Let's get the caveats laid out first. I am Asian, but not from the part of Asia that "Raya and the Last Dragon" takes its cultural influences from, the countries of Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar/Burma. So I can't really offer much insight as to how accurate or respectful Disney was in the creation of "Raya." Clearly, as with "Moana," they just went with an amalgamation of different bits and pieces from all of these places, and simplified everything down through a fantasy lens to make it all as kid-friendly as possible.
Instead of using any specific regions, "Raya" takes place in the magical land of Kumandra, which has been split into five rival kingdoms. The story is very familiar stuff, echoing many recent Disney films. You have the tough, admirable princess, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), who is betrayed as a child by the princess of a rival kingdom, Nemaari (Gemma Chan). They accidentally release the monstrous Druun upon the land, who promptly turn Raya's beloved father Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim) into stone, and set Raya on a quest to find Kumandra's last surviving dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina), who saved the world from the Druun once before. Raya has her animal sidekick, an armadillo/pillbug hybrid named Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), and gathers an array of allies along the way, including an enterprising 10 year-old boat restaurateur named Boun (Izaac Wang), a gang of monkey con artists lead by a ruthless baby, Noi (Thalia Tran), and a big warrior named Tong (Benedict Wong) with a soft heart.
The film is a pleasure to watch for its absolutely fabulous worldbuilding and immersiveness. The sensory pleasures of taking in the gorgeously rendered animation are hard to overstate. Water is the big thematic element here, with Sisu able to summon rain and mist, and prance through the air by stepping on raindrops. The effects animation is some of the best I've ever seen. The designs are fairly generic, but so well executed that it's hard to raise any objections. I raised my eyebrows at the sight of Sisu, who looks like an Asian dragon by way of Hasbro's My Little Pony toy line, but her big poofy mane is so tactile and huggable, and it's a delight to watch all the hair animation and fluid dynamics in play when she goes swimming.
"Raya" is very much an action film, very concerned with fights and chases and spectacle. It's a little darker than the Disney norm, so there are tense clashes and brushes with peril that might be too much for smaller kids. There's also a lot of story packed into the film - probably too much - as we end up visiting all five regions of Kumandra in quick succession. The setup of all the mythology is very brisk and efficient, but I felt the character building fell a little short, especially with Raya and Nemaari. I like the idea that Raya's biggest hurdle is learning to trust people again after being hurt, but this doesn't provide her with much of a personality. For all her sword skills and warrior might, she's one of the more generic Disney heroines, even though she doesn't fit the popular image of one.
Sisu essentially having Awkwafina's usual goofy screen persona worked out okay, but other modern touches come off as jarring. There are attempts to use modern kids' patter that feel way too aggressive and self-conscious. The physical humor works better, such as the antics of Noi and her gang of furry tricksters. I appreciate that we get a more well-rounded cast of Asian characters here than something like "Mulan." Also, while the animators took a lot of liberties, I vastly prefer Sisu to the sorry excuse for a Chinese dragon that was Eddie Murphy's Mushu.
I could see every story beat coming from a mile away, and "Avatar: The Last Airbender" did most of this better twenty years ago, but I had a good time with "Raya," and I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see it on a bigger screen. I hope this one doesn't get lost in the shuffle of VOD releases, because I was very pleasantly surprised by what Disney was able to accomplish.
---
No comments:
Post a Comment