‘The Art of Raya and the Last Dragon’ Book Review

Category: Books and Music

 

The Disney/Pixar film Raya and the Last Dragon is a beautiful display of artistry that goes along with the entertaining story and of course, a good message. The book “The Art of Disney Raya and the Last Dragon” brings back all the enchantment of the movie.

As Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs, and John Ripa state in the Forward, “The film you see is the result of the talent, craft, expertise, and, most of all, commitment of so many.” In these pages are the results of all of those elements that went into creating the movie.

The book includes concept art that viewers have not seen. There are also images of areas inside the lands that are fleshed out more so readers can see a more in-depth view of the buildings as well as the landscape and the characters.

Besides the wonderful art, this hardcover has details about the story, the characters, and the film. There are some great inside stories that lend themselves to the enjoyment of the movie. And it is a completely enjoyable movie that brings some fun characters to the screen as well as a new Disney heroine.

I always love these books because they open up a new window into the films. The movies are brought back through the pages and each page is worthy of attention.

The movie is colorful and all those beautiful colors are on these pages with the allure of the Southeast Asian cultures. The story takes place in a fictional land, but the imagery is definitely Asian-inspired. The book opens with a synopsis of the story then delves into the characters with insights and imagery.

Storyboards are usually how films begin, and that is true for animated films as well as live-action movies. Looking at these images and getting in depth information about how the characters came to life is just part of the fun of these books.

The world the movie encompasses is vast with beautiful landscapes and an interesting city. Looking at the pages, the whole world is brought to the readers in a way that is not only a great adjunct to the film, but also an education into the making of this film.

If you liked the movie, and most people who see it really love it, or you are simply interested in how animation is created, then this is a book to have in your library. As a matter of fact, it is a nice coffee table book for visitors to look at.  The story and the characters are enticing and add a new chapter (no pun intended) to the Disney/Pixar catalog.

Raya and the Last Dragon is a visually stunning film and this book adds greatly to the charm of the story and the movie itself.

Parents can read the information to their kids and look at the pictures together. This can lead to further discussions about the story and the characters. It’s a good bedtime experience and maybe your child will dream of the colorful world of Kumandra.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.