It's perhaps fitting that Raya and the Last Dragon is the first original Disney animated movie after Moana, because it follows on the Mouse House's trend of digging deeper into more complicated themes that examine humanity and the ways in which humans relate to one another. But it's Tran's movie and she excels in the lead role as Raya. The rest of the cast, largely rounded out by Asian American actors, all work well to bring the world of Kumandra to life, particularly Kim's performance as Raya's father and Sandra Oh as Namaari's mother Virana. Tran and Chan's voice work gives these characters and their relationship a much-needed depth that's sorely lacking between Raya and Sisu. As a result, the movie's most compelling dynamic isn't Raya and Sisu, but Raya and Namaari, who have a complicated history. She also works well with Awkwafina's Sisu for a dynamic that's a little like Aladdin and Genie's, though the script's more modern references - often delivered by Awkwafina - don't land very well, like a group project analogy that feels completely at odds with the world Raya and the Last Dragon has established. Altogether, Raya and the Last Dragon is as tightly plotted as it can be with such a big chunk of world-building in the early part of the story, with an ending that pays off all that the film promises in the first act.Īs the titular character, Tran's Raya has most of the heavy lifting to do in the movie, and she shoulders it well, particularly the early world-building exposition. Plus, the film is propelled by some really excellent action scenes with spectacularly realistic fight choreography, made all the more fun to watch thanks to the film's animation. That said, once Raya and the Last Dragon's story does finally pick up, it's an adventure that's easy to get invested in.

While all of this setup is trimmed to the point that nothing feels superfluous by the movie's end, it does present a little bit of a slog to get through before Raya and the Last Dragon really gets going.

Since Raya and the Last Dragon has such an expansive world to explain to viewers, much of the film's first act works as setup for the real story, establishing the history of Kumandra and setting the stage for the themes of trust to be explored throughout the second and third acts.

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