The story of diversity and representation in cinema is about evolution. Take Disney and depictions of Asian life and culture. When the studio released
Mulan in 1998, it was in part a reaction to the gross stereotyping in The Siamese Cat Song in
The Aristocats. Two decades later, and
Mulan has its own issues, but
Raya and the Last Dragon, the 59th animated feature from the House of Mouse enters the discussion.
Where it starts is by throwing out the idea of Asian as it stands in American cinema, which is too often a clumsy mish-mash of Chinese and Japanese influences. The sumptuous mythical world of Kumandra draws in real-world Asian influences: Yet they are not monolithically East Asian, instead evoking Southeast Asia, most especially Malaysia, Myanmar, and Brunei. This is where Raya (Tran) is on a search for a legend, and the shattered remnants of a magical stone that contains the magic of the last dragon, Sisu. What she actually finds is Sisu herself (Awkwafina), slightly
The Baby From Raya and the Last Dragon Is the Best Baby Slate 3/5/2021
There are a lot of things to like about
Raya and the Last Dragon its predominantly Asian American cast, its bold character and environment designs, its sweeping score but perhaps the most likeable thing in the whole movie is the character Noi. Noi, also known as Little Noi, is a baby (voiced by teenaged actress Thalia Tran), and she is also, as it happens, a criminal with three monkey sidekicks. Naturally, I am obsessed with her.
To be clear, “Baby [Noun]” is not an instant home run for me. Like most people, I agree that Baby Yoda is great, but Boss Baby is a hard no. As far as “cute sidekicks” go: Minions? Pass. Penguins of Madagascar?
CinemaBlend
Raya and the Last Dragon, a CG-animated fantasy film featuring the voice talents of Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong, and more. Early reviews have certainly been glowing for the company s newest animated adventure, and families will have the option of watching the movie in theaters or at home on Disney+ (with a premium fee) in the weeks ahead. If you recognize the voices behind this new movie and you re wondering why, we re here to help. Here are the actors behind Disney s
Raya and the Last Dragon.
Kelly Marie Tran (Raya)
As our title character, Raya, a warrior princess on a quest to find the last dragon and save her world from an evil force, Kelly Marie Tran plays the protagonist in Disney s latest animated feature,