{"id":191503,"date":"2021-03-01T20:00:25","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T17:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/raya-and-the-last-dragon-soars\/"},"modified":"2021-03-01T20:00:25","modified_gmt":"2021-03-01T17:00:25","slug":"raya-and-the-last-dragon-soars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/raya-and-the-last-dragon-soars\/","title":{"rendered":"#&#8217;Raya and the Last Dragon&#8217; Soars"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#&#8217;Raya and the Last Dragon&#8217; Soars<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p><!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 3.7.9-->Eighty-four years after Walt Disney\u2019s first animated feature, the film studio that bears his name has a handful of story formulas down pat, including its most frequently used: a young female\u2019s coming of age sees her caught up in bigger ideas, unintentionally complicating the situation through her actions, and then finally rising to save the day. There are outliers, of course, including the likes of <em>Zootopia<\/em> (2016) and <em>Bolt<\/em> (2008), but many of Disney\u2019s biggest animated successes return to that core concept and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> labeling of \u201cDisney Princess tales.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walt Disney Animation Studios\u2019 latest feature, <strong><em>Raya and the Last Dragon<\/em><\/strong>, once again revisits that familiar well, but like 2016\u2019s <em>Moana<\/em> and 2009\u2019s <em>The Princess and the Frog<\/em>, the film stands apart, through fresh voices and cultures, while still embracing universal truths and ideals. It doesn\u2019t hurt that it\u2019s also stunningly animated and one of Disney\u2019s most breathtakingly beautiful endeavors yet.<\/p>\n<p>The land and people of Kumandra once lived in harmony and peace alongside magical beings called dragons. The arrival of a malevolent force called the Druun left the landscape ravaged and turned living creatures into stone. The world only survived through the actions of the dragons, who sacrificed their species to save all others. Five hundred years later, though, the human population is divided by geography, jealousy, and mistrust.<\/p>\n<p>One of the land\u2019s leaders, Chief Benja (voiced by <strong>Daniel Day Kim<\/strong>), attempts to broker peace with the others, but greed, wariness, and betrayal fracture the last remnant of the dragons\u2019 power, once again releasing the Druun into the world. Newly orphaned, Benja\u2019s daughter, Raya (<strong>Kelly Marie Tran<\/strong>), takes it upon herself to search for the rumored last dragon in the hope that humanity might yet stand a chance, but even finding Sisu (<strong>Awkwafina<\/strong>) is no guarantee that people can come together to save themselves and each other.<\/p>\n<p><em>Raya and the Last Dragon<\/em> is, quite simply, absolutely and utterly gorgeous. The visuals alone make it worth seeing as viewers are pulled into a world both familiar and new with varied landscapes, wonderfully emotive beings, and sequences that fill your eyes with their beauty. The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>, written by <strong>Qui Nguyen<\/strong> and <strong>Adele Lim <\/strong>(<em>Crazy Rich Asians<\/em>), weaves the expectedly familiar narrative beats with a diverse range of cultural details and inspirations coming from different countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, and the result is a Disney adventure that straddles the line between giving viewers a proven formula and introducing them to new characters, perspectives, and worlds. It\u2019s funny at times without being overly silly, and while ultimately simple at heart, its central theme is executed with an effective grace.<\/p>\n<p>The core story here is a plea for unity in the face of global threat, but while it\u2019s easy to read something like global warming into the mix, that never threatens to overshadow the story or characters. The Druun is visualized as a storm-like presence that grows and multiplies as it moves across the landscape, and that lack of a personified villain allows the real conflict to exist between the human characters. The various clans \u2014 Heart, Tail, Fang, Spine, and Talon \u2014 take their names from parts of a whole, and the lesson the film wants to impart is a simple one. Humans, whether as individuals, groups, or nations, can accomplish the most when working together. As with our own world, the clans here struggle to find the trust and compassion necessary to make that hope a reality.<\/p>\n<p>Trust is a key theme in <em>Raya and the Last Dragon<\/em>, as evident in how often it\u2019s mentioned, and it\u2019s a lesson we could all stand to hear, see, and practice more often. Raya\u2019s betrayal at the hands of her peer, Namaari (<strong>Gemma Chan<\/strong>), leaves her wary of others, but the film delivers a steady stream of supporting characters to nudge her in the right direction. From a large warrior (<strong>Benedict Wong<\/strong>) to a child restaurateur (<strong>Izaac Wang<\/strong>) to an infant con artist and thief (who steals her every scene) to Sisu, the ensemble imbues both the film and Raya with warmth, humor, and kindness that just might teach her to trust again and find a renewed faith in those around her.<\/p>\n<p>Directors <strong>Carlos L\u00f3pez Estrada<\/strong> (<em>Blindspotting<\/em>) and <strong>Don Hall<\/strong> (<em>Big Hero 6<\/em>) \u2014 along with a team of talented animators, many of whom worked their magic from home during the ongoing pandemic \u2014 capture expressive details in the characters\u2019 Southeast Asian appearances and gestures of respect, and the human details are paired with wondrous visuals of the world at large. The film features landscapes both lush and apocalyptic and action sequences capturing heists and hand-to-hand combat. The latter sees characters fight using relevant styles from silat to Muay Thai, and the resulting faceoff between Raya and Namaari delivers a thrilling set-piece that any action film would love to claim as its own.<\/p>\n<p><em>Raya and the Last Dragon<\/em> gives much of its focus, obviously, to Raya and Sisu, but all of the characters manage to delight in one way or another. (Be sure to save some love for the \u201cToot \u2018n\u2019 Boom\u201d bugs, which do exactly that.) Given its theme, characters coming together is ultimately where things are heading, but the beats still squeeze tears at times as the animation, writing, and <strong>James Newton Howard<\/strong>\u2018s terrifically affecting score wring the emotion from your eyes. It\u2019s fitting as water plays an important role in the tale, and you\u2019ve never seen it animated so exquisitely as is managed here \u2014 from water droplets to nautical <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> to the epic beauty of a character leaping from one raindrop to the next, it is extraordinary.<\/p>\n<p>Disney\u2019s latest is, in many ways, a film that fits the mold of what\u2019s come before, but <em>Raya and the Last Dragon<\/em> is also an overdue step in a new direction. From its cultural identity to the welcome lack of a romance to Raya\u2019s final heroic beat being as atypical as it is unexpected, this is a gorgeous film and an experience you\u2019ll want to share with family members young and old. Play it loud, play it big, and bask in its hopefulness for the people we could maybe someday become.\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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