Raya and the Last Dragon

[D82]

New Chinese and domestic promos featuring some new footage.

[Jules]

I remember that user from Japan, but I've also forgotten his/her username. It was great having a member from there because he/she sometimes translated the Japanese trailers for us. And wasn't taei also from Japan?

EDIT: I found the username of the Japanese member you were talking about. It's WonderNeverOz.

I forgot there were two!! So glad you jolted my memory. Now I must look them up!

If you guys happen to be reading this, please say hi!

That's a cool idea. As long as we don't have to pin our exact location (part of the country/city/town) if we don't want to.

Certainly. It would be up to the individual user.

[D82]

Two more new book covers from France:


Sources:
https://www.amazon.fr/RAYA-DERNIER-DRAG ... ref=sr_1_8
https://www.amazon.fr/RAYA-DERNIER-DRAG ... ef=sr_1_14

Certainly. It would be up to the individual user.

OK, then count me in!

[Disney's Divinity]

I really want to see it at a theater. Ive thought of wearing `two masks and going at an early showing so the room wont be packed but Im in the top 3 states for covid infection(south Fla,) so I dunno.

I always go early to get the cheapest tickets and to avoid crowds. They'll probably require social distancing in theaters now, which will suit me just fine because I always try to sit at least three seats or more from everyone else anyway.

The first poster is my favorite of the three, and I like how Namaari is heavily featured in both it and the second poster. I suppose Namaari will technically become a part of the ragtag group, since each character represents a different group within Kumandra. I love the idea of Raya's sword being able to change shape to a whip and then a hammer. I suppose it makes sense if the sword is something special and dragon-related, since Sisu can change her form, too.

I love the three posters, but the first one is also my favorite. I think it might be my favorite for the movie so far. Though, the teaser poster was also really good, and the Japanese and the similar domestic one, which showed a lot of vegetation, were quite beautiful too. I agree, the fact that Raya's sword has multiple uses is really cool, but I didn't notice it can also turn into a hammer, where is that shown?

One thing in particular I love about the first poster is how Raya's face looks there. I mean, I love everything about that first poster, but that's one of the best parts. Of course, there's no denying the first two are Star Wars posters imitations just like everything else Disney makes receives now. At least it sort of suits this film considering there are so many moving parts to the story (the dragon gem, Sisu, Raya v. Namaari, the five tribes, and the ragtag troupe Raya and Namaari both are probably a part of by the end).

As for the other thing, I just assumed the hammer held in some previous shots must be the sword, too, since we know it's a weapon that can shift shape now? That may be incorrect though.

I would like to see Raya on the big screen as well, but if there's no other way; I'll pay to watch it on Disney+.

I would consider that if I could stream. It's really a choice of seeing it in theaters or waiting until the Fall when it comes to Blu-ray... And I'd be hesitant to buy a film unseen. I don't like a lot of Disney's films from Chicken Little onwards. I'm not one of those people who feels a completionist impulse to buy films I don't enjoy simply because they have the Disney name on them. If I ever was, the Lasseter Era would've cured me of that.

Sources:
https://chinchillalace.tumblr.com/post/ ... 2/sisudatu
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disney-Raya-le ... ef=sr_1_15

I know some have speculated that Sisu's human design must've changed to make her look younger, but I think she looks the same. It's just these clipart shots are her with a big smile where most of what we see of her in her human form in the trailer, she's not really smiling or showing all her teeth.

As for the dragon map, I had a random thought: I wonder if the shape might've been created in the past when a dragon hit the land during a battle (or fell there when it died)? And then the water that was already there filled in or broke out from under the earth? Although it would be interesting if a water dragon turned into water when it died.

[D82]

I always go early to get the cheapest tickets and to avoid crowds. They'll probably require social distancing in theaters now, which will suit me just fine because I always try to sit at least three seats or more from everyone else anyway.

I usually go to early showings too for the same reasons. And I normally go on weekdays if I can to save money. Unless it's a movie I can't wait to see or I want to see as soon as possible to avoid spoilers, for example. I prefer not having people right next to me as well, so to me social distancing in theaters is also an advantage.

One thing in particular I love about the first poster is how Raya's face looks there. I mean, I love everything about that first poster, but that's one of the best parts.

I agree. It's also one of the reasons why I like that poster so much.

As for the other thing, I just assumed the hammer held in some previous shots must be the sword, too, since we know it's a weapon that can shift shape now? That may be incorrect though.

Oh, I think I get what you're saying now. Is this the hammer you're referring to? Well, if it's a magical sword, then I guess it's possible it can transform into that, but when it turns into a whip I think it's actually not by magic. The blade of the sword is made up of a lot of individual metal pieces, and when she makes a particular move with it, they separate from each other and the weapon lengthens thanks to a wire or something that links these pieces together. It happens very fast in the trailer, so it's not easy to notice. I think it'll be easier to understand seeing these pictures. Though Raya is shown with that hammer or axe in some of the merch, it hasn't been featured in any of the footage so far, so I now think it was probably an old version that was replaced by the wavy sword. That said, in some toys the sword lights up, so maybe it is a magic sword after all and can also change shape.

I would consider that if I could stream. It's really a choice of seeing it in theaters or waiting until the Fall when it comes to Blu-ray... And I'd be hesitant to buy a film unseen. I don't like a lot of Disney's films from Chicken Little onwards. I'm not one of those people who feels a completionist impulse to buy films I don't enjoy simply because they have the Disney name on them. If I ever was, the Lasseter Era would've cured me of that.

I do have that completionist impulse, at least regarding Disney and Pixar films, but as I explained on another occasion, in the mid-2000s I had a moment where I decided not to buy all the movies anymore, but just the ones I really liked. That didn't last long and I eventually bought the films I had skipped too.

I know some have speculated that Sisu's human design must've changed to make her look younger, but I think she looks the same. It's just these clipart shots are her with a big smile where most of what we see of her in her human form in the trailer, she's not really smiling or showing all her teeth.

I think you could be right about that. She never really looked like an old woman to me, but it's true that she looks younger in the new footage and stills. The smile could be what makes her look different, as you say. In this image from the trailer where she smiles a bit, she doesn't look that different from the clip art:

As for the dragon map, I had a random thought: I wonder if the shape might've been created in the past when a dragon hit the land during a battle (or fell there when it died)? And then the water that was already there filled in or broke out from under the earth? Although it would be interesting if a water dragon turned into water when it died.

Those are interesting theories. It would be nice if they explained why the sea has that shape.

[D82]

The UK trailer has just been released and it contains lots of new footage!

Here's also a new international poster:


Source: https://twitter.com/DisneyMalaysia/stat ... 7413476358

[DisneyFan09]

Well, frankly it was a better trailer than it`s predecessors. While it was still somewhat frenetic in a DreamWorks-mode, it still was more serious in tone. The hand drawn parts reminded me of those from Kung Fu Panda (there will be hand drawn animation in this movie). At least we`ll get to see how Chief Benja gets turned into stone. The part with the flower reminds of those similar scenes with Mulan and Lilo & Stitch. Overall, a good trailer.

[D82]

Well, frankly it was a better trailer than it`s predecessors. While it was still somewhat frenetic in a DreamWorks-mode, it still was more serious in tone.

Yes, it was a good trailer. And you're right, it had a more serious tone and focused more on the emotional aspect and the message of the film. I think I preferred the previous one, though. It was a bit more epic and felt fresher, as it revealed many things we didn't know before. But this one also shows new stuff. Among other things, it gives us a better look at the Druun and more details about the beginning of the film.

The hand drawn parts reminded me of those from Kung Fu Panda (there will be hand drawn animation in this movie).

Is it traditional animation, though? The 2D shots were very short, but I got the impression it was CGI but with a non-photorealistic rendering. If that's the case, I find it really disappointing. Especially when there are still hand-drawn animators at the studio.

By the way, these are the two main songs used in the trailer according to the Youtube comments: "We out Here" by Atomic Drum Assembly and "What a World We Live In" by Oshins.

[DisneyFan09]

Is it traditional animation, though? The 2D shots were very short, but I got the impression it was CGI but with a non-photorealistic rendering. If that's the case, I find it really disappointing. Especially when there are still hand-drawn animators at the studio.

Well, I could be wrong, though. But at least it looked like 2D.

[D82]

John Ripa has posted a drawing he did early in the production on his Instagram account. It's the same artwork that was seen on the Frozen 2 documentary.


Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLFNCTjsPh_/

Well, I could be wrong, though. But at least it looked like 2D.

Maybe I'm the one who's wrong, but there's something about the movement that makes me suspect it's CGI. Though, perhaps it's a combination of 2D and 3D like Paperman. We'll see. The art direction doesn't look bad and I like that the prologue will be in a different style than the rest of the film, but I much prefer traditional animation to these hybrid techniques.

[DisneyFan09]

but I much prefer traditional animation to these hybrid techniques.

Agreed. At least when it`s done well.

[blackcauldron85]

‘Raya and the Last Dragon’: How Working Remotely Inspired Disney to Rethink the Work-Life Balance
https://collider.com/raya-and-the-last- ... adele-lim/

[Disney's Divinity]

The UK trailer has just been released and it contains lots of new footage!

Here's also a new international poster:

https://i.imgur.com/KjpvBGe.jpg
Source: https://twitter.com/DisneyMalaysia/stat ... 7413476358

This emphasizes that found family dynamic I was sensing might be the case for these characters. I imagine the only reason Namaari isn't sitting there, too, is because she doesn't become a friend until near the very end. This is all part of why I think Raya and Namaari will be shipped a great deal; they'd practically be like the parents in the group next to the grandfather figure and the children.

[D82]

Disney Animation has also released the latest trailer on its domestic Youtube channel as "International trailer". I don't remember them having done that before. I wonder if this was supposed to be the third and final US trailer, but since we're so close to the release and they had already released the last trailer quite recently, they released it as an international trailer instead.

Speaking of the latest trailer, there are a couple of details I've noticed in it. First, the dragon in the map of Kumandra doesn't have whiskers anymore, which makes sense given that Sisu's final design doesn't have them either. I've read some comments that said Southeast Asian dragons don't tend to have whiskers, so maybe they changed that detail to be more accurate to the region.





The map also confirms Raya's palace is on an island, which I guess corresponds to the dragon's heart. That's probably why the region is called the land of Heart.



It also reveals the final version of her clan's symbol (below right), which looks a bit different from the old one (though maybe it's just that it was rotated before), and that its color is green after all, and not blue as some of us thought it would be.



And this one could be a bit spoilery. I don't know if you've noticed, but in the map Raya is holding at the beginning of the trailer, several locations are crossed out. I guess they're the places where she has been unsuccessfully looking for the last dragon during these six years. But the curious thing is that all of them correspond to sources of rivers. I guess she knows the dragon has to be in the source of a river. I wonder if the ones where she didn't find Sisu were related to the other dragons. I think they said at the D23 Expo that the dragons created Kumandra. Maybe each of them created a river, for example, which in turn formed the dragon-shaped sea.

[D82]

Some updates:

• New promotional image from Disney Hong Kong's Facebook page:




• It seems Tuk Tuk won't be the only character who will be able to turn into a ball. Judging by this promo with the Chinese voice actress for Raya, it looks like the Ongis will have that ability as well. Though, instead of rolling, it seems they bounce.


• France, Germany and Italy have already announced who will voice the main character/s in their respective dubs. They all include actors from Southeast Asia. I wonder if it has something to do with the backlash against the lack of black actors in the foreign dubbings of Soul or if the roles were already cast when that happened.


• The Italian version of the film will have an end credits song, so it's likely the domestic version will have one too:

Influencers Emanuele Ferrari, Vatinee Suvimol and Maryna lent their voices for a cameo, together with singer Camille Cabaltera who also plays the song in the credits of the Italian version of the film.

Source: https://www.afnews.info/wordpress/2021/ ... su-disney/

[D82]

New international posters from Spain and China:


Sources:
https://twitter.com/DisneySpain/status/ ... 1689318401
https://twitter.com/thedarkniter/status ... 0664977410

[Disney Duster]

I'm extremely late to the party but I think a ninja baby and a crass dragon are the dumbest things I have ever seen. So uninterested in this movie.

[DisneyFan97]

I an really looking forward to this !!

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Just some speculation based on a scene from the trailer:

At one point we see a lot of statues of lots of dragons. Can we expect that by the end of the movie, these statues of stones becomes alive again and turns into dragons of flesh and bone?

[D82]

New TV spots and promo. Most of the footage is not new, but there are a couple of shots we hadn't seen before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KmDe5iznVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAQPiBh756w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJImVHBuh8E

New domestic poster. Except for the background, it's pretty much identical to one of the international posters.


Source: https://twitter.com/DisneyRaya/status/1 ... 9010867200

And new details about the characters from a book (spoilers): https://www.instagram.com/p/CLRyyY_hUkN/

A couple of details from that link I don't think are spoilery are that the name Sisu is short for Sisudatu and that the names of the Ongis (Uka, Pan and Dyan) mean one, two and three.

I an really looking forward to this !!

Me too!

I'm extremely late to the party but I think a ninja baby and a crass dragon are the dumbest things I have ever seen. So uninterested in this movie.

Oh, I'm surprised. I thought you were looking forward to it. Is it just the baby and the dragon what you don't like about the movie or are there more reasons why you're not interested in it?

Just some speculation based on a scene from the trailer:

At one point we see a lot of statues of lots of dragons. Can we expect that by the end of the movie, these statues of stones becomes alive again and turns into dragons of flesh and bone?

I think that's very likely.