Critical response Richard Roeper of
Chicago Sun-Times praised Raya for continuing the 21st century tradition of being another Disney Princess who is "a strong and independent female role model" and "a young warrior princess".
Varietys Peter Debruge also lauded Raya for representing a new form of Disney heroine: "strong, independent and more intrepid than the young men who often fill such roles in live-action movies". In his review for the
Los Angeles Times,
Justin Chang wrote that Tran voiced Raya with "pluck and determination" while also noting the character's similarities to 21st century heroines such as
Moana and
Elsa. He wrote, "Raya has more than romance or even self-actualization on her mind," adding that, "unlike them, she doesn’t even have time for a song." Johnson of the
San Francisco Chronicle said Raya brought a "fiery demeanor and righteous passion" to the film's story. Pete Hammond of
Deadline compared Raya to
Mulan, noting that both were "a singular young woman of great strength taking on impossible forces" but felt that, unlike Mulan, it was refreshing to have a film devoid of romance, which he thought was a modern way of portraying a female protagonist.
NPRs
Glen Weldon called Raya, "the most compelling, most sympathetic and most layered Disney princess in the company's long history", noting her trust issues, complexity and flawed character. Aja Romano of
Vox described Raya as a "wonderful protagonist, easily one of my favorite Disney princesses by a mile", noting the similarity to
Korra from the
Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise and praising her rivalry with Namaari.
Den of Geek writer David Crow appreciated Raya for being a heroine displaying intelligence, humour and flaws, feeling that it was a huge leap from the typical Disney heroine who wears a long gown and needs the help of a male sidekick.
Forbes staff writer Scott Mendelson regarded Raya's characterisation as "brave, strong, flirtatious, witty and in control of her own destiny and her own desires" but considered this representation of an "unconventional" Disney princess to be the same Disney formula since
The Little Mermaid in 1989. Dale Bashir of
IGN Southeast Asia described Raya as a "pretty kickass heroine", praising her depth of emotion ranging from being resourceful to vengeful. He thought that her dynamic with Namaari sets her apart from other Disney princesses like Elsa and Moana, likening their relationship to that of
Adora and
Catra in the
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series. Writing for
Digital Spy, Gabriella Geisinger found Raya's characterisation to be "refreshing" not only for adding more diversity to the line-up of Disney princesses but also for her nuanced character, particularly her cynicism and wariness of others. Yvette Tan writing for the
BBC noted the film's Southeast Asian cultural elements and that Raya incorporates various traditional real-world elements, including wearing a hat similar to a
salakot and having a sidekick named Tuk Tuk in reference to a
rickshaw. At the same time, she questioned whether Raya could really embody South East Asia and its 670 million people. Writing for
The Atlantic, Shirley Li appreciated that the film was more culturally authentic than previous Disney films but felt that Raya's story arc was empty, describing her as a "tourist, hopscotching from kingdom to kingdom". She felt that Raya's characterisation is a shallow representation of the filmmakers' pan-cultural research and that the film's efforts to be culturally authentic "becomes little more than window dressing". Justine Calma writing for
The Verge said that Raya finally made her feel seen as Southeast Asian, having grown up watching films and television where Asian representation was rare. Kat Moon of
Time described Disney's first Southeast Asian princess as a "landmark moment" for representation but highlighted that its reception, especially in the Southeast Asian community, was mixed due to concerns over its broad depiction of Southeast Asian culture. Tran also received a positive response for voicing the character. Brian Tallerico wrote in his review for
RogerEbert.com that Tran's voice acting brought "the right mix of vulnerability and strength" to the character. Brian Truitt of
USA Today also praised Tran's voice performance writing, "She nicely navigates the character’s lighter and darker sides, though her voice works a lot better for older Raya than her younger self." In her review for
Hollywood Reporter, Inkoo Kang said Tran delivered a "pitch-perfect performance" as Raya. Benjamin Lee writing for
The Guardian commented on how the "steeliness" of Trans' performance plays off against Awkwafina's comedy and enjoyed their back and forth exchanges. Hoai-Tran Bui of
SlashFilm wrote that Tran was perfect as Raya and was impressed by the coolness of her portrayal in contrast to the rage she demonstrates in the combat scenes, which were "raw and unhinged". Bui felt that Raya would be "the favorite Disney Princess for a whole generation of Southeast Asian kids". David Fear of
Rolling Stone felt that the film's portrayal of female empowerment was even more potent with Tran voicing the character.
Accolades ==References==