#The last dragon movie refrence movie#
Sure, their motivations may be a little basic (what is a Disney movie without a dead, missing, or incapacitated parent?), but they nevertheless remain individuals in their own right. There are so many characters here and you are invested in each and every one of their backstories. (When they actually get it right.) The writing in this movie is beyond reproach. (Not that I am calling for some kind of “Konfrontasi” or anything to reunite the Nusantara.)įor me, Raya was a great example of what Disney does best. If stories like this serve one purpose, it is as a reminder of just how much we share. UA: Which speaks volumes to who we are as a region doesn’t it? We’re cut from the same cloth, we share so much in common – culture, religion, traditions – and yet we spend all our time arguing over who batik belongs to. In the world of Raya and the Last Dragon, these five clans, and that is quite a thing to hear when considering the history of Southeast Asia. It wasn’t important that one group of people wore batik and had wayang kulit. Even while watching it I kept finding myself thinking about those questions. When the first images were released, I did the shallow thing of wondering which of the different groups of people reflected and represented the different countries of this region. I have to admit, ever since it was announced that Disney was making an animated movie, written by a Malaysian-born screenwriter, I was both excited and apprehensive. Raya and the Last Dragon, however, does a wonderful job of sidestepping the mythological landmines by creating a new world, populated by fictional people, but using culturally specific design details to tell a universal story. (Or in the case of the live action movie, rehashing it in order to make money in China.) It never delves past the warrior woman story to appreciate – or even acknowledge – the cultural context. It is the retelling of a Chinese myth/story for the American public. I love it.īY: And Mulan is a perfect example of a superficial nod to another culture. When you use them to create whole new worlds. When you take these incredibly specific stories and adapt them into something universal. This was a movie made by people who put in the time, who painstakingly crafted a world with a deep and rich mythology, who created characters that are relatable and fun, and who did so by tapping into the legends, lores, and traditions of this part of the world.įor me, this is the best kind of cultural homage. I know we live in the age of streaming, but to effectively “dump” this on Disney+, is to not afford it the same respect as say Black Widow for example. And this is a movie that deserves that respect. UA: Which is why I think Disney should have waited. To see things you recognize as being something of our own, in a Disney movie, is pretty effin’ cool. This could be an unforgettable experience for a young Asian kid. This is a great story wrapped up in so many little Southeast Asian details that to not give the movie the chance to play on a big screen, to not be able to experience it on that scale, would be absolutely unfortunate. The sound design is great, the character animation is beautiful, and to watch that in any other way would be such a shame.Īlso, I echo your statement about how this is a movie for the kids, but not in a bad way. There are beautiful water droplets, and fire, and grass, and sand, and dust. (I don’t care how big your TV, or that silly projector you bought from Lazada is, watching it in theaters is still a different experience.) There’s such lushness in every scene that to watch it on the small screen just wouldn’t do it any justice. While I do think that this is a movie you should watch on the big screen, I also believe that there is a lot for parents to think about at the moment with the pandemic and all the COVIDiots around. This is the kind of movie that needs to be watched with other people.īahir Yeusuff: I agree and I disagree. This is the kind of movie that’ll have them fighting on the car ride home over who gets to be Raya. This is precisely the kind of movie you want your kids to watch on the big screen. It is epic in scale, it is gorgeous to look at, it has some of the best worldbuilding I have seen come out of Disney in a long time, and it is incredibly moving. Raya and the Last Dragon was made for the cinema. But the first one is that it is an absolute travesty that so many people, kids especially, aren’t going to be able to experience it on the big screen. Umapagan Ampikaipakan: I have a lot of thoughts about this movie.