Disney's "Raya and the Last Dragon" is Right on Time
Illustration is based off of artwork for Disney's "Raya and the Last Dragon" . Illustration by Carolyn Burt
On Friday, March 5th, Disney’s latest animated feature, “Raya and the Last Dragon,” was simultaneously released in both theaters and on Disney Plus Premier Access. In 2020, COVID-19 protocols required the shut down of movie theaters, but the recent drop in reported Coronavirus cases, combined with states moving into a less restrictive protocol tier and the progress in getting people vaccinated, has led California and New York to decide to reopen movie theaters just in time for the release of the next wave of blockbuster films.
“Raya and the Last Dragon” is one of those blockbuster films, that generated 71 million dollars in the first 15 days of its Women’s History Month release date. It is the story of Raya, a young Southeast Asian female warrior, who goes full force toward what Disney calls “an epic journey” into the world of Kumandra. Not only a trained warrior but also the daughter of Dragon Gem Guardian, Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim). Raya is determined to track down the last dragon, Sisu, who is believed to hold the power Raya needs to restore her world from a plague caused by humanity’s worst qualities, and lack of unity.
The world of Kumandra was created by screenwriters Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim. It is primarily inspired by Southeast Asian culture. Lim is also known for writing the blockbuster hit film “Crazy Rich Asians,” which in 2018, set box office records as one of the biggest Labor Day Weekend releases. “Crazy Rich Asians” gained much support from the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and is an important cultural awareness film, as it features an Asian girl raised in America, presents an all-Asian cast and highlights Asian culture and community.
On a Disney Instagram post, Lim speaks about her writing saying, “Raya is this teenage warrior who is fearless and courageous and she fights passionately for the things that she believes in. Raya is the teenager I wish I was. Growing up as a girl, sometimes you just feel so paralyzed by all the expectations the world puts on you.”
Lim gives her thoughts on the future of women in film, saying, “I think the future for female writers and creators really is up to us. There have always been stories about women, but more often than not, women themselves were not the people telling those stories. The only way to have an authentic voice for a female character is to come from her point of view." Lim continues, "Now there are more opportunities for young women to come forward and tell these stories. It is a much more open and accepting world, and we’re ready for them. We’re ready for new stories. We’re ready to hear their voices.”
The cast of “Raya and the Last Dragon,” was not only written by Asian women screenwriters, but it also stars many A-list Asian women actors, including Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, and Gemma Chan. This isn't the first time that Disney has succeeded in paving the way for diversity in filmmaking. The animated film, “Moana,” and the live-action film, “Mulan,” previously set a solid example of true diversity, and also honor Asian and Pacific Islanders by spotlighting their culture and community.
The release of Raya and the Last Dragon comes during a time when anti-Asian racism sentiments, actions, and crimes, are on the rise. During her March 24 appearance on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Kelly Marie Tran, the voice of Raya, said she “hoped the movie would bring joy amid a difficult time for the Asian-American community.”
About navigating her emotions during this time, “It's such a difficult time for the Asian-American community, and I think it hits everyone different," said Tran. "I think for me, something that has been really strange about it is that I'm here talking about Raya, this movie that is celebrating this part of the world which very rarely gets to be celebrated, and having that sort of dichotomy of celebrating this part of the world and then also acknowledging these horrible things that are happening at the same time, has been a really wild experience.”
“Raya and the Last Dragon” presents a strong message at just the right time. A positive and strong depiction of a young Southeast Asian woman, who is a warrior, a princess, and who has hope in humanity despite coming face-to-face with its ugliest qualities -- qualities that have the ability to bring destruction upon Raya’s world, but that also resemble some of the harmful attitudes in real-life today.
"Raya and the Last Dragon" graced Women’s History month and uplifted the image of Southeast Asian culture and Asians in the film industry, in one powerful package.
