Raya and the Last Dragon

[Sotiris]

The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon:
https://disney-studios-awards.s3.amazon ... index.html

Thanks!

[Disney's Divinity]

Raya And The Last Dragon's "Binturi" Word Meaning
https://screenrant.com/raya-last-dragon ... anslation/

[Disney's Divinity]

Kelly Marie Tran says she'd be 'overjoyed' to work on a queer 'Raya and the Last Dragon' sequel
https://www.insider.com/kelly-marie-tra ... uel-2022-5

If Disney would like to give us a LGBT protagonist finally, it would be so easy to do with Raya. Very little risk in this case. They already have the models for all the characters made, the groundwork of the first film's relationship between Raya and Namaari, they could make a sequel a Disney+ exclusive if they wanted (but with eventual release on Blu-ray). They took a lot of inspiration from Legend of Korra for Raya after all--why not continue to and give us a canon LGBT ending as with that series? Personally, I would like Raya and Namaari much more than the romance at the end of Korra, tbh.

Also... Since I believe Disney has a minion or two who watches these boards and reports back ( ), someone tell them they could also easily get some other low-risk LGBT representation by pressing Square Enix to make SoRiku or LeaIsa canon in Kingdom Hearts.

[PatchofBlue]

Thought I'd try to generate some conversation outside of the LA TLM and PP&W threads.

A film blog I follow posted this analysis of the movie and how it looks at social division that I find myself thinking about from time to time.

I really like the film, but even from my first viewing I felt like it was kind of beating around the bush.

https://filmsandfeelings19.blogspot.com ... ragon.html

The film places a lot of emphasis on characters “taking the first step,” so much so that it treats it like the only step: Raya and Namaari have a high-stakes trust exercise, and just like that the bad thing evaporates and the dragons come back to play. No need to get into the actual labor that goes into building a world that serves people of different viewpoints ...

I’m not saying we necessarily needed Raya and Namaari to be fighting over Kumandra’s healthcare system, but the film keeps itself from asking the really hard questions. "Everyone deserves trust" is the kind of moral that’s easy to agree with in the abstract, but it doesn’t really ask the audience to do anything they don’t want to. For all its focus the general goodness of humanity, the film never really asks nor expects the viewer to sympathize with someone who thinks differently than you. Surrendering to the deathly embrace of a primordial evil is easy. Compromise is hard.

[Disney's Divinity]

No need to get into the actual labor that goes into building a world

That's something I expected a sequel would explore. I still hope a sequel may happen on Disney+ someday even if it's unlikely.

Personally, I took the film as having a Christian moral more than anything else of saying that someone has to take the risk of being the first to put themselves in the open to make change (and also leaving yourself open to harm by those who "know not what they do," in other words). And a lot of that is put into words in the song at the end of the film in a generalized way, which is why I love that song even if the chorus can get vaguely irritating on multiple listens. "We have a choice to build or destroy, love is a bridge... we give and it gets better. We can start brand new, there is an energy in the water, there's a legacy that we honor when we bring the light to the dark. Taking the first step, I see you as myself" Being a light in the dark as a "legacy" (giving the love that has been received to others, reflecting the light outwards), the Golden Rule of trying to see another person as yourself, the continual renewing of the mind, having the power to build or destroy (life and death in the tongue).

They put it in generic terms though to be digestible for non-Christian audiences as well. I do understand how seeing the above in movies is not something that interests other people and how others can disagree on the film's success in its delivery of those points.

[blackcauldron85]

I know that Raya gets criticism from people for putting all the trust in Namaari, but I think that things were already so bad, she just felt "why not see what happens" by trusting Namaari. I'm having a tough time putting my thoughts into words. As someone with trust issues, I relate to Raya; it's probably part of why I love the film so much. I think she was being cautiously optimistic because the alternative was, "everything has turned to $#!+ anyway," you know?

[PatchofBlue]

I know that Raya gets criticism from people for putting all the trust in Namaari, but I think that things were already so bad, she just felt "why not see what happens" by trusting Namaari. I'm having a tough time putting my thoughts into words. As someone with trust issues, I relate to Raya; it's probably part of why I love the film so much. I think she was being cautiously optimistic because the alternative was, "everything has turned to $#!+ anyway," you know?

Oh, I get Raya's gamble in putting her trust in Namaari. I think it showed a lot of insight and maturation on her part. It's actually one of my favorite story choices letting "the bad guy" be the one to save the world.

Where the film falls short for me is how it tries to evoke real-world social division but their solution is vague and unspecific. Like, building bridges in real life entails learning to see your political opponent as a whole human with inherent goodness, sure, but you also have to figure out how to build a world with them even when you want entirely different things from your government, workforce, military, etc. And the film doesn't really get much into that part of the conversation.

Maybe that could be a part of a potential sequel, like Divinity says.

[Farerb]

Where the film falls short for me is how it tries to evoke real-world social division but their solution is vague and unspecific. Like, building bridges in real life entails learning to see your political opponent as a whole human with inherent goodness, sure, but you also have to figure out how to build a world with them even when you want entirely different things from your government, workforce, military, etc. And the film doesn't really get much into that part of the conversation.

Agreed. It just comes across as ingenuine. This is another issue I had with Zootopia as well. They pin everything on one person and once that person is defeated/reformed then everything is okay and everyone can live in utopia, and real life just doesn't work like that. Animosity and prejudice among people will always remain. I just remembered that terrible old lady who tried to kill the dragon, and she was never reprimanded or mentioned again, she just continued her reign of terror.

[Mooky]

I think that's modern Disney in a nutshell -- all these big social and ethical themes that never pay off or earn their build-up, or are never fully realized because filmmakers (or Disney rather) are not completely committed to them for fears of angering either one or the other end of the political spectrum. That's where I agree with some conservative voices that Disney has gotten too preachy or political -- I much preferred the '90s style of storytelling where in text the films were just simplistic fairytale romances or morality tales of good vs. evil, but in subtext they had all these deep, rich motifs and covered issues like gender (non-)conformity, effects of war, toxic masculinity, enviromentalism, religious hypocrisy, etc. So many different layers. True, some movies were not very subtle even back then, but definitely subtler than what we've been getting these days. Being open to multiple different readings and non-singular interpretations is one of the reasons why those stories will never leave public consciousness, unlike these modern ones which seem to fade out of memory only a couple of years after their release.

[PatchofBlue]

I feel like it's an issue that runs across a lot of different kinds of films. Hollywood might actually be interested in solving the problem, but they're still unwilling to ask the necessary hard questions.

I might say that while "Zootopia" makes similar bids for a "why can't we all get along" ending, a big part of that film's conclusion is Judy, and the audience, recognizing that she has some internalized biases that may have to be ironed out through continuous effort that extend beyond just the scope of the film, which is one reason why I feel like that movie works better. They've gotten rid of "the bad guy," sure, but I also feel like the film traced out the underlying assumptions of the society that Bellweather was exploiting.

[MoonMarc21]

Aw man…Raya and the Last Dragon
I was so excited and hyped when it was first announced at D23 Expo because they were making a Southeast Asian adventure movie. The concept art they shown to the public was so beautiful and cool. Raya and Tuk Tuk looked great along with Sisu silhouetted in the clouds, it really set the tone of the movie, mystical and action-packed.

And then it got released…
I thought the world and it’s lore was great like the parts of Kumandra (Fang, Talon, Spine, Heart, Tail) and how different they looked. It made me want to explore more of the world. Raya looks so cool, the action scenes were also great…and that’s about it for the good parts.

Disney really wanted to make Namaari (and to a lesser extent, Raya) a complex and nuanced character but they fumbled it so hard through the writing of the movie. That and they used words that are “hip” to make it relatable to the audiences and most of the cast members not having Southeast Asian-descent, but that’s just a minor nitpick to me. But the moral lesson or message was so messy, it felt like the movie hates it’s own protagonist . Sisu keeps telling her to trust people when Raya has a genuine reason why not to, especially to Namaari. I think it would’ve been better if Namaari really had remorse for her actions in the past and try to make amends to Raya by secretly helping her in her mission to restore the Dragon Gem. Sisu notices and tells Raya that Namaari can be trusted but Raya, blinded by not trusting people, doesn’t believe Sisu or something like that…idk.

Overall, the aesthetics of the movie is really great but the story isn’t, oh well, at least Raya is part of the Disney Princess lineup.

[Musical Master]

I agree that Raya and the Last Dragon really fumbled with Namaari and the message; and those are the two things that really hold the movie back big time. It easily could have been great if the film had at least one more year in development, then it could have worked. But as is, it's perfectly fine, nothing bad or anything; but it could've been a Disney classic in its own right if different choices/more risks were taken.

For me it's a bit worse than Zootopia and Wreck it Ralph, but a bit better than Big Hero 6.

[MoonMarc21]

OH MY GOODNESS! My first reply!
I AM SHAKING! AHHHHH!

Anyways…you’re right Musical Master, if they were given more time to polish the story and themes, it would’ve been good. And it was enjoyable to me. Also, I agree throughout the internet that it would have benifited being a Disney Plus original show rather than a movie.

[Sotiris]

It was October 2018, and Lasseter’s last Disney film, Raya and the Last Dragon, was still in the early stages of development and storyboarding. His fingerprints were all over this project. The initial directors were Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, with Adele Lim (coming off her success with Crazy Rich Asians) as the sole writer. Unfortunately, this trio was seen as being “Lasseter people.”

Briggs and Wellins needed to go as they didn’t fit the correct demographic (or maybe they were Lasseter loyalists) to tell Raya’s story properly. Rumor has it that Lee was gunning for Briggs and Wellins by foisting impossible tasks on them to either get them fired or, better yet, force them to quit. Being the veteran talent that they were, the traps didn’t work. Briggs was demoted to “co-director,” and Wellins was given a Disney+ series to direct.

Disney did have a diversity problem within animation, prompting Jennifer Lee to recruit new talent from the outside. Lee brought in Carlos López Estrada to direct. The Mexican-American (not Southeast Asian) director was coming off his DGA nomination for his first feature, Blindspotting. Before that, Estrada was an experimental theater director who worked his way into directing music videos and commercials. Estrada was the emerging director needed to bring a fresh perspective to Disney Animation. The problem is that directing animation is different from directing live-action features. His inexperience quickly showed, and veteran director Don Hall was brought in to give the fresh face on-the-job training. Raya and the Last Dragon was Estrada’s first and last Disney project, as he would return to directing music videos.

From here, Raya and the Last Dragon turned from being a traditional Disney animated production to slowly transforming into Disney’s first DEI test case. Step one was to load the entire project with female South Asian animators and talent from within the company, then female Asian animators, then female POC animators, and the rest. But that wasn’t enough. Rather than pull in other artists from within, a major recruitment push was made to hire more women from outside the company to reach a 50/50 male/female balance for equity’s sake.

A concerted effort was made to think “outside the box” when recruiting at Disney. During The Female Lead‘s Filmmaker Panel for Raya and the Last Dragon, head of story Fawn Veerasunthorn stated that Disney had decided to change the landscape of its hiring pool, which was once art school graduates, from such stalwart institutions as CalArts. She states that new talent emerged from millennials like herself on social media. In her own words, “Traditionally, where [Disney] would go to really expensive colleges where not everyone may be able to afford that. Now, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore. You know, maybe the company can look at how they can hire outside of their usual norm or hire internationally.” Disney Animation did go out of its norm in hiring with the help of Women in Animation (WiA), an advocacy group created in 1993. Their mission states, “We envision a world in which people of all gender identities share fully in the creation, production, and rewards of animation…” With Raya and the Last Dragon, that aggressive push for Gender Equity and to radically transform an industry starts now.

Sources tell us that with Raya and the Last Dragon, the goal wasn’t to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion into the existing community of Disney animators but to replace it with a radicalized group of female activists completely. One female POC animator contacted us about her experience with WiA to further her career in animation. She was looking for mentorship and resources to break into the industry. While initial discussions were cordial, she was quickly ghosted by the organization because she did not live in Los Angeles and could not be helpful to their cause. Our source also told us that once she expressed concerns about the mission of WiA, she found herself blacklisted from the industry (a prevalent story we’ve heard) and felt that WiA and similar organizations had become the gatekeepers for women to enter animation. It’s not enough as an animator to be a talented female person of color; you have to be “WiA-Approved” and toe the line. Another example of this new activist culture is the formation of a segregated women’s committee that meets regularly to pitch ideas, network, vent, look at storyroom strategies, listen to guest speakers, and empower each other to take on leadership roles. Many of these sessions are sponsored by WiA and strictly for “female-identifying and non-binary people.”

Source: https://filmthreat.com/features/the-d-f ... use-reset/

Here, Raya and her squad worked together to overcome and defeat a mystical force. Secondly is the portrayal of female characters as strong leaders, also known as “girl bosses.” Raya and Namaari, both women warriors, take charge in the fight against this mysterious force. Third is the diminished role of men in Disney films. Male warriors are not exactly seen as equal or stronger fighters than the leads. According to some sources, specific measures were taken to emasculate all male characters. In Raya, no man came to her aid when she was beaten. It was either another female or the character’s intestinal fortitude. Any notion to elevate a male character was directly criticized for promoting misogynistic tropes and was immediately removed.

Source: https://filmthreat.com/features/the-d-f ... nge-world/

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

However this site feels and what they've heard about how Raya changed in production is irrelevant.

The movie was successful with critics & audiences (per its "A" CinemaScore) and may or may not have broken even financially, thanks to Disney+ with Premier Access, along with getting recognized in the awards campaign.

And Jennifer Lee gave us something great with Encanto afterwards.

So, I think I'd rather her ideas than whatever the Lassetter people would have come up with.

[Kyle]

Lasseter was starting to put out movies that felt too samey anyway. I think their problems go further than whoever they have overseeing their animated movies, its that they have too many voices pushing and pulling movies in different directions in an attempt to please more than just the US market, in the end appeasing no one.

[UmbrellaFish]

Lasseter was starting to put out movies that felt too samey anyway.

I agree with this. I think his problem was he applied the same storytelling formula to both studios. The formula was effective when you got one Pixar movie every 1-2 years, but it became repetitive when it came packaged in 2-3 Disney and Pixar films every year.

[Farerb]

Pixar started to go downhill since Cars 2 while Lasseter was still in charge. They didn't have any critical success during that time except Inside Out and Coco. And when it comes to Disney Animation, the only movies people seem to care about are the Princess musicals and maybe Zootopia.

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

Pixar started to go downhill since Cars 2 while Lasseter was still in charge. They didn't have any critical success during that time except Inside Out and Coco. And when it comes to Disney Animation, the only movies people seem to care about are the Princess musicals and maybe Zootopia.

And Encanto.

[Farerb]

And Encanto.

Encanto wasn't made during Lasseter's time.