SUBMITTED BY: ASHLEY A.

SORIANO
21ST CENTURY

1. MOVIE CRITIQUE

The animated Disney movie “Raya and the Last Dragon” was
released in cinemas last year March 2021, and I have watched it a year after,
February 2022, and it was the best animated film that I watched so far. Tell
from the way movie presents its animation is similarly to the reality. We may
not have dragons, but we certainly have evil force that drives people to their
destruction.
Raya and the Last Dragon is an epic Southern Asian animation film set
in the old, civilized realm of "Kumandra," which was eventually divided into five
regions. I think its concept was derived from the Pangea-like supercontinent,
which was after a million years, split into seven continents. But, unlike
Pangea, Kumandra was divided out of petty greed of acquiring the orb created
by dragons to fend of the Druun or the evil force that multiply as they turn
human into stone after consuming its life. The five regions were once united
with the dragons but then something bad happened. The dragons were
conquered by the evil force after sacrificing their selves making the orb to
protect humans from the Druun. After 500 years, the dragons became legend.
Raya is the protagonist of the movie and she’s a princess warrior who
sought for the last dragon in the hopes of restoring the orb that would bring
back her father and her people. From the way she looks, starting from her
black hair, skin color, and eyes, you can clearly tell that she was indeed an
Asian. Her obsession to dragon was one of the reasons why she ends up saving
the entire humanity. I can’t tell how many obstacles got into her way but still,
despite all of it, she didn’t give up. In the end, all of her hardships paid off.
According to the writer of the story, the five regions was inspired by the
beautiful cultures of Southeast Asia, and I can tell that the animation was able
to portray it perfectly. The characters were able to fill their roles as the writer
wants it to be. The message was clearly delivered and that is being different is
normal. We can still live in peace and harmony despite our differences through
unity.
 2. PLOT

Kumandra were once a paradise where people live harmoniously with the
dragon, until an unexpected event happened. Druun came and spreads like
wildfire conquering the life of the dragons and human, turning it to a stone.
Sisu, the dragon, was able to drive away the Drunn after creating the orb in
replace of its life. The people who turn into stone turn back into life, but not
the dragons. Now that the dragons disappeared, people being people, instead of
uniting they end up fighting for the remnants of Sisu, the orb. Kumandra was
divided into five regions, namely Heart, where the orb is being protected, Tail,
Fang, Talon, and Spine. 500 years after, Raya came into the story, their region,
Heart, held a feast inviting all the other four regions when she was still a child.
With that, she found a friend whom with the same age as her, but then ends
up betraying her. The regions fought for the orb and break it into pieces.
Druun was once again come alive. Every region takes a piece of the orb and ran
for their life. 6 years later, Raya was back with the mission of finding the last
dragon in the hopes of restoring the orb and her father that turn into stone the
day the feast was held. She did find the dragon, and it was Sisu. They traveled
the four regions together to complete the piece of the orb and they also found
friends along the way. At the end of the movie, they all did it together because
of the trust they have in each other. The Five regions were once united again
and become a Kumandra.

3. FORMS AND GENRE/S

The literary form of Raya and the Last Dragon is a novel, and the literary
genres are fiction, fantasy, action, and adventure.