Well, we were already made aware of Raya and the Last Dragon a while back, but this trailer takes things a little further as we get to see even more and come to realize that the movie is going to be an even bigger adventure than we might have thought in the first place. There are quite a few things that appear to be going on, from a thieving baby to Raya’s special weapon to the actual dragon that looks more like a furry unicorn with extra frills on its body. But one has to remember that the European and Asian ideas of dragons are quite different even if the creatures are essentially able to be traced back to a common legend. Plus, it’s also important to remember that with fantasy creatures there are a lot of different representations that can be rolled out, which is enough to realize that one form won’t be THE form that such creatures take. And on top of that, it’s an animated movie, so pretty much anything goes so long as it works with the audience. Just looking at the trailer thus far it does feel as though a younger audience will enjoy this, and an older audience might even get a kick out of it.
Plus, if anyone was paying attention it does look to be a fairly diverse movie as there are peoples of different colors and from different locations that have different cultures and practices, so hopefully there won’t be anyone crying over a supposed lack of diversity, even though we have to assume that it will still happen to some degree. At this time it feels as though any movie that doesn’t have whatever the proper ratio is thought to be of POC’s is bound to get slammed for it simply because people have nothing better to do. From the initial viewing, the trailer makes it clear that the movie is going to be something that will be packed with action, comedy, and possibly the same type of sappy qualities that are inherent within every Disney movie. What’s not apparent is whether or not we’ll be seeing any songs pop up in the movie, or if it will be given a soundtrack that will be released either with or after the movie, or possibly before. Songs have been a part of a lot of Disney movies so it’s usually interesting these days to see which ones will be getting a song and dance and which ones will go without. It could be that this is something that’s fading out a bit, but a lot of people still enjoy the whole idea of a pleasing song at some point in the movie.
The dragon in this movie already looks like she’s going to be quite the character since the creature admits to being the type of misfit that even her kind didn’t hold in high regard, which is kind of like par for the course. It does bring back visions of the animated Mulan movie in which Mushu was forced to head off to help Mulan instead of summoning the mighty Stone Dragon, proving to be more troublesome than helpful most times. In this movie though it’s been shown that the dragon is going to be able to change shape and that she will be quite friendly, at least initially. The other thing that’s obvious is that even if the rest of the lands eventually begin to agree with each other that unity is needed, it’s bound to happen that the one that doesn’t want to unify will be the greatest enemy and likely the most powerful as well. If anyone has been paying attention over the years that’s usually how this particular formula works, and to be certain it does push the story forward since whether one believes in the cause of the one central enemy or not, they tend to represent a viewpoint that many people will agree with until they’re shown why that side is ultimately self-defeating. Those that watch don’t have to agree, but this is usually how things work out since Disney and anyone else that has ever told this type of story typically want people to feel good by the end when all is said and done.
Overall this looks like a pleasant movie to watch with the kids, and it does sound as though it will be coming to theaters and Disney+ for an extra charge, kind of like Mulan did. It could be an interesting direction for Disney to go in, as could Luca, which is coming out eventually as well. There’s no doubt that Disney has done what it could to cave to demands for diversity, but at least it would appear that we’re getting quality movies out of it that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
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