave across Kumandra, defeating the Druun and causing a magical rainstorm that restores water and revives everyone, including the dragons, who later bring Sisu back to life. After reuniting with loved ones, Sisu visits Raya’s home, where she finds Chief Benja restored. She praises Raya’s bravery, and the tribes and dragons gather in Heart to reunite Kumandra as one.

Voice cast

• Kelly Marie Tran voices Raya, a brave and noble warrior princess from Heart who trains to become a Guardian of the Dragon Gem. To rescue her father from turning into stone and bring peace to Kumandra, Raya searches for the last dragon. Canadian actress Cassie Steele was first chosen to voice Raya but was later replaced by Tran.
• Awkwafina voices Sisu, the last remaining dragon. Sisu has a playful and unpredictable personality but is also courageous, kind, wise, and loyal.
• Gemma Chan voices Namaari, a warrior princess from Fang and Raya's rival. Jona Xiao voices young Namaari.
• Daniel Dae Kim voices Chief Benja, Raya's father and the leader of Heart.
• Benedict Wong voices Tong, a strong and kind warrior from Spine who lost his family and village to the Druun.
• Izaac Wang voices Boun, a friendly 10-year-old business owner from Tail who lost his family to the Druun. His floating restaurant helps Raya and Sisu travel back to other lands.
• Sandra Oh voices Virana, Namaari's mother and the leader of Fang.
• Thalia Tran voices Little Noi, a young trickster from Talon who lost her mother to the Druun. She was raised by onjis, creatures that look like monkeys with catfish whiskers.
• Lucille Soong voices Dang Hu, the leader of Talon.
• Alan Tudyk voices Tuk Tuk, Raya's loyal companion and steed who is a mix of an armadillo and a pill bug. He joins Raya on her journey to find Sisu. His name comes from a Thai word for a type of vehicle called an auto rickshaw.

The film also includes the voices of Dichen Lachman as General Atitaya of Fang and a Spine warrior, Patti Harrison as the leader of Tail, Dumbfoundead as a flower seller named Chai, Sung Kang as the former leader of Talon, Dang Hai, Sierra Katow as both a Talon merchant and a Fang officer, Ross Butler as the leader of Spine, François Chau as a Fang soldier named Wahn, and Gordon Ip and Paul Yen as Talon merchants.

Production

In October 2018, Deadline Hollywood reported that Disney was making a fantasy animated movie. The film was produced by Osnat Shurer, written by Adele Lim, and directed by Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins. Many of the filmmakers had worked on other Disney movies, such as Frozen (2013), Zootopia (2016), and Moana (2016). In August 2019, Disney announced the film during its D23 Expo presentation. Cassie Steele was cast as Raya, and Awkwafina was chosen to play Sisu.

In August 2020, Disney changed some cast and crew members. Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada became the new directors, while Briggs and Wellins were made co-directors. Later, John Ripa replaced Wellins as a co-director, and Wellins was only credited as a contributing writer in the final film. Kiel Murray, who had written scripts for Pixar’s Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017), helped with the story for Raya. Qui Nguyen joined Lim as a co-writer, and Peter Del Vecho joined Shurer as a producer. Kelly Marie Tran replaced Steele to match changes in the character and story. Shurer explained that the cast needed to reflect the spirit of their characters, and Tran was better suited for the role.

According to Don Hall, Disney changed the cast because Raya was first imagined as a serious, independent person, but the team later added humor and confidence to her character, similar to Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Tran had tried out for the role before but thought Disney had rejected her. When she replaced Steele in January 2020, she believed Disney had decided to hire someone else for the lead role. Each actor was hired separately and recorded their lines without knowing the others were involved in the film. They discovered each other’s participation by accident before Disney officially revealed the cast. Despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the cast completed the film from their homes. The movie’s budget was at least $100 million.

Raya and the Last Dragon is inspired by traditional Southeast Asian cultures. The production team worked with experts from the Southeast Asia Story Trust to ensure accurate cultural representation and avoid stereotypes. To learn more, the team visited countries like Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They were inspired by local values of acceptance, unity, and trust, which became themes in the film. The team designed Kumandra’s five fractured lands with unique climates and features to reflect the diversity of Southeast Asian cultures. Each land and its people represent a mandala icon centered around Kumandra, inspired by local religious beliefs that everything connects to a shared belief system. The team used unusual shapes, colors, and object placements to create a fantasy world. Kumandra’s Dragon River was inspired by the Mekong River. The colors in each land show Raya’s location in the story.

According to character art director Shiyoon Kim:

— The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

The film focuses on Raya and Sisu, whose differences in trusting others create the story’s humor and emotions. The team first designed the characters separately but felt their designs were incomplete. They then worked together, which helped them understand how the characters visually and thematically complement each other.

Raya was first imagined as a serious swordswoman searching for Sisu, while Sisu was a dragon trapped in human form who refused to help Raya. As the story developed, Raya became more friendly, and Sisu became more helpful. The writers made Raya act perfectly and Sisu act in unexpected ways. The team ensured Raya’s design was culturally authentic, practical for her role as a swordswoman, and showed her emotional journey. Her costume is based on traditional clothing with dragon references. Her high-collar cape and large hat were meant to be removed as she grew emotionally. The team gave her a feminine nose and strong cheekbones to make her expressive and emotionally diverse, focusing on her playful side.

Sisu and other dragons are inspired by naga, mythical beings that can appear as serpents or humans and are linked to water. The team tried many designs for Sisu, ranging from magical to fierce. Elements from her dragon form were kept in her human outfit to make her design consistent.

The poses of dragon statues reflect the grandeur of dragons in Southeast Asian culture. The team drew inspiration from naga’s influence and their powerful presence, aiming to show dragons as part of an invisible world. All dragons except Sisu were revered and reflected this idea. Designers added colorful, refracted ripples to the dragons’ footsteps to connect them to water. Other details included glowing features, fluid textures, scales, and translucent fins.

Water is a key part of the story, showing Raya’s emotional growth. Colored water represents moments when Raya feels close to others, while dark, high-contrast water shows her distrust. The Druun, a group of creatures, were designed to represent hopelessness and fear. They have a dynamic, unclear form inspired by things like boiling water in reverse, black holes, and parasitic behavior.

Dragons influenced the design of Heart, a sacred place in the story. The team made Heart’s Pond a magical, sacred location where Raya has an important moment with her father. They included flowers that bloom only at night, inspired by an art installation with lamps.

Tail was designed as a wild, fantasy area with sand waterfalls and plateaus. Talon was inspired by Southeast Asian floating and night markets. The team imagined Talon as a five-level pier that added new platforms as water levels dropped. Spine’s design was influenced by bamboo, with natural textures and a large, woolly-mammoth-like roof. The team used shadows and lighting to create mystery.

Fang’s design shows its strict principles, using strong, geometric shapes and brutalist styles.

Marketing and release

Disney released trailers for Raya and the Last Dragon on January 26, 2021. Some viewers worried that the film’s cast, which mostly included East Asian actors, did not fully represent Southeast Asian cultures. They encouraged Disney to include more accurate and diverse cultural elements. To support the film’s release, Disney worked with companies like McDonald’s, LG, and Procter & Gamble to create toys and merchandise. They also partnered with Southeast Asian brands, such as Omsum and Sanzo, to honor the cultures that inspired the movie. These partnerships helped promote the film and support local businesses in Southeast Asia. When selecting promotional partners, Disney considered the film’s target audience and the growing number of people attending theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raya and the Last Dragon was originally scheduled to release on November 25, 2020. However, its release was delayed to March 12, 2021, to avoid competing with The Croods: A New Age from DreamWorks Animation. Later, the release date was moved up by one week due to the pandemic. The film was released in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access, where it could be purchased until June 4, 2021. After that date, it became free for all Disney+ subscribers. In theaters, the film was shown alongside the short film Us Again (2021).

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment made Raya and the Last Dragon available for digital download on April 2, 2021. The movie was also released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 18, 2021. The digital version included Us Again. The Blu-ray release featured bonus content, such as a behind-the-scenes documentary about Us Again, a virtual Southeast Asian dining experience called Taste of Raya, a documentary about the film’s animators working from home, a film about the martial arts and weapons in the movie, a discussion about Southeast Asian cultural influences, outtakes, facts and Easter eggs, a look at the storyboard artist’s experience, and deleted scenes.

Thematic analysis

Scholars studied themes of trust and feminism in the story. Raya found it hard to trust others because her friend Namaari tricked her to get the Dragon Gem, which made her avoid close relationships. Benja trusted others even after being hurt, which caused a bad experience that made Raya even more distrustful. During her journey, Raya faced repeated betrayals that made her stay alert and struggle with trust, but with help from Sisu, she learned to move past her past and forgive others. Sri Wulan compared Raya's childhood to children who learn not to trust when they receive confusing messages from their families. He described Raya's behavior as overly cautious, isolated, and focused on expecting betrayal. Tawakkal and others said Raya's story represents social issues like division and conflict caused by prejudice, greed, and power, and they encouraged people to reflect on themselves and understand others.

Wardah and Kusuma said the movie shows themes of feminism, gender equality, and strong female characters, unlike older Disney films that focused on love and beauty. Raya is a brave, independent female leader trying to reunite her country. Other female characters are shown as smart, courageous, and free from male control, emphasizing leadership and friendship over romance.

Some people criticized the movie's use of Southeast Asian culture. Sutantos said the mix of cultural elements from different Southeast Asian countries did not accurately represent their meanings. Nirwana noted that Raya's traits, such as bravery, honesty, and respect for cultural diversity, are valued in Indonesian culture. These include teamwork and spiritual practices common in Southeast Asia. Rosella and others said the movie shows multiculturalism through Southeast Asian foods and traditions, highlighting unity among different tribes. The movie also emphasizes harmony with nature, as Kumandra is a place where all things coexist peacefully. Benja works to restore this harmony after the tribes are divided by greed and conflict. Wulan and others said the movie promotes environmental unity and sustainability.

Reception

Raya and the Last Dragon made $54.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $75.7 million in other countries, for a total of $130.4 million worldwide.

During its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, the movie earned $2.5 million on its first day and $8.5 million overall across 2,045 theaters. It was the top movie at the box office. However, some theater chains in the U.S. (Cinemark and Harkins) and Canada (Cineplex) did not show the film at first because they did not agree to Disney’s rental terms. This made it harder for the movie to match the opening weekend earnings of other family films like The Croods: A New Age (2020) and Tom & Jerry (2021). Later, the movie’s earnings improved and eventually matched and then surpassed Tom & Jerry’s total in the U.S. It earned $5.5 million in its second weekend and $5.2 million in its third, staying the most popular movie at the box office. In other parts of the world, the movie opened in 32 countries, earning $26.2 million in its first weekend. The top countries were China ($8.6 million) and Russia ($2.8 million). It earned $11.5 million in its second weekend and $8 million in its third, across 29 countries.

In the week of March 1, the movie was watched for 355 million minutes total and was the fourth-most-watched film that week. It was released on Disney+ without extra cost on June 4, 2021, and became the second-most-viewed streaming title after Netflix’s Lucifer. Between May 31 and June 6, the movie was watched for about 1.1 billion minutes, a big increase from its earlier total of 115 million minutes a week when it was only available for $30.

According to a list of the most-watched streaming titles in 2021, released on January 21, 2022, by Deadline Hollywood and Nielsen Holdings, Raya and the Last Dragon was the third-most-streamed film of 2021, with 8.34 billion minutes watched. It was behind Luca (2021) and Moana, which had 10.5 billion and 8.9 billion minutes watched, respectively. In January 2022, technology company Akamai reported that the movie was the ninth-most-pirated film of 2021.

The movie has a 93% approval rating based on 305 professional reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The reviews say it is a beautifully animated film that continues Disney’s efforts to include more diverse characters and confirms that its classic storytelling style is still strong. Metacritic gave the movie a score of 74 out of 100 based on 48 critics, which means most reviews were positive. Audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on a scale from A+ to F, and 92% of people who saw it said they liked it, with 78% saying they would recommend it.

Some media outlets praised the movie’s visuals and themes. The San Francisco Chronicle and others said the film mixes emotion, humor, and social issues with beautiful animation and interesting stories. Rolling Stone and RogerEbert.com praised the movie’s use of cultural myths and its emotional storytelling, calling it similar to classic Disney films. Vanity Fair and Vulture said the movie’s animation and characters helped tell the story well. They also praised the movie’s cast and the diversity of its characters.

Some critics pointed out issues with the story and representation. The Atlantic said the main character, Raya, lacked depth and did not accurately reflect Southeast Asian culture. The New York Times said the film did not fully meet Disney’s usual standards for cultural representation. Variety said the story and world-building were not well executed, with a confusing plot. The Irish Times and Vox said the movie’s central idea was hard to follow and that its cultural representation was unclear or insensitive.