Raya and the Last Dragon
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: March 5, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 48 Critic Reviews
Positive:
38
Mixed:
10
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The AtlanticShirley LiNov 1, 2022
The spectacle of a fantasy world can do only so much; a beautiful setting can’t compensate for a superficial story line. Raya loses sight of its heroine’s own connection to the cultures that the filmmakers had put so much care into depicting authentically. Read full review
60
NMEPuah ZiweiNov 1, 2022
For better or for worse, Raya And The Last Dragon is not your traditional Disney princess story. It ambitiously tries to subvert those tropes by going against the grain with a dark narrative about human mortality and selfishness. But the film forgets storytelling fundamentals, instead jumping the gun with a mishmash of influences that leads to an uneven plot and unsatisfying finale. Read full review
60
VoxAja RomanoMar 11, 2021
Raya is a gorgeous, accessible film, with engaging characters, a winning heroine, and sumptuous animation from start to finish. It’s a film you’ll want to look at again and again, and its story will hold up fairly well on repeat viewing. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesTara BradyMar 5, 2021
It’s good fun. The critters are cute. The landscapes are burnt orange dystopian or pretty and pink. The action sequences – some utilising the Philippines’ national martial art, arnis – are staged with aplomb. The central conceit, however, feels unwieldy. Read full review
60
The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaMar 4, 2021
The unity rhetoric feels awfully trite, but it also teaches forgiveness: a worthy lesson for the kids. Read full review
60
The GuardianBenjamin LeeMar 2, 2021
While some of the beats might be a little too predictable and while the emotional wallop at the end might be more of a gentle tap, Raya and the Last Dragon works for the most part, a charming, sweet-natured YA-leaning adventure that acts as proof that Disney needs to focus on moving forward rather than continuing to look back. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 1, 2021
A lot of the storytelling is clumsy, rushed or inelegant, but the movie’s timely message of unity and trust still resonates because the filmmakers figured out such a satisfying ending — albeit one that ties things up a little too neatly: so much world-building in service of a one-off. Is this overloaded origin story really the last we’ll see of “The Last Dragon”? Read full review
60
ScreenCrushMatt SingerMar 1, 2021
The many similarities between Raya and Mulan and Moana suggest that Disney’s honed in on a new formula for their fairy tales, one that emphasizes (to borrow a phrase from a television series that anticipated the appetite for these kinds of stories) warrior princesses. In this case, at least, the formula works. Read full review
58
ConsequenceLauren J. CoatesMar 1, 2021
Though Raya and the Last Dragon is a visual and audible spectacle anchored by an all-star cast, the film’s lack of originality and paper-thin characters leave it on the less memorable end of Disney animated films. Read full review
50
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottMar 3, 2021
Raya isn’t without its formulaic plot points, predictable turns or lazy dialogue. Still, on the whole, it’s a reasonably diverting family-friendly showcase for Disney’s characteristic blend of humor, heart and artistry. Read full review
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