Fun, love & dragons.

So often overshadowed by the achievements of their celebrated studio sibling, Pixar, it’s worth noting just how successful Disney Animation have been in recent years. While Pixar have been hoovering up awards and plaudits like nobody’s business, Disney’s in-house animation division have been quietly building a collection of films on a par with anything they’ve ever done.

Being the runaway financial success that it was, Frozen so often ends up hogging the studio’s limelight, however, there have been several lower-key titles orbiting it that warrant just as much attention. From Zootopia to Big Hero 6 to Moana, the studio’s recent output has been impressively diverse, utilizing Disney’s huge influence and their patented style to push the envelope every bit as much as Pixar.

With this, and after years of quite rightful criticism on their glaring lack of diversity, Disney Animation look to be finally atoning for their past sins, making a concerted effort to explore previously untapped stories and cultures. And with Raya and the Last Dragon, the studio are taking this quest for diversity and representation to the next level.

Hundreds of years after humans and dragons lived together in harmony, the world of Kumandra lies divided and blighted by a sinister force known as the Druun. With Kumandra now in disarray and the dragons all but gone, the Druun threaten to wipe out the last remnants of humanity, however, lone warrior Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) refuses to give in, determined to track down Sisu (Awkwafina) – the last remaining dragon and the last hope for humanity.

As a masked-up Raya tears across the baron Kumandra wastelands like Mad Max on a mission, you know we’re in for a very different Disney Princess tale. It’s an opening unlike anything the studio have ever done before, and while the distinct Disney energy is there for all to see, the bold post-apocalyptic approach is a real breath of fresh air.

Picking up where Moana left off and undeniably evoking the spirit of Mulan, Raya and the Last Dragon puts forth a new brand of Disney Princess, one born of warrior ambition and world-saving heroism. This is an approach that, while it certainly has roots in Disney tales past, clearly aims to blaze its own trail into the future.

This approach of having one foot in Disney tradition and the other firmly planted in a new world is an energy that runs through Raya’s entirety, offering a story that’s both warmly familiar and boldly different. While there’s certainly some disappointment that it doesn’t take as big a swing as it could’ve, within the realms of a family-friendly Disney offering, Raya and the Last Dragon is about as bold as you’re likely to get from the studio right now.

Employing a level of world-building we’ve rarely seen from any animated Disney property, Raya and the Last Dragon comes to us fully formed and admirably well rounded, crafted around a distinctly Southeast Asian-influenced fantasy world of imaginative, beautifully realised lands and incandescent dragons. It’s a world brought to life by faultless animation and character design on a par with anything from the studio’s back catalogue, as directors Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada craft a fully immersive fantasy landscape full of awe and wonder.

With familiar characters and a plot formula you’ll have seen many times before, the film’s bare bones won’t be winning any prizes for originality, however, what’s built around them is more than enough to satisfy. With nods to everything from Indiana Jones to Mad Max to Avatar: The Last Airbender to a multitude of martial arts epics, Raya and the Last Dragon is a thrilling mashup of styles and a rewarding level-up on the classic Disney blueprint.

Making the concerted effort to leave out any form of musical number (although James Newton Howard’s incredible score more than fills that void), Raya may lack the ear worm tunes and harmonious energy of Frozen and Moana, but it’s no less impactful, putting character and worldbuilding first, while injecting a healthy dose of action to keep things lively. With a heady mix of heart and adventure, the film’s strength lies in its ability to pull influence from its studio’s legacy while having the moxie to be completely its own thing.

Epitomising this, Raya’s visuals are an intoxicating cocktail of tradition and innovation, with a style of animation that’s both in keeping with the patented Disney brand and something else altogether. Although characters may look and feel like they could’ve been plucked from any of the studio’s past films, the world around them pops with a verve and a fluorescent energy that we’ve rarely seen before.

Utterly fantastical but with a real-world edge, Kumandra and its five distinct tribes are heightened versions of the various Southeast Asian regions that Raya takes influence from, pairing canals, temples, and lanterns with glowing dragons, fantastical creatures, and evil spirits to craft a world that’s both dazzlingly imaginative and remarkably grounded.

It’s a dualling approach that extends to the plot too, as the very heart of the film’s conflict feels distinctly human in nature, despite the magic and high fantasy swirling around it. As Kumandra is ripped apart by jealousy, misunderstanding, and downright xenophobia, there’s something very real at Raya and the Last Dragon’s core, working to compliment the film’s fantastical elements and delivering a potent and pertinent message of unity.

Breathing life into this message and the world around it, the film’s talented voice cast deliver a level of humour, energy, and pathos that the story demands. Breaking ground as an (almost) all-Asian cast, Raya makes exceptional use of its stacked ensemble, as everyone from Gemma Chan and Daniel Dae Kim to Sandra Oh and Benedict Wong lend their distinctive tones to proceedings.

It’s a wonderful and eclectic ensemble, however, it’s in the story’s central voices that Raya really comes to life. Truly embodying their characters, Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina – voicing Raya and Sisu respectively – offer two very distinct personalities that stand out on their own yet work perfectly to complement one another as any good Disney odd couple should.

As our protagonist, Kelly Marie Tran offers just the right balance of charm, personality, heart, and heroism to carry the entire film, making sure to put the horrendousness of her Star Wars past behind her and to use Raya as a springboard for what will surely be a huge future. Alongside her, and channelling the spirit of Robin Williams with the best Disney sidekick since Genie, Awkwafina nails it as the goofy-but-badass Sisu, balancing classic physical comedy with a remarkable poignancy.

Together, Tran and Awkwafina bounce off one another perfectly, managing to hold our attention and affection throughout, ensuring that, even though their character dynamics aren’t too far off the Disney norm, they offer something entirely unique and utterly engaging.

Beautifully crafted, exquisitely animated, and wonderfully voiced, Raya and the Last Dragon manages to pull from the traditional Disney formula while offering something wholly inimitable. While its bare bones will be instantly recognisable to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the classic Disney formula, Raya and the Last Dragon looks, sounds, and feels like nothing the studio have ever produced before; meaning that, once the story has its talons in you, it won’t let go.

Raya and the Last Dragon is available to stream on Disney+ (Premium Access) now.