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Raya and the Last Dragon
Movie

Raya and the Last Dragon

2021 • Unknown

Woke Score
4
out of 10

Plot

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.

Overall Series Review

Raya and the Last Dragon is a visually stunning fantasy quest centered on the theme of trust and unity. The world of Kumandra is fractured due to the self-interest and distrust of its people, allowing an evil force, the Druun, to turn people to stone. Raya, a warrior princess, must overcome her deep-seated cynicism to find the last dragon, Sisu, and reassemble a broken magical gem to save her father and her world. The plot's primary focus is a universal moral lesson: a community's inability to trust and forgive each other is the root of its own destruction. While the film intentionally elevates a non-Western, Southeast Asian-inspired culture and centers strong female characters in leadership roles, the core conflict does not rely on themes of intersectional privilege or civilizational self-hatred. The villain is a non-sentient spiritual plague, not a person or a system. The story promotes objective moral goods like self-sacrifice and communal trust as the pathway to redemption, and male characters are generally portrayed as protective and competent, not as incompetent foils to the female hero.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics4/10

The film centers on a fantasy world inspired by Southeast Asian cultures, providing a non-Western focus for the entire cast. The plot conflict is entirely internal to the Kumandran people (inter-tribal), not a critique of 'whiteness' or Western power dynamics. Diversity is present through non-white representation, but the narrative does not lecture on privilege or systemic oppression based on immutable characteristics.

Oikophobia2/10

The narrative does not exhibit hostility toward its own civilization. The goal of the hero, Raya, is to restore the past ideal of a united Kumandra, viewing the ancestors and their dragon allies as a moral high point. The fault is placed squarely on the present generation's failure to trust, not a fundamental corruption of their heritage or institutions.

Feminism6/10

Raya is a highly skilled warrior, a classic 'Girl Boss' figure who carries the entire burden of the quest and actively rejects traditional romantic subplots. The main rivalry and relationship dynamic is between two female characters, Raya and Namaari. Raya's father is a loving and competent leader, and the male companion figures are supportive and distinct, preventing a universal emasculation of men, but the focus remains strongly on female autonomy and prowess.

LGBTQ+2/10

The film contains no explicit or overt messaging regarding sexual identity, alternative sexualities, or gender ideology. The core relationships are familial (father-daughter) and platonic (friendship/rivalry). Any reading of 'queer' themes is entirely subtextual interpretation of the intense female rivalry, not an explicit element centered by the narrative.

Anti-Theism2/10

The story's conflict is resolved through an act of profound self-sacrifice and mutual trust among the characters, aligning with a transcendent moral principle of collective good over selfish distrust. The dragon magic serves as a revered, benevolent spiritual element. The film acknowledges a higher moral law necessary for salvation and does not demonize religion or religious figures.