Raya and the Last Dragon

As an overall throwback, and as a return to the streamlined storytelling upon which Disney built its supremacy, Raya and the Last Dragon is a welcome expansion of the Disney universe.

The message is that you have to put aside differences and learn to trust and find common ground. It feels like it's hitting the right notes, with spectacular visuals.

There's a darkness here that I think is lacking in a lot of modern Disney films, and I respect that its message isn't just "believe in yourself."

I left the cinema thinking that the world is not quite like it is at the end of this movie, but we might all be happier if it was.

Awkwafina leads a lively voice cast in a visually arresting adventure.

There is an incandescence and a buoyancy to the animation that elevates the formula.

Raya and the Last Dragon welcomes a reflection on its Asian-fusion design because western adaptations of Asian culture, even with visible and vocal creative Asian input, will come with a spectrum of orientalism…

The diversity is great, it's visually pleasing, the score is catchy, and the awesome characters turn this into a really likeable watch with a positive overall message.

A SPECTACLE, Beautiful, exhilarating, & A fantastic story that brought a tear to my eye! With a great message wrapped around its incredible action & characters, Raya has cemented itself as one of my new favorite DISNEY ANIMATED FILMS

Boasting a predominantly Asian-American cast delivering exceptional voice work, Raya and the Last Dragon follows a partially disappointing, formulaic narrative but compensates it with stunning animation, a chill-inducing score, and quite a nice ending.