[REVIEW] 'RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON', An Adventure of a Girl Searching for Trust

Kapanlagi.com - Five hundred years ago, Kumandra was a peaceful land where humans lived alongside dragons. However, that changed when an entity called Drunn arrived, turning the people and the dragons to stone.

Since then, the surviving people of Kumandra have divided into several factions named after different parts of the dragon's body, including Tail, Talon, Spine, Fang, and Heart.

Decades later, Benja (voiced by Daniel Dae Kim), the leader of Heart, invites the other factions to a gathering in an attempt to restore peace. Unfortunately, betrayal by one of the factions causes Drunn to return and wreak havoc.

Before Benja's body turns to stone, unable to escape Drunn's attack, he instructs his daughter, Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran), to save herself. He also urges Raya to fulfill her dream of uniting Kumandra.

1. Finding the Last Dragon

The responsibility given to Raya by Benja is not small. Because since she was little, the girl has been trained in her agility by her father. But Raya's goal now is not just to unite all the inhabitants of Kumandra, but also to restore her father's condition.

So Raya begins her journey to find the last dragon, which is rumored to be sleeping somewhere. Her efforts are clearly not easy, because besides having to cleverly avoid the appearance of the Druun, she will also often encounter a friend who betrays her.

2. Protagonist from Southeast Asia

Credit: Disney

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON is the latest animated offering from Disney. Not included in the Disney Princess catalog, this protagonist was born and raised in Southeast Asia with shiny black hair and a dark brown skin color that is exotic. This representation is commonly found when traveling to each country in this region.

This representation is not only seen from the visual of the character, but also from several small cultural habits that are often done. It's no wonder that when watching this film by Carlos Lopez Estrada and Don Hall, Southeast Asian viewers (including Indonesia) will easily feel close and represented.

3. Not a Whiny Character

Since Merida continued with Moana, Disney no longer feeds children around the world with a main girl character who only talks about love. But it's even broader.

In RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON for example, we are presented with a brave and firm titular character. Not a too utopian figure: waiting to be saved by Prince Charming. So last decade!

4. The Meaning of Belief

Credit: Disney

In terms of the story itself, the scenario written by Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen is considered generic. But that's not a problem because besides Raya as the central character, there are supporting characters that are created so strong and easily loved. Especially Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina), the last dragon whose characterization is beyond expectations.

No matter how familiar the plot is, when the characters quickly attach to the audience, emotions will easily be swayed. That's what all the characters here do. We will be made to fall and rise along with the dynamics of the storytelling.

Overall, as a dystopian-themed animation, Raya is very exciting to watch with family. Many things can be learned, including the resolution of its big theme, which is the meaning of trust. It is an interesting fact that Disney makes trust issues the main material. Especially at this time, when people easily manipulate trust. Raya is a victim of that and tries to find her trust again.

(kpl/abs/tmd)