Disney’s first teaser trailer gave us an introduction to their new heroine, but didn’t give much away. In the new trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon, released yesterday, we uncovered more about Raya and Sisu (the last dragon on Kumandra) and their journey to restore peace to the land.
After searching for six years, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) finally discovers Sisu, the titular last dragon. When we first meet Sisu (Awkwafina) in the trailer, she is belittling herself, comically comparing herself to “that one kid [in a group project] who didn’t pitch in as much, but still ended up with the same grade.” Hopefully Disney will give her a compelling character arc where she can prove that she can help Raya on her journey.
We meet a number of other characters, including Raya’s father (Daniel Dae Kim), her nemesis (Gemma Chan) and a mismatched group determined to help Raya in her resolve for peace—a scary-looking giant donning an eyepatch and a “con-baby” who we see at the beginning of the trailer, in a rapid chase sequence after he steals something from her.
The ongoing theme throughout the trailer is trust. Raya fears that the world is broken, so she can’t trust anybody, to which Sisu replies “maybe the world is broken because you don’t trust anyone.” Completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film’s theme of characters coming together to do what’s right provides a powerful sentiment during a time when the world has become united through the pandemic.
As Raya’s people have been at war for a long time, the action-packed trailer is filled to the brim with conflict and fights—something that hasn’t been seen since Mulan. Raya remarks that she isn’t the only one looking for the dragon and the trailer shows Raya in a number of battle scenes on her journey. Once found, Raya is seen in a series of shots fighting with her nemesis, as she wants the dragon. Whilst we are still unsure to why she wants the dragon, it is clear that both characters will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Ladened with Disney humour and a strong female protagonist, for which Disney has become known for in recent years, Raya and the Last Dragon will be released on 5 March wherever cinemas are open. From this date, it will be available through Premier Access on Disney+, where viewers can rent the film for $30/£20 on top of the existing subscription fee, the same way Mulan was released last year.
Words by Emily Shepherd
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