Movie · 2021 · Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Family · 1h 47m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.0/10 (780.2K ratings)
A quest to save her world.
Overview
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.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.0/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.20/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 74
TMDB: 7.8/10
Director
Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada
Production
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cast
Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Alan Tudyk, Izaac Wang, Benedict Wong, Daniel Dae Kim, Thalia Tran, Sandra Oh, Dichen Lachman, Patti Harrison, Lucille Soong, Jona Xiao, Sung Kang, Ross Butler, François Chau, Paul Yen, Ren Hanami, Sierra Katow, Gordon Ip
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A visually rich, action-forward Disney fantasy with strong worldbuilding and a sincere emotional core, but its uneven comedy and blunt trust-and-unity messaging keep it from fully landing. The animation, creature design, and adventure momentum make it easy to enjoy, even if the screenplay feels overstuffed and occasionally frustrating.
Best for
families looking for a colorful fantasy adventure
viewers who prioritize animation and visual spectacle
fans of quest stories with ensemble sidekicks
audiences interested in Southeast Asian-inspired fantasy worlds
Skip if
you want tightly written dialogue and subtle themes
you’re sensitive to broad comic relief
you prefer darker or more emotionally complex fantasy
you dislike movies that state their moral very directly
Overview
Raya and the Last Dragon is one of Disney’s most striking-looking animated features of the 2020s, with lush environments, inventive creature design, and action scenes that move with real confidence. Its fantasy world feels expansive and lived-in, and the film’s best stretches have the sweep of a proper adventure rather than a routine studio exercise.
Worth noting
The movie’s biggest strength is how much personality it gives to its journey: Raya’s guardedness, the fractured political landscape, and the oddball energy of the supporting cast all keep the story moving. There’s also a genuine appeal in the film’s sense of myth, especially when it leans into wonder, movement, and the idea of rebuilding a broken world.
Bottom line
Where it stumbles is in the writing, which can be clunky and overly eager to explain itself. The trust theme is important but hammered home so repeatedly that it loses some force, and the comic relief doesn’t always land. Still, the craft is strong enough that the film remains an easy recommendation for viewers in the mood for a polished, family-friendly fantasy adventure.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Morgan (3★) · 5539 likes
Cute! I’m still not going to trust people but cute!
James (Schaffrillas) (2★) · 3318 likes
Don't know what I was on when I initially gave this a 6/10. This movie is BAD. The score, animation, and a couple charming side characters can't save it. Its screenplay is insufferable and loaded with countless obnoxious unfunny quips, Sisu is the most irritating character in a Disney movie since the Rosie O'Donnell monkey in Tarzan, and the message about trust is genuinely irresponsible, not to mention beaten to death in increasingly unsubtle ways. The fact that Disney had… more Don't know what I was on when I initially gave this a 6/10. This movie is BAD. The score, animation, and a couple charming side characters can't save it. Its screenplay is insufferable and loaded with countless obnoxious unfunny quips, Sisu is the most irritating character in a Disney movie since the Rosie O'Donnell monkey in Tarzan, and the message about trust is genuinely irresponsible, not to mention beaten to death in increasingly unsubtle ways. The fact that Disney had… more
˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ (5★) · 1929 likes
trust me when i say that this is one of the most beautiful films disney has ever made both inside and out and i would in fact die for raya’s gang of misfits dragon nerds unite!!!!!
molly (2.5★) · 1877 likes
becoming an adult is realising that not every disney movie is good