🎬 Raya 2 – The Last Dragon War (2025)
Chaos and Chuckles: Raya 2 Unleashes Don Hall’s Dragon War
Raya 2 – The Last Dragon War, hypothetically released June 20, 2025, by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is a $180 million sequel that might’ve grossed $600 million worldwide, per speculative trends akin to Moana 2’s $1 billion haul. Directed by Don Hall (co-director of the original), with a script by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, it stars Kelly Marie Tran as Raya, now Kumandra’s guardian, facing a rogue dragon clan led by Quynh (Woody Harrelson), threatening the Dragon Gem’s peace. Awkwafina’s Sisu, Gemma Chan’s Namaari, and new voices—Ron Yuan’s General Yin, Veronica Ngo’s Yang—join a 107-minute war shot digitally with Southeast Asian vistas. Imagine a Golden Globe nod chasing Moana 2’s wake.
The chaos ignites—dragon fire razes Spine, Quynh’s “We rule the skies” vow shatters unity, per a teaser’s ash-strewn skies. Hall escalates Raya 1’s stakes—Kumandra’s tribes fracture as dragons turn foe, a How to Train Your Dragon twist with Avatar’s sweep. Chuckles cut through—Sisu’s “I’m not fireproof!” yelp, Raya’s “Trust me now?” jab at Namaari—balancing the blaze, per a Variety “epic yet fun” nod. Critics might peg Rotten Tomatoes at 75%, Metacritic 68/100—praising scale, panning rush. X posts could roar “Sisu’s back!” or hiss “Too crowded.” A post-Moana 2 summer slot leverages Disney’s animation surge, per Forbes trends.
The pacing’s a tempest—Raya’s council scene surges into aerial clashes, Quynh’s lair a fiery crux, per Hollywood Reporter speculation. With a budget dwarfing Raya 1’s $100 million, it’s chaos with soul—chuckles amid war cries—a dragon war that might’ve soared or stumbled in Disney’s sequel spree.
Woody Harrelson’s Quynh snarls—“Kumandra’s mine”—a gravelly menace, per LA Times. Ron Yuan’s Yin and Veronica Ngo’s Yang, Raya’s generals, bark orders—Izaac Wang’s Boun, now older, quips “Still cooking!”—while Daniel Dae Kim’s Benja advises via spirit, per ScreenRant. Chuckles flare—Sisu’s “Scales don’t bend,” Boun’s “Dragon BBQ?”—weaving levity into havoc. The Guardian might laud “Tran’s fire,” X split: “Woody’s epic” vs. “Namaari’s stale.” They’re the war’s wild pulse—fierce, funny, fraught.
Visually and sonically, Raya 2 is a chaotic roar, a Hall spectacle. Eric Warren Singer’s animation—Kumandra’s skies swirl, Quynh’s lair glows red—stuns, per Cinematography World. Chaos peaks—dragon wings shred clouds, gem shards pulse—shot with $70 million VFX, per Forbes. Talon’s neon boats, Spine’s ash cliffs dazzle—Letterboxd’s “visual feast”—though NY Times might jab “CGI gloss.” Hall’s Big Hero 6 flair shines—every frame a battle hymn.
James Newton Howard’s score—drums thunder, “Dragon War” wails—lifts, per Soundtrack World. Sound design—wings flap, fire cracks—grips, per Rolling Stone’s “immersive.” Chuckles hum—Sisu’s “Oops, wrong dragon!” mid-flight—amid chaos, per BBC vibe. Songs by Jhené Aiko (“Trust the Dragons”) falter—Variety’s “meh”—and VFX overreach, per Collider. Still, it’s a sensory clash—war’s harmony, chuckles in the din.
Raya 2’s strength is its chaotic ambition—a dragon epic with bite. Tran’s “steely” Raya (Time), Harrelson’s threat, and Hall’s vision gleam; Roger Ebert might give 3.5/4 for “bold scope.” Stakes—Kumandra’s fall, dragon kin—pulse, per Empire’s “thrilling.” Chuckles—Sisu’s “War’s bad for my scales,” Yin’s “Move it!”—lift a 2025 summer post-Moana 2, per Box Office Mojo trends. A $600 million haul could top Encanto’s $256 million, X buzzing “Raya slays”—a franchise flare.
Weaknesses claw. The plot’s “busy” (Variety), new dragons muddy—LA Times’s “overstuffed.” Pacing stumbles—Metacritic’s 68/100 flags “rushed”—and heart thins, per NY Times’s “loud.” Still, its 107 minutes grip; Rolling Stone’s “solid” fits 7.5/10—epic, uneven. Legacy? A Disney gamble—Raya 3 whispers—per The Numbers. For fans or dragon lovers, it’s a must; a war that roars but rarely rests.
