'Raya and the Last Dragon' movie review: Rebuilding trust through chaos

'Raya and the Last Dragon'

Directors: Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada

Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong

Score: 4/5

If I were to say as little as possible about Raya and the Last Dragon, I would say the film evokes a sense of childhood-like innocence through its characters while pitting them against challenges that would make short work of anyone.

But that would be far too little to say, for Disney's latest animated feature not only harkens back to a more wonderful time through its animation, it also has a lesson that many of us seem to have forgotten on the road: Trusting in others to achieve a common goal.

Set in the fractured land of Kumandra, Raya and the Last Dragon is an adventure fit for all ages. It pits Raya, who is left alone in the world after mistrust claims all she holds dear, against many odds as she tries to locate the last dragon and defeat the Druun - big, purplish clouds of death and chaos.

The film is very much a character-driven story, as Raya is joined by several individuals very much like her - Captain Boun, Tong, Noi and her three monkeys broken - all broken and alone, hiding their sense of defeatedness behind a mask of toughness - as she, along with the dragon Sisu, learn what it means to be whole again, and to forgive themselves and who they thought foes, for their failures as people.

I expect the notion of trust and forgiveness will have a personal connect with several people who watch the film as it should. It tackles the very human emotions like hope, despair and anger, in a sort of way as a river flows - in a melodious blend of calm and rage. All the characters in the film feel distinctly human, for no one is very good at everything, and they all have to work together, as the dragons did, to win over destruction.

As someone who has lost the trust of others before and as someone who wishes earnestly for a way back into the fold, I can say with certainty that Raya and the Last Dragon is a film that may yet inspire at least some people to hope and learn to put their faith and trust in others as others put their faith in them. It's a long road to earning lost trust but perseverance can perhaps make it possible.