Released in 2021, Raya and the Last Dragon is Disney’s foray into Southeast Asian-inspired fantasy. We’re in the land of Kumandra, which used to be a utopia where humans and dragons lived in harmony. Then the Druun—essentially purple smoke monsters that represent mindless consumption and hatred—showed up and started turning everyone into stone.

The dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity, leaving behind a gem. Fast forward 500 years: humans have split into five warring tribes (Fang, Heart, Spine, Tail, and Talon), the gem gets shattered because everyone is greedy, and the Druun are back. Raya, the princess of the Heart tribe, spends six years wandering the wasteland to find the legendary "last dragon," Sisu, to help her fix the world.

It’s not hard to see why this one sticks. First off, Tuk Tuk. He’s a giant pill-bug-armadillo hybrid that Raya rides like a motorcycle. It’s high-tier creature design.

Beyond the cute sidekicks, the movie feels like a video game in the best way. Raya is a legitimate warrior—her fight choreography is inspired by Pencak Silat and Arnis (traditional Southeast Asian martial arts)—and the quest structure (collecting the pieces of the broken gem) feels very familiar to any kid who spends time in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Genshin Impact.

Then there’s Sisu, the dragon. Voiced by Awkwafina, she’s essentially the "funny best friend," but with a twist. She’s not a powerful, all-knowing deity; she’s kind of a goofball who believes in the best of everyone, even when it’s objectively a bad idea. Kids relate to that tension between wanting to be "cool and guarded" like Raya and "open and silly" like Sisu.

We talk a lot about "digital wellness" and "screen time," but the real work of parenting in 2026 is helping our kids navigate a world that feels increasingly polarized and cynical. Raya and the Last Dragon hits this head-on.

The movie’s central thesis is that the world is broken because we don't trust each other, but we can't trust each other because the world is broken. It’s a classic Catch-22. Raya has a very valid reason to be a loner—she tried to be inclusive as a kid and it resulted in her father being turned to stone and her world ending.

For parents, this is a great opening to talk about how we treat people in our own "tribes" (school, sports teams, online gaming groups) versus how we treat "the others." In a world of "Ohio" memes and "skibidi" nonsense where kids are constantly trying to figure out who is "in" and who is "out," Raya’s struggle to bridge the gap with her rival, Namaari, is actually pretty profound.

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While this is a Disney movie, it’s definitely on the "intenseness" level of The Dragon Prince or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The Druun are genuinely scary. They don't have faces; they are just swirling voids that "consume" people. If your little one is sensitive to "creepy" imagery or the idea of parents disappearing (the "stone" transformation is effectively death/stasis), you might want to co-watch this one. The action is fast-paced, but there’s no blood or gore.

This is the sweet spot. They’ll appreciate the world-building and the complex relationship between Raya and Namaari. This age group is also starting to deal with "frenemies" and social betrayal at school, making the movie’s themes very relevant.

Teens might find Sisu’s humor a bit "cringe" (it’s very 2021-era millennial humor), but the political subtext of Kumandra—how fear leads to isolationism—is actually sophisticated enough for a high schooler to appreciate if they can get past the "it's a cartoon" barrier.

Let’s be real: Sisu can be a lot. If you aren’t a fan of Awkwafina’s specific brand of raspy, fast-talking comedy, she might grate on your nerves about thirty minutes in. There are moments where the movie feels like it’s trying a bit too hard to be "hip" for the kids.

Also, the ending is controversial among some parents. Without spoiling too much, the movie argues that someone has to take the first step to trust, even if it’s dangerous. Some critics argue this is a "naive" message—that it tells kids to trust people who have repeatedly hurt them.

However, I’d argue that’s exactly why it’s a good movie for intentional parents. It doesn't offer a "magic" solution. It shows that rebuilding trust is messy, terrifying, and requires you to put your own safety at risk. It’s a much better lesson than the standard "villain falls off a cliff and everything is fixed" ending we see in The Lion King.

If you’re looking to turn movie night into a bit of a "stealth" teaching moment (without being a buzzkill), try these questions in the car the next day:

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Raya and the Last Dragon is one of the better "modern" Disney movies. It avoids the annoying "twist villain" trope that plagued movies like Frozen and instead gives us a story about how hard it is to actually be a good person when everyone around you is scared.

It’s not "brain rot." It’s a high-quality, culturally rich epic that respects your kid's intelligence. Put it on, grab some popcorn, and maybe be ready to explain that no, you cannot buy a real-life Tuk Tuk.