Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.
Raya and the Last Dragon boasts genuinely stunning visuals drawing on Southeast Asian architecture and landscapes, elevating the animation to a truly impressive level. However, the plot follows a fairly familiar quest-MacGuffin structure with predictable beats around trust and unity, and the ending feels rushed and emotionally unearned — the central theme of trust resolving too neatly given the conflict built up. Voice performances are solid but unremarkable. Novelty benefits from the distinct cultural palette and warrior-woman lead in a Disney context, but the underlying story mechanics are well-worn.