Raya And The Last Dragon's Super Bowl Teaser Is All Sorts Of Magical
For companies of all stripes, the Super Bowl is the event where they go all out creating ads to wow viewers and get them excited for the Next Big Thing. For Walt Disney Animation Studios, that big thing is undoubtedly the upcoming feature film Raya and the Last Dragon. The movie is being released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ on March 5, which is now right around the corner. Disney used its expensive chunk of time during the big game to get fans hyped for that release date with an exciting new 30-second teaser.
Raya and the Last Dragon follows the journey of the eponymous Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, who will reportedly be a Disney princess unlike any other), a young woman who lives in a world torn apart by political division and supernatural threats. Kumandra was once a land of unity, with even humans and dragons cohabiting peacefully. But a cataclysmic event led the dragons to sacrifice themselves to save the world. Now, Raya is setting out to save Kumandra from the encroaching threat of the evil Druun by tracking down the last remaining dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina). The fantasy world of the film was inspired by the culture and mythology of Southeast Asia, specifically countries such as Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Indonesia, a first for Disney.
This latest teaser from Super Bowl LV gives a quick and thrilling look at the magical goodies Raya and the Last Dragon has in store.
The Raya and the Last Dragon Super Bowl spot highlights the movie's thrills and humor
As can be expected from a Super Bowl commercial, the 30-second Raya and the Last Dragon teaser is heavy on action and features many quick glimpses of the movie's awe-inspiring set pieces, but there were also moments that illuminated the characters and story.
One of the most intriguing moments comes toward the beginning, when Raya introduces viewers to the problems facing Kumandra. While she asks, "How did this world get so broken?" we see several people fighting for a grip on a blue glowing orb. The orb drops and shatters, releasing a vast wave of energy across the world. Previous trailers have highlighted how divided the people of Kumandra are, and this latest teaser appears to show the event that led to those fractures.
There's also a taste of the kind of good, old-fashioned Disney sidekick humor Awkwafina will bring to the part of Sisu. In one scene from the teaser, we see Raya trying to swing herself and Sisu across a chasm using her extendable sword. After Raya hooks the sword in the ceiling above, she yells, "Hold on!" and jumps, only to quickly slam to a halt. Sisu sheepishly says, "Oh, we were doing a jumpy thing. So sorry. My Bad," and reveals that she missed the memo on exactly what to hold on to.
It looks like Disney fans are in for a real treat when Raya and the Last Dragon premieres on March 5.