Raya and the Last Dragon

[D82]

I think that Namaari's initial bad thing, with the gem, as you said, was more wrong than Raya showing her where the gem was. It makes sense why she did it, out of caring for her people...Raya was wrong to show her, and as someone with trust issues, I was very disappointed in Raya! but just showing Namaari wasn't bad in and of itself if she'd have kept the secret. But also, Raya and Benja had said that the other clans thought that the gem brought prosperity to Heart, and it makes sense that they would be jealous and want that power for their lands. So, yeah, Namaari was just looking out for her people, but both girls brought the Druun on by their selfish actions.

OK, yes, Raya was irresponsible there. She trusted someone she had just met and put her land at risk. I think she wanted to follow the example of her father, but she clearly made a mistake there. So, yes, both did something wrong in that part of the movie.

It was like a split-second, so I need to pay extra attention next time, but was Namaari not going to pull the trigger...? It was Raya who didn't trust Namaari and Sisu was hit...If Raya didn't use her sword, then Namaari wouldn't have pulled the trigger, and Sisu wouldn't have died.

Yes, I think it's like you said. Sisu had managed to convince Namaari, but Raya didn't trust her and ruined everything. I think Raya's action is understandable though, as Namaari had already betrayed her twice by then. But yes, it is Raya who eventually causes more damage in that scene.

I really like that there's a lot of grey area; Namaari's not all bad, and Raya's not a flawless heroine. They both make mistakes, but they both learn and grow. I like both of them so much. I was upset with them a lot but both are great characters.

I agree. I like that as well.

Why was Raya gleefully happy to tell Namaari that she has found Sisu but minutes later she tells her to transform herself and not let anyone know who she is, though she calls her Sisu a lot in front of other people?

Yeah, exactly. I didn't understand that either.

[disneyprincess11]

Wow, it's deserving of its 96%. Raya and the Last Dragon is extremely original from past Disney movies. It's very action-orientated and story-driven. It actually worked without classic songs. The message of trust and its delivery is gorgeous. Really ballsy that they kill ALL of the main characters. Raya is the most human princess in personality! I loved that she's responsible for Sisu's death. Sisu is a GIANT surprise to me and definitely one of the great Disney sidekicks. She thankfully becomes less obnoxious from the trailer and more endearing.

Also, telling from little animation nudges like Naamari playing with her hair around Raya, it is obvious that Raya and Naamari are supposed to be a thing, but Disney exes said no. Maybe in a sequel/spin-off?

[Farerb]

My initial opinion is that the film is very good, especially the last 20-30 minutes, though I did have some minor issues with it. The themes and conflicts are great and interesting, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Personally I like when the themes are not so "in your face" and spelled out, but rather more subtextual and subtle (you know- let me do some homework after I watch the movie). For example, off the top of my head, like Sisu saying that the Druun represent the discord among people, why did they have to "spell it out" for me instead of letting me figure this out on my own?
Same with the characters - how many times did we hear Sisu say that Raya has trusting issues? Something that could have been conveyed through Raya's actions instead, this sort of thing, this sort of thing just makes the characters not feel "real", though I did like Raya and Namaari a lot, just not as much as previous Disney protagonists.

On a more positive note:
The worldbuilding is ambitious, certainly unlike anything we've seen from Disney before, though I do wish we learned more about each region more. I do think this concept would have worked better as a TV series where you can flesh out the world and the characters more.

I really like the way they did the Druun, I even said so back then that I was hoping they would be a "lovecraftian" threat and that exactly what happened. That scene where they were sailing the river at night and the Druun are there at the riverbanks was chilling and I loved that.

Though action sequences aren't really my thing, I thought they were great, especially the final battle between Raya and Namaari, but I thought they should have utilized the fact that this is animation and not live action, meaning less jump cuts and just let the battle flow. We don't need aerial shots to better hide the stunt doubles and make it easier for the actors to remember the choreography.

These are just initial thoughts, I might change my mind upon rewatching the film or when the hype for a new Disney film is over, but so far this is definitely a thumb up for me.

[blackcauldron85]

Raya and the Last Dragon creators debated how dark the ending should get (beware major spoilers!)
https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/mo ... maari-sisu

telling from little animation nudges like Naamari playing with her hair around Raya, it is obvious that Raya and Naamari are supposed to be a thing, but Disney exes said no. Maybe in a sequel/spin-off?

The article I just posted does mention how both princesses are drawn to each other...there definitely was a connection-- when watching it, I wasn't thinking romantic most of the time (it's obvious there's a connection but I was more focused on what was going to happen in the story)(I think it could be played as a best friend or a romantic relationship, so it is a good question, if Disney will address this in future projects), but watching it again with that in mind I will pay extra attention to the subtleties like the hair touching you mentioned.

I thought they should have utilized the fact that this is animation and not live action, meaning less jump cuts and just let the battle flow. We don't need aerial shots to better hide the stunt doubles and make it easier for the actors to remember the choreography.

Disney hired director Carlos López Estrada from the live-action world, so I wonder if that was his influence there.

[D82]

Wow, it's deserving of its 96%. Raya and the Last Dragon is extremely original from past Disney movies. It's very action-orientated and story-driven. It actually worked without classic songs. The message of trust and its delivery is gorgeous. Really ballsy that they kill ALL of the main characters. Raya is the most human princess in personality! I loved that she's responsible for Sisu's death. Sisu is a GIANT surprise to me and definitely one of the great Disney sidekicks. She thankfully becomes less obnoxious from the trailer and more endearing.

I agree with everything you said. Well, I never found Sisu obnoxious, but she was even better than I expected too. I agree she's one of the great Disney sidekicks. She immediately comes off as likeable and is very funny, but also wise and full of heart, as she had been described. And I love how innocent and optimistic she is. Speaking of the trailer, they cut the second part of the butt joke, right? the line: "It's gonna make digestion so much faster".

I didn't know how to describe Raya. Yes, she feels really human. I don't know if I like her more than other recent female protagonists, but she's definitely a good lead character.

My initial opinion is that the film is very good, especially the last 20-30 minutes, though I did have some minor issues with it. The themes and conflicts are great and interesting, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Personally I like when the themes are not so "in your face" and spelled out, but rather more subtextual and subtle (you know- let me do some homework after I watch the movie). For example, off the top of my head, like Sisu saying that the Druun represent the discord among people, why did they have to "spell it out" for me instead of letting me figure this out on my own?
Same with the characters - how many times did we hear Sisu say that Raya has trusting issues? Something that could have been conveyed through Raya's actions instead, this sort of thing, this sort of thing just makes the characters not feel "real", though I did like Raya and Namaari a lot, just not as much as previous Disney protagonists.

I agree about that. That's also an issue I have with The Princess and the Frog, for example. I understand this is a children's movie and they want to make the message clear for them, but yes, it feels unnatural and takes you out of the film a bit because it doesn't let you forget you're watching a movie and all these themes and arcs are planned.

I really like the way they did the Druun, I even said so back then that I was hoping they would be a "lovecraftian" threat and that exactly what happened. That scene where they were sailing the river at night and the Druun are there at the riverbanks was chilling and I loved that.

I agree. They don't appear many times, but are quite threatening.

Raya and the Last Dragon creators debated how dark the ending should get (beware major spoilers!)
https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/mo ... maari-sisu

Thanks for posting! That article was really interesting. So, Namaari was going to be a more traditional villain at first and she was the one controlling the Druun, which were more sentient characters by then. I believe that's something someone here speculated could be the case way back, when we had only seen the teaser trailer. I think the changes were most likely for the better. I really liked that they took Sisu out of the picture during the climax. I knew the solution would be the humans uniting again, but I didn't expect Sisu wouldn't take part in the climax at all. Though, she still had a big part in the victory, since it's her advice to Raya what made it all possible. And she had already saved the world once, now it was the humans' turn. Regarding the decision to make the rest of the dragons return at the end, I think it was the right one too. It would've been sad for Sisu to see everyone return, but not her family and friends. I think this must be one of Disney's happiest endings, right? In the sense that so many good things happened to the characters. I also liked it because it was different than what they usually do; Disney protagonists don't usually get their lost parents back.

[Farerb]

I agree with everything you said. Well, I never found Sisu obnoxious, but she was even better than I expected too. I agree she's one of the great Disney sidekicks. She immediately comes off as likeable and is very funny, but also wise and full of heart, as she had been described. And I love how innocent and optimistic she is. Speaking of the trailer, they cut the second part of the butt joke, right? the line: "It's gonna make digestion so much faster".

Yes, they cut it out thankfully.

Raya and the Last Dragon creators debated how dark the ending should get (beware major spoilers!)
https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/mo ... maari-sisu

Thanks for posting! That article was really interesting. So, Namaari was going to be a more traditional villain at first and she was the one controlling the Druun, which were more sentient characters by then. I believe that's something someone here speculated could be the case way back, when we had only seen the teaser trailer. I think the changes were most likely for the better. I really liked that they took Sisu out of the picture during the climax. I knew the solution would be the humans uniting again, but I didn't expect Sisu wouldn't take part in the climax at all. Though, she still had a big part in the victory, since it's her advice to Raya what made it all possible. And she had already saved the world once, now it was the humans' turn. Regarding the decision to make the rest of the dragons return at the end, I think it was the right one too. It would've been sad for Sisu to see everyone return, but not her family and friends. I think this must be one of Disney's happiest endings, right? In the sense that so many good things happened to the characters. I also liked it because it was different than what they usually do; Disney protagonists don't usually get their lost parents back.

It's interesting to think that Namaari was originally planned as a traditional villain. I remember that back when Moana was released, Lindsay Ellis released a video about the Disney villains going extinct and who knew she would be right? Raya is the fourth movie with neither a traditional nor a twist villain and it seems to be the trend now. I remember people said that twist villains were overdone, but if we exclude Pixar, Disney really only had four twist villains, which is not that many. I think that the lack of a villain worked on both Moana and Raya, but I do wish we'd see one in the future, maybe if they do a more traditional take on another fairytale, but considering the last one was Tangled, which was more than a decade ago, I have my doubts.

[Farerb]

A bit more on Raya's themes:
I think it's well intentioned to have faith in people and have unity among them, but it's a little bit misguided and unrealistic. There are always going to be bad people (and the movie even showed us that with that horrible woman from Talon, but moreover it's true to real life), so is it true that we should trust everyone without questioning them? I mean the movie tries to portray that Raya is wrong not to trust Namaari, and we as the audience can see that Namaari is doing what she thinks is best for her people, and that she's also pressured by her mother. However, Raya is not the audience so she doesn't know what we know. Is it really wrong of her to not trust someone who already proved herself to be untrustworthy? I think a better approach would have been - yes you should trust people, but not to trust them blindly, and figure out who is worthy of your trust.

[blackcauldron85]

'Raya and the Last Dragon' Screenwriter on Asian Representation: "No Story's About Us Without Us"
https://collider.com/raya-and-the-last- ... interview/

“Young Baby Noi, she started off as - actually Tong was a grandmother, has the grandchild and they were together. She was a warrior baby. She already had that tough thing that we love so much about her, and we realized as we looked at it that, at that point, we had the Ongis, the monkey kind of characters, were the main characters from Talon and we wanted a human character there and came up with the idea of how she works with them.”

*Edit* This breaks down Disney's theatrical terms for Raya:
‘Raya And The Last Dragon’ Debuting To $8M As Pic Hits Disney+ & NYC Reopens: Why The Industry Is Greatly Concerned
https://deadline.com/2021/03/raya-and-t ... 08406/amp/

[Disney's Divinity]

*Edit* This breaks down Disney's theatrical terms for Raya:
‘Raya And The Last Dragon’ Debuting To $8M As Pic Hits Disney+ & NYC Reopens: Why The Industry Is Greatly Concerned
https://deadline.com/2021/03/raya-and-t ... 08406/amp/

That's what they get for being greedy. The theater I normally go to to see films (seldom as that is) is closed right now, but I guess it wouldn't be playing Raya anyway since they belong under Cinemark... While it sucks to see that happen to *Raya*, which looks and sounds like a quality product that I wish well on its own merits, at the same time it serves Disney the company right. I remember reading somewhere on here a year or two ago that they were already trying to bilk theaters into giving them close to higher and higher profit and it was making it harder for theaters to sustain, and that was before COVID.

Anyway, I will 100% see this movie tomorrow or Monday. I'm going with my parents actually. For some reason my mom wants to see this although I'm not sure why. She's been pretty checked out on Disney movies, but she seems to like them whenever she sees them (usually if I bring them by after I've bought them).

[D82]

^I hope you and your parents enjoy the movie, Disney's Divinity!

It's interesting to think that Namaari was originally planned as a traditional villain. I remember that back when Moana was released, Lindsay Ellis released a video about the Disney villains going extinct and who knew she would be right? Raya is the fourth movie with neither a traditional nor a twist villain and it seems to be the trend now. I remember people said that twist villains were overdone, but if we exclude Pixar, Disney really only had four twist villains, which is not that many. I think that the lack of a villain worked on both Moana and Raya, but I do wish we'd see one in the future, maybe if they do a more traditional take on another fairytale, but considering the last one was Tangled, which was more than a decade ago, I have my doubts.

Yes, that seems to be the trend now. And it's true, there have been just four twist villains recently (personally, I also count Clayton, Rourke and Doris from Meet the Robinsons as twist villains, but those movies are not that recent), but it was four of them in a row. Had they kept things more varied, I think people wouldn't have complained so much. I wonder if Encanto will have a villain. Probably not, and it's just some magic what the protagonist has to defeat.

I think it's well intentioned to have faith in people and have unity among them, but it's a little bit misguided and unrealistic. There are always going to be bad people (and the movie even showed us that with that horrible woman from Talon, but moreover it's true to real life), so is it true that we should trust everyone without questioning them? I mean the movie tries to portray that Raya is wrong not to trust Namaari, and we as the audience can see that Namaari is doing what she thinks is best for her people, and that she's also pressured by her mother. However, Raya is not the audience so she doesn't know what we know. Is it really wrong of her to not trust someone who already proved herself to be untrustworthy? I think a better approach would have been - yes you should trust people, but not to trust them blindly, and figure out who is worthy of your trust.

I had already heard that criticism from a couple of critics and I understand it. It's true that in real life things are more complicated, and you can't trust people so easily. But I don't think the movie is saying you have to trust everyone without questioning them. I think in that scene Raya wasn't wrong by not trusting Namaari, but by not trusting Sisu, who had seen something good in Namaari and had asked Raya to let her convince her. That said, I completely understand Raya there; I think I would've done the same thing if I had been in her place. And later, it's not until having spoken with Namaari and knowing she was about to obey Sisu that she decides to trust her at the end. The movie also shows the dangers of trusting too easily without knowing someone with Sisu in that scene you mentioned, and at the beginning when Raya shows Namaari the gem, so I think they not only show the positive side of trust.

Also, I think in the movie the theme is related to racism or xenophobia, as each tribe has prejudices against the others and don't trust them because of that. In my opinion, the message is more about giving people who are different from you an opportunity.

'Raya and the Last Dragon' Screenwriter on Asian Representation: "No Story's About Us Without Us"
https://collider.com/raya-and-the-last- ... interview/

“Young Baby Noi, she started off as - actually Tong was a grandmother, has the grandchild and they were together. She was a warrior baby. She already had that tough thing that we love so much about her, and we realized as we looked at it that, at that point, we had the Ongis, the monkey kind of characters, were the main characters from Talon and we wanted a human character there and came up with the idea of how she works with them.”

That's also interesting. In the video, Adele Lim also ads that they turned Tong into a male character because at one point they had too few male characters.

[Farerb]

I had already heard that criticism from a couple of critics and I understand it. It's true that in real life things are more complicated, and you can't trust people so easily. But I don't think the movie is saying you have to trust everyone without questioning them. I think in that scene Raya wasn't wrong by not trusting Namaari, but by not trusting Sisu, who had seen something good in Namaari and had asked Raya to let her convince her. That said, I completely understand Raya there; I think I would've done the same thing if I had been in her place. And later, it's not until having spoken with Namaari and knowing she was about to obey Sisu that she decides to trust her at the end. The movie also shows the dangers of trusting too easily without knowing someone with Sisu in that scene you mentioned, and at the beginning when Raya shows Namaari the gem, so I think they not only show the positive side of trust.

Also, I think in the movie the theme is related to racism or xenophobia, as each tribe has prejudices against the others and don't trust them because of that. In my opinion, the message is more about giving people who are different from you an opportunity.

Yes, you have a point. I'll keep that in mind when I rewatch the film.

[Clindor]

I saw the movie on Friday and, yeah, as anticipated, it lives up to the expectations! Compared to other recent WDAS productions, you can tell this one clearly took them yeeears of development to get there.

If I had to make a raw review, beginning with what is best :

The world building in this movie, especially because of these gorgeous-looking backgrounds and the diversity of the worlds they created, is extraordinary and mind-blowing. One of Disney most ambitious projects when it comes to their CGI films. And I really feel a little bad we only had a glimpse of each land (especially when it comes the Heart part of Khumandra! We’re almost done exploring this place once the beginning is over – except for one or two shots in the middle. I can’t believe we spend little time in there in some ways. At D23, we had these huge landscapes of nature under the rain that could only exist in Heart, very atmospheric! It wasn’t meant to be tied to the story, but it’s a bit frustrating for such gorgeous visuals (and others) not to end up in the final story in some ways, but of course artists has to make at some point choices that will serve the story best to make it flows naturally). Now more importantly, and speaking of Heart! the designs of this palace are absolutely groundbreaking! Not only this place is beautiful, it really feels unique and original, in a way only Disney artists tend to do. Actually it reminds me of and feels a lot like the layouts of Agrabah from Aladdin (1992): some place inspired by elements from the real world, but you see it could only exist in an imaginary world! There is something very similar in these two fantastic places (I’m glad that one only exist in traditional 2D animation, the other only in CGI.) I know some of you are reluctant to the idea of WDAS making their own animated series for streaming, but in my opinion Raya and the Last Dragon is the exact movie that would grandly benefit from that (if they don’t come up with a great idea for a potential sequel). Ideas for new missions in these lands are easy to come with. And I suppose that would make up for all these hours of hard work from the artists who designed, built, and perfected these incredible environments! I’m sure they can take better advantage of all these lands <3

The characters in this movie are great, and very engaging. These are not the kind of characters you would usually see in a Disney movie, both in their personality, their motives, their way of dealing with the situations that come along the way, but also in their visual designs. (A baby, a giant, an old lady: what a team!! ) It’s hard to find one character whose personality isn’t appealing or engaging in here, and with whom you wouldn’t like to share their journey. I love Raya (which is both a kind and a badass lone warrior, she also offers one great emotional scene at the beginning I was not expecting :O), I find Namaari quite interesting in more aspects than one, and clearly in the same vein as characters like Hans from Frozen (but here chosen to be redeemable to quote Jennifer Lee ^^), Sisu is a delight and delivers good quality humor, Boun is adorable, and Benja is engaging. The voice acting is great here. Hats off to Awqwafina, Kelly Marie Tran, and Gemma Chan among other nice performances! These are good jobs.

The shots and the editing are also very interesting and gives the movie a style Disney hasn’t dared to tackle from my recollection …until now!
The actions sequences feel genuinely thrilling. Sword fights, bared-handed fighting, but also that chase scene in the canyons of Tail retraces some good vibes from the Lion King to me, and obviously I mean it in the best way! Very epic.

The Food: I remember at the D23 panel, they shared contents from the study trips, showed what inspired them throughout the journey including local food! I think you can definitively feel that in Raya! Every shot on the meals, you can almost taste the food! So appetizing…

If I had some remarks on the path of being a classic/masterpiece and of always reaching higher, I’d say:

Just like Frozen II, I think this movie suffers a bit from an overcomplicated story, or should I say to be more specific, an overcomplicated logic about how this world works, especially when it comes to the dragon magic. When I thought of what I’ve heard at D23, what they chose to highlight to us there, and compared it to the most recent leaks and official reveals that came out in the past few months, I thought hey it doesn’t feel exactly the same, they’ve been through some recent changes here and there… but actually… no! All the elements are right there in the final product. They found some ways to combine them all here. It’s funny to think that Disney throughout the decades has always one of the best when it comes to tell stories that might seem simplified but that will inevitably leave a grand impact on you (and also tbf remains very logic in each steps of the way, both in the character development and how the imaginary world works). That’s what makes Disney stories so powerful and universal. I think they are here too many interconnected elements there doesn’t always genuinely blend in with one another: the impact of humans’ ways, the combat/fights of the dragons, what really created the Druuns and what they’re after, the effects of the rain/water, the quest for the gem pieces and how they work. I’m a 30 year old man and sometimes I wonder where the focus should be on to make the characters journey quite powerful, with the film as it is. I’m glad I haven’t yet to explain the story and its logic to a kid if this one doesn’t quite understand the film: I would definitely ask myself where do I start to make things simpler? I wonder if people will more forgiving of this because it’s original movie and not the sequel to an already well-known classic (alias Frozen II). I also feel the fact that they tried to hornshoe the film message/moral of the story in every step of the way wasn’t necessarily here to help.

Also I said it once with Sisu, I’d say it again quickly here: I’m not the biggest fan of the Dragon designs. It was already the case with Sisu’s final design compared to her previous ones (they were much more Disney-like! imo) I can re-confirm it with the looks of her brothers and sisters (it reminds me a bit of DreamWorks style of design.)
And to end up these minor remarks on the film I felt just a tiny, slightly bit disappointed by the character of Virana. I thought she would take a bigger place in the story (colder? more manipulative perhaps?) and the movie would make clearer her influence on her daughter but at the same time shows these are two different women by their choices. I think it was a mistake not to show her turning into stone with Namaari as her witness when the actions of her daughter backfires at her.

It’s a good movie! Big steps, and an amazing job done here! And I think they can expand this universe and get even better payoffs! Disney is on its path to top themselves in a new way

[Widdi]

It gets a resounding "meh" from me. Definitely feels more like a movie for little kids than anything else Disney has done in a while. I get that all their movies have kids as the target audience, but I didn't feel there was much for mom and dad in this one (other than the glaring obvious lesbian subtext, which at times felt more like queer-baiting than anything else). The movie simplified its themes too much and then beat them over your head. Other than the one moderately shocking moment during the climax, the movie was exceedingly predictable. Part of me appreciates the deviation from the "twist villain" trope that WDAS has been obsessed with for the last decade, but they didn't replace it with anything to help make the movie interesting. Visually it was appealing, but stuck in the Tangled/Frozen doe-eyed plastic aesthetic that Disney is refusing to change. I get it, it sells dolls, but I'm so bored with it now. Maybe if it had been a musical it might have helped distract from how unabashedly linear the plot was and added the flair that I found completely missing. None of the characters were all that interesting and only Raya has any sort of growth and sadly she isn't compelling enough to carry the movie and the growth she did have was visible from a galaxy away, so I didn't really care about her journey. I had hot been overly enthused by any of the marketing for the movie, but I was hopeful after seeing early review scores that I would be pleasantly surprised, but sadly I was not. It wasn't a complete waste of an evening and I've definitely paid to see worse movies, but I won't be revisiting this one anytime soon.

5.5/10

[blackcauldron85]

I think it was a mistake not to show her turning into stone with Namaari as her witness when the actions of her daughter backfires at her.

Do you say that because we'd see a new side of Namaari, we'd see her react to her mom turing to stone? I agree with what you had said- I would have liked to see more Virana.

[UmbrellaFish]

Must... resist... reading.... spoilers....

[estefan]

Something I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned yet is how the plot somewhat resembles a recent Disney-produced blockbuster. Raya and the Last Dragon has the characters attempt to reverse the effects of an event from six years earlier that seriously cut down the population, which involves travelling to different places to retrieve magical gems and recombine them. Isn't that the plot of Avengers: Endgame?

By the way, I'm not knocking the movie for this. I liked Raya a lot. Just found that similarity interesting.

[blackcauldron85]

I watched it again this morning & took notes.

1. Why didn't the dragons come back to life 500 years ago, but people did? Raya said answered Sisu at first that she didn't know, but later Raya said that it was because people didn't deserve the dragons. Was it because somehow people had to trust each other...the dragons could save everyone once but for some reason people had to work together to save the world?

2. The chief of Spine said the word "pontificate" in regards to Heart already having everything. I looked up "pontificate": "express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic."

3. When Raya asks who's hungry & Virana tells Namaari that it's all right (to go with Raya to get food): did Virana & Namaari already have their plan in place? The clans looked confused when Raya asked who's hungry, so the clans wouldn't have known that they'd go into Heart as far as spending much time there...? So Namaari thought of the plan on her own? (But Virana knew what the flare meant.)

4. Did Namaari really (at least in part) want to be friends with Raya, but then the greater good being more important than the individual took over? It reminds me of Gothel & Rapunzel: Did Namaari really ever care about Raya (I think so??), or was she using her the whole time?

5. "Dep la" in Vietnamese means "strangely beautiful" ("đẹp là" means "beautiful is"). However, Google Translate does not recognize the song that Raya sings when summoning Sisu ("Suvaa de draa sim | Mandra de draa lim | Bavaa de draa Tomben"). Google brings me to a Reddit thread, where it's thought that Disney made up the language (so maybe "dep la" just means friend..."Toi" means "you" in French, but in the film, they use it like "wow." "Binturi" also is not on Google Translate, but it means "enemy" or something similar. https://www.reddit.com/r/translator/com ... g_used_in/

6. Were there no guests from Heart at the luncheon? If Benja had some back-up, maybe there would have been a different outcome (and no movie, but still ). I know that Benja wasn't expecting anything bad (even though Raya sure was).

7. Benja throwing Raya in the water to save her is extremely moving. Tears both times I watched it.

8. When Namaari pushes her soldier to the ground & says "Anyone else wanna question why we're out here?": My husband said the first time we watched it: "Everyone is afraid of Namaari because she pushed him?" Was Namaari previously violent towards her soldiers, and they know what she's capable of? Are they worried that Virana will harm them, or have them harmed? Or is it more of a respect thing, that they can't offend the princess?

9. The scene when we first see Sisu in the water & the scene when we see Sisu flying-- those are so, so joyful and beautiful. I absolutely loved those.

10. What do you think the note says that was given to Namaari with her dragon pendant??

11. It's hard not to think of the Pub Thugs, especially Hookhand, when Tong is on-screen. (I love Tong...it's like he comes to life when he realizes a baby is with the group.)

12. We see Namaari's finger on the trigger...we don'tknowthat she wasn't going to shoot Raya or Tong. I 100% agree with Namaari, that Raya's as much to blame for Sisu's death as Namaari is, but was Namaari actually going to shoot someone, or because Sisu trusted her, Namaari wasn't going to shoot?

13. I thought that I had already mentioned this, but I guess it was with my husband, because I don't see it: So the gem's magic works more on trust, not so much on magic? Is this why the dragons didn't come back the first time? Does anyone have any ideas on this? (I think I'm going to buy the junior novel when it comes out along with the art book- I have a bookstore gift card and got some cash as early birthday presents, so I can get both I think. Maybe that will have some insight into the dragons and Druun...)

14. Both times watching it (he didn't watch the whole film this morning; he just popped in a couple times), my husband wanted the film to end after Raya and the gang turn to stone ("They didn't work together & that's what happened" he said this morning. I said that they DID work together!).

15. I asked my husband what Tuk Tuk was doing when Raya & the gang were stone; he said that he was transporting people.

16. My husband is upset that the dragons besides Sisu don't talk. I said I'm sure they CAN talk, but the movie didn't focus on them talking...we really need more info on these dragons!!!

17. Did Benja's leg heal in the years he was stone, or in his excitement to see Raya, did he just power through the pain (and not limp)?

18. "Ba, welcome to Kumandra." (We need a crying emoji on here.) I LOVED the scenes with Benja and Raya.

19. My husband wondered why Sisu & her siblings were at the front of the "pack." Are they royalty?

20. Dean Wellins gets a "Director, Pre-Production" credit. That made me happy. Poor Dean. Maybe some day he'll be able to direct a film the whole way through. I think many of us are rooting for him!

21. "Little Noi" is how she is credited in the cast list.

22. After the credits for the story team: "Based on story ideas by Bradley Raymond and additional story contributions by Helen Kalafatic." (He directed some DTVs and Tink films; she produced at least one Tink film.) I wonder why they get a separate story credit- I'm intrigued as to what version they contributed (like only when it was Dragon Empire?).

(Sorry you have to highlight 3 different areas on my #12...I was having issues with the spoiler tags + bold/italic/underline so I had to use 3 different spoiler tags on that line...)

*edit* I'm not sure if these were posted yet, but I had them up on my computer:

Kelly Marie Tran & Awkwafina: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Is Changing the Idea of the Disney Princess
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwiSvt6_f8A&t=2s

How Disney’s ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Put Action at its Center
https://www.fandom.com/articles/disney- ... marie-tran

[disneyprincess11]

Watching Raya for the second time and I do understand now that Sisu actually does die after she gets shot. And it's actually Naamari's fault as well. Why was she still aiming her arrow at Sisu?!

[DisneyFan97]

I saw this movie today !!

I really really liked it !

I think it was really really good.

In my opinion it's the best Disney movie since Frozen 2.

[UmbrellaFish]

I really enjoyed Raya and the Last Dragon. The backgrounds and environments were stunning. I can envision listening to the score in my free time— it’s that good. The animation was amazing and lifelike but I think we’re getting real close to uncanny valley territory. There were moments, watching Raya’s dad and the baby specifically, where I was pulled out of the film because it was just a little too lifelike. I don’t know why the goal with CGI seems to be uber realism— take me back to the animated phantasmagorias of the early days of Disney feature animation.

As for the plot, I have to be honest I got bored in the middle! I didn’t care about the group that Raya and Sisu amassed. I felt we wasted time getting to know them when I rather learn more about Raya, Sisu, and Naamari. Naamari is probably one of the most interesting antagonists Disney has ever created. Sisu was a great character but I think the critics who compared her to Robin Williams’ Genie overstepped in their praise. The best part of the movie was the ending, when suddenly the picture turned into a revenge play. I wasn’t expecting that and it made Raya so much more interesting and three dimensional. There are plot holes and the world building is probably too dense and complex but I think it was a very solid movie, particularly in the final act.