Raya and the Last Dragon 2021

Raya and the Last Dragon is a 2021 American computer-animated action film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 59th film produced by the studio, it is directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, co-directed by Paul Briggs and John Ripa,[3] produced by Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho, written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, and music composed by James Newton Howard.[4] The film features a predominantly Asian American cast, including the voices of Kelly Marie Tran as the titular Raya and Awkwafina as Sisu, the titular dragon, along with Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Thalia Tran, Lucille Soong and Alan Tudyk.

Raya and the Last Dragon was theatrically released in the United States on March 5, 2021 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in standard 2D, 3D, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX formats. The film's release was also simultaneously available on Disney+ with Premier Access, which is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic's negative impact on movie theaters across the United States and other countries, with many of them remaining closed.

The film has grossed $26 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes calling it "gorgeously animated [and] skillfully voiced".

Plot

Kumandra is a prosperous land rampaged by the Druun, evil spirits that petrify people and multiply after absorbing their life force. The dragons of Kumandra used their remaining magic to create an orb to ward off the Druun and revive everyone, but end up turning to stone themselves. A power struggle for the orb divides the Kumandra people into tribes, based on their placement along a giant river that resembles a dragon: Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon, and Tail.

500 years later, Chief Benja of the Heart tribe has been training his daughter Raya to guard the orb while firmly believing that the tribes will be united once again. During a feast among the five tribes, Raya befriends the daughter of Chief Virana of the Fang tribe, Namaari, and shows her the location of the orb. When the Fang Tribe makes an attempt to steal it, a fight breaks out among the tribes, resulting in the orb's destruction. The Druun suddenly reappear as each of the tribes steal a piece, with Benja among the casualties.

For the next six years, Raya attempts to find Sisu, a dragon said to have created the orb and the only surviving member of her species, to help her recover the missing orb pieces. While in the Tail Tribe's former territory, she finally manages to summon Sisu, who admits that she did not create the orb but can use its powers. They recover the second piece in a ruined Tail temple, granting Sisu shapeshifting powers. They have a hostile encounter with Namaari and her tribe, but young entrepreneur Boun, who had lost his family to the Druun, helps them escape. Despite Boun's friendliness, Raya does not fully trust him.

They arrive at Talon to claim the third orb piece, during which Raya encounters "con baby" Little Noi and her trio of monkey-like companions, the Ongis, who adopted her after the Druun killed her mother. After a chase, Raya takes her in, while Sisu goes into town and encounters Talon's chieftess, who threatens her. Raya rescues Sisu and reclaims the third piece, which allows Sisu to spew out fog.

The group arrives at Spine, where Raya and Sisu meet Tong, a fearsome warrior and the village's sole survivor. The rest of the group catches up to warn them of Namaari's arrival. Raya holds her off in a fight while the others escape, with Sisu assisting her. Back at the boat, Raya tells the truth about Sisu to her party and they agree to work together, with Tong handing Spine's orb piece to Sisu, giving her the power over rain.

As they get closer to Fang, Sisu suggests asking for the final piece rather than stealing it. When Raya refuses, Sisu takes her back to the remains of the Heart and tells of how she was trusted by her siblings to save Kumandra. Raya relents and decides to give Namaari the dragon pendant as a peace offering to complete her quest. Raya and Sisu meet privately with Namaari, but upon seeing the orb pieces, Namaari threatens them. Sisu tries to talk her down, but gets unintentionally shot by Namaari and falls into a river, which begins to dry up.

Fang is attacked by the Druun, as Raya enters to confront Namaari, who is mourning the loss of her mother. The two fight while Raya's companions rescue the people from the Druun. Raya prepares to kill Namaari, but after seeing her remorse, they run to help her friends instead. As the Druun advance toward Raya's group, Raya tells them that they need to reassemble the orb, but her friends refuse to forgive Namaari. To show her faith, Raya gives Namaari her piece and allows the Druun to take her. The rest follow suit, with Namaari fixing the orb before the Druun take her. With the orb reassembled, the Druun are vanquished and everyone is brought back to life, including Sisu and the other dragons.

Everyone is now able to reunite with their lost loved ones, including Raya and her father. The dragons and the tribes gather at Heart to celebrate and join together to form Kumandra once again.