This princess is all fired up
Walt Disney Co.'s latest animated movie, Raya and the Last Dragon, aims to offer a fresh take on a princess tale in a fantasy world inspired by Southeast Asia and no prince coming to the rescue.
The film, available to stream now, tells the story of Raya, a young princess voiced by Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran, who is hardened by her past. Raya goes in search of the last dragon, Sisu (played by comedian Awkwafina), to rid the world of a killer plague.
“Everyone from the beginning had a vision for this movie being definitely different from everything that we've historically thought of and seen when we think of the words `Disney princess,'” Tran said.
The movie will play in some theatres and also be available for subscribers of the Disney+ streaming service for a $34.99 charge on top of their monthly subscription fee.
The film focuses on the sisterhood between the lead characters rather than the romance typical of past Disney princess tales. It is set in the fictional world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons had once lived in harmony. The only thing that can reunite them is a fight against virus-like enemy the Druun.
“Given the events of the last year, I do think this is the right film at the right time,” director Don Hall said. Critics have gushed over the film's animation and storytelling. Ninety-six per cent of reviews collected on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a positive score.
Awkwafina said she hoped the movie would be followed by more films that feature Asian-american casts. “As Asian-american performers, we just want there to be more because the landscape has changed so much from when we were kids,” she said.