Disney has just released the second trailer for its upcoming film,Raya and the Last Dragon. Directed by Carlos López Estrada and Don Hall,Raya and the Last Dragonwill have a more diverse cast than the majority of Disney movies that have preceded it. But what is particularly unique about this film is that it is also written by Asian American people, Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim. Nguyen is a playwright who has worked on projects for the likes of PBS, Netflix, and Marvel Studios to name a few. Lim’s most notable work has been the screenplay ofCrazy Rich Asiansand has also worked on various television shows prior to that.
Despite all that is unique and new aboutRaya and the Last Dragon, it seems that a good deal of discussion regarding the film is not based on the film’s own merit, but rather in direct comparison toDisney’sMulan. Arguably, it seems as though there is virtually no reason to compare the films to one another, other than the fact they both feature an Asian woman as the lead, and both take place in Asia. But even then,Mulantakes place in a more historical China, whereasRaya and the Last Dragontakes place in fictional Kumandra, inspired by a variety of different southeastern Asian countries.
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The premise of the film is that of a young warrior princess, called Raya, who is on a quest to find the last living dragon. The story takes place in the fantasy land of Kumandra. In Kumandra, at one time, humans and dragons lived alongside one another, but in the face of threats from monsters known as the Druun, the dragons had to sacrifice themselves to save humanity. However, the Druun have now returned, andRaya’s must find the last dragonto help her save the human race yet again.
Raya (in Malay, meaning ‘celebration’) is voiced byKelly Marie Tran, known for her role as Rose Tico in the recentStar Warsfilms. In the entirety of the franchise, Rose is the first Asian American woman to have a prominent role. The last dragon, Sisu, is voiced by Awkwafina, known for her roles inThe Farewell, andCrazy Rich Asians. The setting forRaya and the Last Dragonis fictional, but the animators were taken on research trips to places such as Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam in order to draw inspiration.
Kumandra is split into different regions, each one with its own style and personality. It is clear that the animation team put a huge amount of research into the aesthetics of the film. From the released trailers, it is clear to see the detail and care put into the different settings, particularly the night market. It is densely packed with food, lights, boats, and people. There is even steam rising up from the different stalls, depicting the humidity that would be present in a tropical climate such as this.
Mulan, at its core, is a film about a woman who is trying to prove her value as a warrior in a country where women’s values are perceived to exist only in the domestic sense. Raya, however, is a woman who is already a respected warrior, who is now putting together a team of con artists to work together to seek out an elusive creature, in an attempt to preserve and reconcile a disconnected society. Reasonably, one could argue that the film bears a greater resemblance in its plot toOcean’s 11.
Awkwafina’s character, Sisu, certainly will be compared toMulan’s Mushu, voiced byEddie Murphy. The two actors are both also comedians and they do both play dragons, but do they really bear more resemblance to one another than they do to virtually every other Disney sidekick? Lumière fromBeauty and the Beastand Sebastian fromThe Little Mermaidhave a striking resemblance to one another, both in how they act in their respective films towards theirrespective princesses, as well as their primary role in both films, serving essentially just as comedic relief. Mushu has a similar role to these two sidekicks inMulan, whereas Sisu, has her own value, being the last living dragon. Although she will certainly bring comedy to the film, she is important to the plot beyond only that aspect.
In fact, when taking into account how similar the majority ofDisney princessmovies are, the comparisons between Raya and Mulan seem particularly unfounded. Raya appears to be more comparable to the protagonists of the filmsFrozen,Moana, or evenBravemore so than she is toMulan. To be fair, all four films are concerned with female empowerment, and the ability for a woman to save herself, instead of ultimately relying on a prince. The trailer forRaya and the Last Dragongives no indication of any romantic interest, and similarly, Elsa, Moana, and Merida, all remain independent women throughout the entirety in their films. But even Mulan ends up with a prince by the end of hers.
Ultimately, there is no real way to gauge how similarRaya and the Last Dragonwill be toMulan, until the film is released and can be watched in full. But, the question as to if there is even a point to compare the two is still present, particularly in the face of such different plots and premises. If one takes into consideration the obvious similarities in plot and structure between films such asSnow White,Cinderella, andSleeping Beauty, the similarities betweenRaya and the Last DragonandMulanseem almost negligible.
Raya and the Last Dragonis projected to be released on July 18, 2025, in theatres and on Disney Plus with Premier Access.
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