Honestly, that movie felt like sitting through a whole rollercoaster of trust issues, betrayals, magical creatures, and those emotional moments that just stay with you. From the very first scene, it set this serious tone—you know how Disney movies sometimes start all light? This one didn’t waste time. They immediately threw us into Kumandra, a land that used to be united but is now broken into tribes because of the Druun—those scary, smoky shadow monsters that turn people into stone. I remember thinking, “Ah, so this isn’t going to be your typical fun princess story.”
The first time I saw young Raya training with her dad, Chief Benja, I felt that warmth between them—he was all about trust and unity, and you could tell she looked up to him. But that trust thing? Hmm, it quickly became the biggest wound in her life. Because when they invited the other tribes for peace, Namari—this girl from Fang tribe—pretended to be her friend, and Raya, being soft-hearted, trusted her. The betrayal when Namari led the Fang soldiers to steal the dragon gem? That part stung me. Like, I felt it in my chest because you could see how badly Raya wanted to believe in friendship, only to get stabbed in the back. The gem shattered, the Druun came back, and then boom—her father sacrificed himself, turning to stone while pushing her to safety. That scene… honestly, I was misty-eyed.
At that point, the film resembled this quest-driven adventure. Raya is older, tougher 6 years later, and the hardness can be read in her eyes. No longer is she that naive girl. She rides round and round on Tuk Tuk, her huge armadillo pet that I swear is one of my favorite Disney sidekicks of all time, and she is hunting the last dragon, Sisu. When she first meets Sisu, I really laughed due to the fact that I had not expected the dragon. You would guess a legendary last dragon should be serious and wise, but Sisu was goofy, clumsy and had this pure heart. She reminded me about that friend who thinks only of the good in everyone regardless of how badly life has burned him or her. And frankly the whole story was on the relationship between Sisu trusting people and Raya distrusting them.
On their way to this country and that country they visited--Heart, Spine, Talon, Tail, Fang--they continued to gather these pieces of gems. And every country had its own atmosphere. As in Talon, they possessed that con-baby, Noi who scammed people with her band of thieving monkeys. I seriously laughed, as how could a baby be such a professional hustler? Then there came Spine, and this big threatening soldier, Tong, who happened to be a merely a poor, lonely giant. And, of course, Boun, the kid captain with his shrimp boat-- another character that I liked to smile at. It was as though Raya were creating a found family with each passing second and yet she was still harboring that mistrust somewhere inside.
But Namari continued to appear, and their quarrels? Those were intense. The two had a single rooftop chase and I was literally holding my breath. You could feel the rage behind the blows of Raya, as though she was not only fighting Namari with her flesh, she was fighting a side of herself that once believed in trust and was broken because of it. And Sisu, who had always been determined to help Raya realize that people could change, continued to urge her to give Namari another opportunity. That stress actually struck me since I could understand that feeling I have experienced situations in life when forgiveness or trusting someone was unbearable.
The climax… oh my God. And that waterfall scene when Namari and Raya had a final word with the pieces of the gem and Sisu was in the middle of it? I actually thought that my heart broke when Namari killed Sisu by accident. It was the worst thing Raya ever feared to happen: trust is the beginning of destruction. And when the Druun swallowed it all it was so hopeless. That was so powerful that in that final moment when Raya made the decision to trust Namari, despite all that transpired by giving her the last jewel piece. It was almost as though she was living what her father had said. And the rest, after her, allowing themselves to turn to stone in succession, was none too good.
And when Namari finally reassembled the gem and it succeeded, the Druun disappearing, people returning to flesh and blood, Sisu coming back, it was that sort of relief that nearly leaves you crying and laughing at the same time. It was amazing to see all the lands reunite, families embrace once again, Raya with her dad again- I really had chills.
What made me vulnerable about this movie is how much it mirrors real life. Trust is so hard after betrayal. Sometimes, it feels safer to keep your guard up forever. But Raya and the Last Dragon kept whispering this uncomfortable truth—that unity, friendship, and peace are only possible when we risk being vulnerable again. Watching Raya hand over that gem piece to Namari, I thought of my own times when I struggled to forgive or give someone another chance. It’s scary. But it’s also freeing.
By the end, I wasn’t just entertained—I felt like the movie had peeled something in me open. Like, beyond the action, the cool dragon magic, and the humor, it really sat me down and asked, “Who are you when it comes to trust? Can you open your hand instead of clenching your fist?” And honestly, that hit deeper than I expected from an animated film.
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