Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) is on a mission to find the last dragon in the belief that it will help save the splintered kingdom of Kumandra. On her journey she will find ally’s that will join her pursuit to reunite the kingdom. 

Disney’s world of Kumandra is fantastic. In a flashback we get to see an evil presence called the Druun threaten the land by turning its denizens to stone before the mythical dragons sacrifice themselves to save humanity. This act of kindness left behind the dragon stone which now resides in the land of Heart where Raya is being taught the ways of the ninja by her father in order to protect it. But the other lands known as Fang, Spine, Talon and Tail are jealous that Heart gets to keep such a treasure and a betrayal will lead to the return of the Druun and the start of Raya’s quest. 

In a very short space of time the film sets up a rich and vibrant fantasy world only slightly removed from our own. It is a brilliant feat in a fantastic film. Raya will go on to find a mythical dragon named Sisu (Awkwafina) and other friends in her journey across the land. 

The entire piece is wonderful. The animation is glorious, the characters feel multi layered and serve their story purpose well, it is funny and it has a message about trust and division that we probably all need to learn right now. The voice cast is also perfect throughout. Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina are joined by Gemma Chan, Isaac Wang, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong and Sandra Oh in a cast that help achieve the wonder required. 

Absolutely brilliant.