Call it an act of repentance on Disney's part for throwing Kelly Marie Tran under the bus, or call it another excuse for Alan Tudyk to make animal noises for a couple of hours in exchange of equity, but nothing should take away from the fact that ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is another step in the right direction for the ‘Mouse House’. And in a happy coincidence, it might just be the most 'unremarkable' film that the studio has produced in a while.
Part Tomb Raider and part The Legend of Korra, Disney Animation's latest feature film tells the mythic story of Raya, a young woman who goes on an epic adventure to secure shiny McGuffins which will help her unite the five warring tribes of her world. That's about as much as you need to know, even though the 'world' of Raya and the Last Dragon is rich with lore and vibrantly detailed.
And as you'd imagine, there is a dragon in it, but not the sort you're thinking of. Sisu isn't a scaly, fire-breathing monster out of Game of Thrones, but a furry, horse-like creature with the attitude of a sassy Asian-American comedian. Played by Awkwafina, Sisu is milked for humour in the film, foreshadowing, perhaps, the manner in which Disney will squeeze millions out of the character through plushy sales.
Kelly Marie Tran, meanwhile, plays the titular Raya (pronounced Rye-uh). The actor was dealt such a cruel blow after ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, when she was essentially written out of the series in a clear instance of the world's biggest movie studio bowing down to racist trolls. —Hindustan Times
