Moana (I) (2016) User Reviews

Beautiful in every sense, Moana will soften even the hardest of hearts

[akarmiotis-94922 · 9/10 · 5 March 2017]

Moana is a return to the classic Disney formula, the clichés and characters ripped from a number of other animated films. However, the pure beauty and skill of the production rises the old story into new heights.

Following from the success of Zootropolis, Moana follows a more traditional narrative we know and love; the princess who wishes for something more and is whisked on a supernatural adventure. We know this story so well yet Moana seems fresh and thrilling as if the plot was innovative. Perhaps this is due to the Polynesian setting or the morally ambiguous Maui, played perfectly by Dwayne Johnson, but most likely it is it the simple magic of Disney – the wonder for both children and adults has reached its peak with the perfection of the classic formula. For once, the clichés make the film more enjoyable. The quality of the animation helps too: it's clear they have reached the pinnacle of blending realistic textures with stylised designs, creating an aesthetic beauty that few other companies can match – Disney have mastered water to the point it looks better animated than in real life! Even the music has been perfected here, the annoying catchiness of Frozen's tunes replaced by memorable but effective songs that fit the culture and setting of our adventure. A childlike warmth was awakened in me and many other adult members of the audience as the film brought the emotional highs of the Disney renaissance without the modern subversion of the classic tropes. While Moana sometimes threatens this with pop culture references, the film thankfully keeps to mostly traditional values and morals; a step above many children's animated films released today.

Moana is good, old fashioned Disney magic; the traditional narrative and morals updated with stellar animation and an awareness that's effective but never overpowering enough to threaten the integrity of the Disney formula.

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what a delight!

[snperera · 8/10 · 8 February 2017]

Wow, what a great great movie! The visuals in this movie are breathtaking!! They are so gorgeous! But, besides the visuals there is such a heart and imagination and creativity to this movie. Moana is such a likable, smart, and relatable person. the voice work for Moana is so sweet and so good. The chemistry between Moana and Maui is so great and so natural. The songs in this movie are so charming, catchy and fun! But, How Far I'll Go is such an emotional song and it has such heart...I dare say I like it a little more than Let It Go! The way Moana sings it and you can feel it!! Wow, I just looved this movie and it is great for kids and adults. I will always love it and I wanna see it again!

One of the best Disney movies in recent years.

[mjsharples · 8/10 · 3 August 2022]

The movie is still one of the best modern Disney movies. Its a real pleasure to watch with the kids. My daughter especially enjoys the Polynesian style and the catchy songs..even when i sing then out of tune. Worth a watch and a revisit from time to time.

One of the best modern Disney films

[ayers-timothy · 10/10 · 24 February 2020]

Like most adults, I came to view this film as a result of having two small children. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the film, and my kids loved it.

Let me start by saying that the original music for the film was outstanding. When watching Disney, you expect it to be good, but the soundtrack is amazing. The animation in the film was also what you'd expect from Disney...superb.

Now as far as the plot goes. You have a heroine, and what I feel is the first real heroine in all of the animated films that I've watched. Most films make a forced effort to show girls that they can also excel and be whoever they choose. Moana takes a girl, who's also a princess by the way but an ordinary one, and allows her to truly explore, achieve, and save the world not through magic, extraordinary power or luck, but through hard work and perseverance. She is real. Maui is also the perfect comic relief and the Rock does an excellent job in this roll.

My kids want to watch it again and so do I.

Animation at its best! Now Officially one of my Favorite Movies!

[SCI_FI_NERD · 29 December 2017]

As an individual double majoring in Computer Science and Creative Writing (with a focus on screenplays) I have to say that Moana was one of the best Disney Movies that I have ever watched! In fact, I was astonished by its storyline along with its animations that it became one of my favorite movies and ended up buying my own Moana doll for Christmas!

SPOILERS: In particular, I truly enjoyed the scenes where Moana gained the confidence to go out there and voyage into the sea even though her dad Tui wanted her to focus on being the chief for her people. The first time she went out didn't end so well (I was laughing so hard when Moana's Grandma said that whatever she did that she blamed in on the pig, Pua, which in fact, is one of the most adorable characters that Disney has ever created!), but I admire the confidence that she showed. This confidence showed me that we as individuals are truly individuals.

I also loved the scene where Maui was trying to turn into the Hawk when he and Moana were trying to get the hook from Tamatoa's shell. It was hilarious to see him turn from a fish, to a shark, then a chameleon etc, then finally back to his human form. It made it even funnier when Tamatoa was saying that Maui was having trouble with his look as he was singing "Shiny."

All and all, I can't think of anything wrong with this movie. This is one of the Disney Movies that I can watch over and over again!

7.6??

[lizlarraga · 10/10 · 6 July 2020]

Why this movie has 7.6? Y'all crazy, this is a great movie, with amazing music. Yes is not perfect portrayal of polynesian culture and that's usually never the point with Disney movies.

Visually beautiful, but problems with plot and characterization cause this movie to stumble.

[krskiff · 6/10 · 19 March 2017]

I have been largely unimpressed with Disney's recent animated movies, and many of my criticisms with them hold true with Moana. Looking back at Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia, and Frozen, it seems to me that Disney is more interested in building a visually beautiful world than building a great story. This is true with Moana. The animation is wonderful. The world is gorgeous. The story, however, is rather dull and shallow.

The world is by design fairly sparse. There aren't a lot of characters in this movie. So to make up for that, the story or the characters need to be particularly compelling. Unfortunately, they aren't.

Disney breaks no new ground with Moana's story. That isn't new for Disney, and to be fair, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Many good movies are just well-done re-imaginings of classic stories. But Moana isn't even that. At every step of the way, I couldn't shake a feeling that I'd seen it all before. The story never gripped me nor did it leave me feeling fulfilled. Thus, the film just feels empty.

If either Moana or Maui were engaging characters, this movie could have been good. Despite a good performance from Auli'i Cravalho, Moana had a very small character arc. She was not that different a person at the end of the film than she was at the beginning. For much of the film, she had very little agency of her own. The plot seemed to carry her along, rather than she driving the plot.

Maui did everything he could to cause the plot to stall. This could have been great, as his antagonistic attempts to stop the main character could have worked as the central conflict. But since Moana is rarely actually trying to move the plot forward, the conflict just seems to be her-vs-him, which is mildly interesting at best.

It's a shame. Moana could have been such a good movie. But it suffers from the same failings as most recent Disney animated ventures: wonderfully crafted world without a story worthy of that world.

Just the best!!!

[hezekiahlamet · 10/10 · 18 December 2017]

I love everything about this movie. The colors, the setting and the characters, all good to my eyes!

2016's 'Moana' is worth watching! It's a luau of a movie!

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 8 March 2018]

Set on the Polynesian islands of the South Pacific. 2016's 'Moana', explore the expedition of a young woman, Moana (Voiced by Auli'i Cravalho), who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical life-breathing relic with an island goddess, Te Fiti, when it was stolen by the Demigod Maui (Voiced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson). Without spoiling this fictional movie written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, too much; though the film heavily influenced by Polynesian's history, myths, & culture, it is not directly based on any specific native tribe like the 1926's documentary film of the same name. Instead, the film takes specific cultural elements from a variety of native Pacific groups and incorporates them into one generalized portrayal of Polynesian culture, in order to make the audience member to identity the story better. Because of that, certain critics has accuse Disney of cultural misappropriation & exploitation, suitable to spur a profitable capitalist enterprise of music, celebrities and merchandise. While, this is somewhat true. I don't think, Disney had much of a choice. They had to avoid setting off cultural taboos. It was lose-lose catch 22 situation. Somebody was bound to get offended, regardless. However, I don't think, this musical is as degrading as certain people make it out to be. It's pretty harmless, compare to other tropical musicals like 1958's 'South Pacific' whom portray its island people as ugly snake oil-sellers, hags who gives give away their really young daughters to military servicemen to screw. If anything, 'Moana' gives a more positive light. Still, some of the characters of the film were drawn, very insensitive. Maui did look like an obese "half pig half hippo" man. He did look kinda offensive. Still, much of that blame, come from the Walt Disney Animation Studios animators trying to lighten their load, by replicate the same awkward-looking art style that their 2002's animation film 'Lilo & Stich' was doing, over 14 years ago. Even back then, not a lot of people were fans of the big nose, the huge tights, oddly body structure, and alien-like eyes, type of a drawing for islanders. So, I really don't know, why they try to copy it. I guess, they wanted to focus more on other drawings like the supernatural elements designs. Even with that, those drawings also felt a little too familiar. If anything, the spirits looks like Disney recycling artwork that was previous, used in films like 2000's 'Fantasia 2000' & 2014's 'Lava'. As for animal sidekicks. As much as I love Hei Hei (Voiced by Alan Tudyk) & Pua. They really weren't needed. It did felt, unneeded animation. Despite that, at least, the island CGI background visuals for 'Moana' were breath-taking beautiful. There is no better example of that, then the 'Where you are' & 'We Know the Way', musical sequences. The other visuals like the action sequences, were equally done well. I just wish this Polynesian Prometheus/Odyssey-like fantasy story was told a little better to match the visuals. The action scenes in this film seem a bit force. Plus, it doesn't make much sense. After all, I get that, Moana was chosen by the water spirit; because how much, she cares about aquatic-life, but it doesn't explain, why the supernatural entity couldn't just do the task, itself. Nor does it explain why, the ocean tries to kill Moana with storms, sea-monsters, and lead them into conflicts with sea raiders, in the course of the film. Did the demigod actions make the ocean, bio-polar, as well? Also, what was the point of even having Maui around? He really doesn't do much; besides put Moana in danger. Let's not overlook that Maui also tried to kill Moana by locking her in a cave to die & trying to drown her in the middle of the ocean. Hero!? He's more like the villain. Another thing about the story, is that much of the flashbacks, book-reading and dream cave sequences could had been cut down in editing. All of them, felt a little too much like filler. The movie tends to repeat itself, multiply times; explaining, how Moana's people were, once- island voyagers, before Maui, cause the ocean to become too dangerous; despite the fact, the ocean, somewhat helps them. All the exposition dump come across, tiresome and very jarring. Another thing, that hurts the movie is the fact that the story of a young native princess tries to break free from the strict confines of her society by seeking out, a mysterious stranger in order to save her land, sounds a little too familiar. After all, we seen heroine's adventures like this, before, in half a dozen, Walt Disney Animation Studios films like 1995's 'Pocahontas'. Even acclaim Pixar films like 2012's 'Brave' had these well-worn elements. Don't get me wrong, it's doesn't make 'Moana' into a bad movie, but its presenting nothing, groundbreaking. In the end, this movie in a couple years, might not stand out, as much, as other films from this generation. Despite that, the movie does offer positive messages for younger viewers, about self-discovery and empowerment. And Moana herself is a great role model, demonstrating perseverance, curiosity, and courage, even when face with danger. Cravalho perform her, very well. She is a great singer and has a passable voice. As for Johnson, not so much. His performance was more mediocre, because how dial down, his personality was. However, Johnson does sings one of the catchiest songs in the movie, "You're Welcome"; which is a plus. Besides that song, the funniest song is "Shiny," sung by Jemaine Clement; which also really fun to listen to; along with the power ballad, 'How far I'll go'. All great songs, courtesy of creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. All this music, makes 'Moana' soundtrack, worth listening to. Overall: Although. 'Moana' has many big flaws. It still was entertaining. 'Moana' is truly an adventure worth sailing for. So check it out.

THE BEST DISNEY MOVIE EVER

[rufaisulaiman · 10/10 · 29 September 2020]

This is yet the best disney movie ever made, the animation, screenplay,sound and strory line is outsanding,kids love the movie, and even adults overall-10/10

Great soundtrack and visually creative but nothing much else to offer

[sulara-85171 · 6/10 · 15 December 2016]

The positives: -Great soundtrack. FROZENesque, epic, catchy monologues that repeat in your head. Added with Lion King like incomprehensible but fun tunes with a Hawaiian twist this time. -Beautiful and creative visuals. One in particular I enjoyed a lot was the UNDER underwater world where the ocean served as the sky. The striking beautiful blue/turquoise water with lush green islands were treat for the eyes -No silly, typical Disney, forced romances. -Passes the Bechdel test easily

The negatives: -Filled with clichés, unoriginal and overused themes, tropes, characters and dialogue etc.... -A lot of trouble with building engagement early on. All over the place with a lot of shifts -Annoyingly predictable, unfunny characters. Specially Maui with such cringe worthy, lame jokes. Maybe i'm too old to be amazed by easy punch lines, that end of the day are meant for kids -difficulty with tonal focus. -unnecessary, out of place scene with coconut pirates that add nothing to the story -lacked the charm and wonder i expect in a kids movie.

My rating: -5/10 -Neither original or interesting but has one or two things going for it to be not disregarded. -Compared to other animated family movies this year, I would rank this below Finding Dory but above The Secret Life of Pets.

I know that chicken ... I voted for him .... TWICE!

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 5 December 2016]

Instant classic.

Easily ranks among the best from the Disney Studio, and a very worthy successor to Mulan 1998, a similar story equally well done.

Oddly also seems to be best work ever from Dwayne Johnson, perhaps not the first name I would have associated with "voice acting," but a star turn nonetheless.

If you want to be picky -- which is the reviewer's job, after all -- the momentum slows a little at the top of the third act, but the ultimate themes of redemption, forgiveness and self-discovery at the finale are an absolute joy.

As they used to say, "for children of all ages."

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Formulated

[jonsefcik · 6/10 · 9 December 2016]

This movie was...pretty good. Its not worthy of an 8.2 average user rating (as of the time of writing this review) though. I don't wanna spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet so I won't go into much detail.

First, let me say I don't hate this movie. On a technical level this film is truly remarkable. The animation is gorgeous and some aspects of it are even photorealistic. Dwayne Johnson's voice fits Maui's character very well, and all the other voice actors were good too. Some ideas were really cool like how the water is a character and Maui's tattoos can tell stories. Some of the songs weren't bad, either. Except for that obvious "Let It Go" ripoff.

My big problem with the movie is its story. Its way too formulaic. I could predict pretty much every major plot point as the film unfolded. If you've ever seen a Disney movie, you know what's going to happen. A character loses something dear to them but it is conveniently restored later. An antagonist has a quirky song number that isn't as catchy or majestic as ones sung by the main characters. There's the quirky sidekick that serves no purpose to the plot besides being useful in one brief moment of one scene. Every character with some flawed personality trait is perfectly resolved. At one point I thought to myself "we're overdue for a musical number, aren't we?" and literally 10 seconds after I thought that, a musical number started. I could go on about various aspects that Yes, anyone who's seen the movie will tell you its somewhat self-aware, but recognizing the issue does not change the fact that it still suffers from it.

If you wanna see it, feel free to, but don't expect anyone over age 12 to have their mind blown. Yes the animation is amazing and the Polynesian setting is unique for Disney, but the story is one we've seen dozens of times before. 6.5/10

The pay-off is not worth the build-up

[ThatAnimeSnob · 4/10 · 28 December 2016]

So I watched Moana and boy, what a lazy movie it was. So full of good ideas, squandered on a passable family movie. And yes, I know it's Disney making a family movie, but it had all these ideas that would make a great story if they were taken more seriously. The premise of the movie is basically the whole world dying because of what someone did and they treat this catastrophic event as an annoyance instead of something actually serious.

The protagonist is Moana, an absolutely average Disney princess type of character that wants to say no to being stuck in a life of safety and luxury. We've seen it a thousand times by now, it's nothing that stands out or even something logical in the long run since these types of sheltered characters do not know anything about the outside world and are in effect useless on their own.

And I have to point this out about her which is one of the many things they didn't bother to clarify. Why is everybody fine with a girl being their leader? Do they have gender equality on this otherwise primitive island? If they do, they never showed it because any other leader we see in their history was a guy. Combined with how she doesn't drown 1 minute after going into the sea with zero experience further proves this movie is empowerment fantasy for little girls instead of a movie where talent and intelligence matter.

But it's OK because the scriptwriter did his worst to plot armor her from any possible danger. Because you see, the gods chose her to be the one who restores the world, thus every time she falls in water, a magical wave takes her on the boat. When she doubts her abilities, the ghosts of her ancestors appear to motivate her. She is essentially a plot device fully controlled by the plot instead of doing what she wants and facing the repercussions of her mistakes.

And if you think calling her the chosen one properly excuses all the nonsense, it doesn't because the gods make no sense. Why did they wait a thousand years to do something about a disaster that has killed most of the islands, and of all people why did they choose a little girl with no skills or experience of the outside world? They never explain it.

Do you know what else they didn't explain? Why her pet pig doesn't grow up. She begins as a little girl and grows up to a teenager, but the damn thing remains a piglet throughout the whole movie. Nobody in the production team gave a damn.

The problems don't even stop there. The first thing she has to do is find Maui, a demigod who has been stuck on a barren island for a thousand years and is the only person who can save the world. He is also the one who doomed it, so that makes sense. Also, for a guy who spent a millennium all alone without something to eat or do on a tiny island, he sure looked fine when she appeared. Disney went so safe and lazy on him that he is nothing but a cool guy who does cool things and has absolutely no sex drive, or psychological trauma for being left alone all this time.

Accompanying them on their journey is a retarded chicken. It's the most annoying comic relief animal I have seen in my life. It's not funny, it causes more trouble than aid, and they never eat it although they never seem to have enough food. How the hell did it get on the boat in the first place? Moana didn't take it with her, it just appeared out of nowhere in the secret cave nobody had been in for centuries. Nobody in the production team gave a damn.

You probably think I am being too harsh on what is supposed to be a dumb movie for kids, when I'm not since they clearly put effort in fleshing out the characters in a way that demands from the story to be better. Moana's father has a good reason for not letting her out in the sea. Maui has a good reason for why he keeps going on adventures and tries to impress the mortals. Even the villain of the movie has a reason for why she is evil. These are really good stuff, and they are ruined by the lazy script.

If the movie was like that in all its aspects, I wouldn't be bothered by it. But when you set it up in a way that obviously raises the bar like that, the disappointment multiplies when you treat your good ideas like a joke. I can easily sum up all these problems as cheap resolutions. Everything is fixed way too fast despite the problems building up for countless years. The father changed his mind way too fast and lets his daughter sail in the sea, Maui changed his mind and returned to help her without even showing us how, and the goddess forgives Maui instantly, despite causing her pain and suffering for a thousand years, as well as wiping out the life of countless islands and filling the sea with monsters. Hell, even the disease that was slowly killing the islands went away in a few seconds despite spreading slowly for centuries.

This movie is so freaking lazy. The pay-off is not worth the build-up, its ideas are not used properly, and all you end up getting is a generic Disney princess and a retarded chicken.

When it comes to sheer entertainment value and visual beauty, 'Moana' knocks it out of the park

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 13 December 2016]

Despite being a lifelong Disney fan, that is not to say that everything they've done is great. They've done many classics, their best revolutionary, though they had hit and miss periods in the 80s and the 2000s.

'Enchanted' and 'The Princess and the Frog' saw a return to form, while the likes of 'Tangled', 'Wreck It Ralph', 'Zootropolis' (aka 'Zootopia') and 'Frozen' were even better and there was a lot to like too about 'Big Hero 6'. Of the "2nd Renaissance"/"Disney Revival" period, 'Moana' is up there with the best of them and as one of Disney's best in about twenty years.

Maybe the momentum dips ever so slightly going into the final act, Maui's change of heart is a touch rushed and for me there was no real point to the pig character that induced more unintentional awkwardness than amusement. It was however difficult to fault 'Moana', because of how many things it did right and how brilliantly the things it did right were executed. There have been criticisms regarding a formulaic story, HeiHei the chicken being irritating and the portrayal of Maui being stereotypical, but these were criticisms that didn't bother me at all.

Firstly, the animation is phenomenal. Disney's best-looking film in a long time and one of their best-ever looking films, not just this but perhaps the most visually exquisite animated film this year in a year that also saw 'Your Name', 'Kubo' and 'Zootropolis' and even one of the year's best-looking films. The attention to detail is impossible to fault, whether it's the water, the trees or even Maui's tattoos, while the colours just pop out at you and everything is immaculately detailed with not an ounce of artificiality in the backgrounds, further boasting visually stunning sequences such as the climax, "We Know the Way", "Shiny" and with the coconut pirates.

The soundtrack has garnered a huge amount of praise, and for good reason. Love the evocative orchestration and instrumentation, with its seamless blend of South Pacific Culture, pop and Broadway. Likewise with the songs, which are along with 'Frozen' the best and most consistent set of songs from a Disney film since 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'. "How Far I'll Go" is an "I want" sort of song that's infectious, heartfelt and inspiring. "You're Welcome" sees Dwayne Johnson showing a quite wide range of emotions through a surprisingly good singing voice. "Shiny" is deliciously kooky and like something that David Bowie would be proud of, Jemaine Clement sings the heck out of it. "We Know the Way" sends chills up the spine.

Scripting-wise, 'Moana' encompassed a wide emotional range within me. There is something for everybody, never too complicated for children and never too childish for adults, tonally it's focused throughout, and it's very witty and thought-provoking. Throughout there are many opportunities to laugh, cry and be inspired. The story is, while not exactly original, beautifully paced and enthralling.

The whole Polynesian culture, faith and seafaring traditions included and explored generously but in a way that feels part of the story rather than just thrown in, and while there are elements that reminds one of Disney past and present this feels more affectionate than Disney just running out of ideas. The coconut pirates scene may seem like filler, but instead of being incidental and dull filler it was entertaining and visually dazzling, while the musical numbers bring the storytelling forward and say much about the characters' motivations and the climax is hair-raising.

Moana is has now joined the list as one of my favourite female Disney characters, while Maui is a fun, compelling character and the chemistry between the two being a large part of the film's humour and heart. Personally found myself entertained by HeiHei and that his existence and role in the story were justified. If anybody does find him dumb or annoying, this is a rare of those not being bad things for a character clearly intended to be that way from reading up about the film. The voice acting is top notch, with Auli'i Cravalho making a startling debut (voice and singing, goodness she has pipes). Dwayne Johnson, on paper an unlikely and eyebrow-inducing choice, is also splendid, as an actor he's grown a lot, while Alan Tudyk is amusingly zesty and Jemaine Clement bringing gleefully kooky menace.

In summary, knocks it out of the park in visual beauty and sheer entertainment value, Disney does it again with their latest classic 'Moana'. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Moana

[dilipbts · 9/10 · 29 April 2020]

From the opening lyrics to the final shot, Moana was a fun glimpse into Polynesian life. Reminds me of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron with its depiction of tribal peoples, people who depend on the land and environment to live. As one of the several catchy songs say, the island gives them everything they need. No need to go beyond the reef.

I'm glad that Moana and Zootopia, Disney's two most recent feature films, humorously refer to the archetypal Disney traits that appear in film after film -- i.e. an animal sidekick, the heroine bursting into song, following your dreams. Even if they do year after year, it never gets old. (... Well, maybe a little bit. I'm actually jaded by the happy ending trope in practically every work of film, literature, etc. out there. But that's beside the point.) Even if you can predict the ending of Moana, it's not quite what you expected. Disney has recently been changing things up a bit and having creative endings. Frozen, for example. Even if they weren't slightly creative, the story still enacts the Disney magic -- the ability to inspire, motivate, uplift, and ultimately enlighten further on mankind's communal desire to go beyond the norm. You don't have to do something amazing to make a name for yourself. It's not the hook that defines you, it's what you do that defines you and makes you who you are. Just don't follow hard tradition all the time. If someone says you can't achieve your dreams, he/she is most likely right. HOWEVER. That's only true if you don't give it your all. Those right now who are living their dreams gave it their all. If it's something you really want, after all, then naturally you'll give it the necessary effort and force of will. It won't be easy; life wasn't meant to be easy.

It's not as amazing as Zootopia, but Moana is still a genuinely good Disney movie. It has a superb single, a nice accompanying soundtrack, great characters, sublime animation with crystal- clear attention to detail, and wonderful themes and messages. I admit, I was expecting too much from Moana after seeing Zootopia, which is probably why I give Moana a 9. Zootopia hits the 10. If you haven't seen either one, I recommend seeing Moana first.

Disney within Disney

[tedg · 12 January 2017]

I was expecting a standard, manufactured Disney Princess item. What I encountered was a powerful embodiment of myth in a young woman, with the notable exceptions of the coconut pirate and glittery crab sequences. These were conceived and directed by others. I suppose many commenters will speak to the different appealing techniques used here. I'll just speak to the visual narrative nesting because I've been tracking this from Lassiter's early work.

The simplest example of this nesting is when two-d hand drawn animation is embedded in the three-d world. I believe that over time, a law of proportional abstraction has developed. When this works, we may see a film that has an inner film of some kind that is more abstract. The cinematic effect is to set the 'distance' between us and the main film. That is, we have a sort of quantum imagination where the simplifications we negotiate with a filmmaker are recorded in what he/she shows us as simplifications the movie's characters make with inner 'films. Showing us those inner films is a part of the filmmaker-viewer agreement. We do have that here with the depiction of Te Fiti and especially Te Ka, with the visions Moana has, rendered in decades old conventions.

But something new is here: the story starts with literal story panels in animated tapa cloths that tell the outer story about the gods, demigod and the natural laws we will live in. That inner story is rendered in lovely, textured three-d using the now standard conventions of super-reality to register as real. But inside THAT story is the same two-d conventions in the demigod's living tattoos. While the 3-d flow moves through the future, the two-d panels not only remind us of the past and the world's dynamics but directly interact with the characters.

The refreshing novelty here is that the tattoo/tapas cloth effect is used for the reverse purpose. The common distance is maintained, but in this case there are not three layers (our world, the movie, the movie within) but two: our world as the same as Moana's and the 'movie' world as the myth, the tattoo and mystical/god world. I think this is why the movie, the main movie with her life played out in it, seemed so close to me emotionally.

Masters of cinematic engineering. See this: 3 of three.

A fun Disney animation without the heart to make it a classic

[eddie_baggins · 6/10 · 17 July 2017]

At this present moment in time it feels as though Disney has a license to print money and their certainly not stopping anytime soon with countless remakes on the calendar for the next few years and original properties like last year's Xmas time animated hit Moana that are finding instant successes with their target audiences, that will likely see them become family favourites in the present and the years to come.

You can almost envision the Disney power players gathered around the table, their eyes lighting up at the pitch of Moana, about kindly and magically gifted young girl (continuing on the Mouse House's recent output of strong willed female heroines) that just so happens to be an Polynesian native (covering off the diversity side of requirements) all the while having a story that's conveniently tailored made too a few song and dance numbers that will have the kids singing and adults wishing they never bought the official soundtrack and you can pretty much guarantee in a few years' time Moana will be hitting a stage near you too live its new life as a feel good audience pleasing stage hit.

It really does feel as though Moana owes a lot to past Disney hits like Mulan, The Lion King and recent box office behemoth Frozen and while the island/ocean setting of the story and the addition of everyone's favourite ex-pro wrestler Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Demi-God Maui set's Moana a part from these films, Moana doesn't actually end up delivering anything that fresh or new to the old age staple of young protagonist that doesn't mind being a rebel saving the day after an adventure filled quest and it's a shame that Moana doesn't utilise its ample potential to become anything more than a nice piece of colourful entertainment.

Filled with animal sidekicks (crazy eyed chicken Heihei steals the film), the aforementioned musical numbers that are more pleasant that instantly singable and Moana herself who's voiced with a lot of life by rising star Auli'i Cravalho but the film never truly breaks out to join the ranks of classic Disney heroines, Moana as a whole remains constantly middle of the road and you'd be hard pressed to find many that will be mentioning this outing in the future years as Disney unloads more and more similar fair into the great wide world.

Final Say –

Energetic and sometimes laugh out loud funny, Moana is an audience appeasing event that's tailor made to keep the little tykes content and the senses dazzled but the heart that transforms some Disney films into the instant classics they become is curiously missing here and it stops Moana from being anything but a mostly forgettable diversion.

3 evil coconuts out of 5

You're Welcome.

[Matt_Layden · 8/10 · 3 January 2017]

2016 has been a particularly strong year for animated films. With the likes of Zootopia, Finding Dory and Kubo & The Two Strings all vying for best animated picture of the year, it seems Moana deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as well. It's no fluke that out of the four movies I just mentioned, 3 of them belong under the house of the mouse.

Legend has it that demigod Maui stole a sacred stone, the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. The lava demon confronted him and both the heart and Maui were lost forever. Now, the world is slowly dying and someone must find the heart and force Maui to put it back. But who is this chosen one? It might be Moana, a Polynesian girl who is suppose to be taking over as chief of her tribe, but longs to sail beyond the reef. Featuring new comer Auli'i Carvalho as Moana and the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, Dwayne 'The Rock" Johnson, as the demigod Maui.

It's not surprising that I found myself tapping my feet to the songs in this film because Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Hamilton, shares his talent with this film. I can easily see any one of the songs in this piece going up for and winning Best Original Song, giving the man the O in the prestigious PEGOT award circle. He currently has a Pulitzer, Emmy, Tony and Grammy, among more. The songs here remind me of the old-school Disney songs, easy to listen to, fun to play on repeat and important to the story. At first, I felt it was a little too on the nose with some of the lyrics, but eventually he won me over and I've been listening to the soundtrack ever since.

The film itself might lack some of the intricacies of plot heavy films like Zootopia, but this journey story is entertaining and heartfelt. The vibrant colours of the green islands and the blue sea help propel the film above and beyond what some others films have to offer. The animation takes a nice little turn for the creative when the characters find themselves under the sea in a side villains lair. We are treated with some bioluminescent sequences with another catchy tune not far behind.

Johnson is stellar as Maui, he seems completely comfortable in a voice acting role and surprisingly has the chops to sing a tune. Newcomer Auli'i Carvalho holds her own against a star like Johnson and she really gives a strong voice to a driven female character. I applaud that Disney didn't feel the need to shoehorn in a love story either. This is a tale about self discovery, not some young woman needing to find a man. Disney nods and respects their past while looking to the future with Moana. Princesses no longer need to be the 'love' goal of a man.

Moana is a visually beautiful film with great songs and a strong female lead character. There are some visually gags for the kids and a great time for adults. Moana is a great film.

Now if only we could have an Afghan Disney Princess..

[krkhan · 6/10 · 28 November 2016]

As far as animation goes, Moana is a tremendous achievement.

As far as the Disney mass-hysteria goes, Moana breaks a few trends.

As far as anything else goes -- you know, things that make a *movie*, Moana is an average motion-picture regurgitated from clichés too numerous to list and too hastily mashed together to have any kind of coherent effect.

• A princess wants to do things differently. (Opportunity for getting a bunch of adventurous-sounding rhymes stuck in teenage girls' head: Check. Now we have 2016's "Let it Go".)

• An authority figure wants her to stick to old ways.

• Another -- warmer -- authority figure believes in the princess.

-Magic.

• The princess is thrust into situations she is definitely not prepared for. But well, her grandma *believes* in her.

• Meets a jock.

• Gets constantly in trouble and needs to be helped by the jock or (literally) by forces of nature.

• Moments of self-doubt.

• The princess' moment of self-doubt is resolved by a vision of her dead-grandma.

• The jock's moment of self-doubt is resolved by the princess.

• Bunch of evil things.

• Everything fails.

• The princess saves the day with a song.

It's very rare that I end up sounding so cynical about a movie. I liked Zootopia. I'm okay with reusing certain plot techniques in a way that makes sense. But Moana focuses too much on character design, Polynesian "authenticity" and the must-break-the-glass-ceiling bandwagon that it kind of forgets that a movie is not only made by marketing and press, but also by its own innate qualities.

One of Disney's hidden champions!

[christian-swiatkowski · 10/10 · 31 May 2020]

Hi there,

I'm not gonna say much other than that I've watched this movie several times now with my young daughter, as she enjoys it so much. Consequently, what follows is just a short opinion from a dad and movie enthusiast.

So what's great about this movie? Pretty much everything; the animation here is one of Pixar's finest works to date; the music is beautifully written and very catchy, the characters and their development feels real and the story's message is inspiringly positive and also educational for not just the little ones. Moana is not your typical princess fairy tale - it's an adventure set in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth.

Ultimately, I believe this movie did not get the attention it deserved and if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it - whether you have kids or not.

Has it where it counts

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 14 March 2017]

As cynical as I am about Disney movies, I freely admit that I liked "Moana" quite a bit. It wasn't exactly a challenge with Dwayne Johnson's involvement, but the elements that are usually a turn-off . . . weren't. The songs are good, the animation's beautiful, and the formulaic heroine with sidekicks really seem to work here.

Cynically speaking, Moana is just another princess for the Mouse's stable. Having said that, you could do with a lot worse. She's got the spunk and strong personality to be a winning character, and she really makes this an enjoyable story.

I could easily watch this again.

7/10

refreshingly Polynesian

[mortimerdiego · 8/10 · 27 February 2017]

From the opening lyrics to the final shot, Moana was a fun glimpse into Polynesian life. Reminds me of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron with its depiction of tribal peoples, people who depend on the land and environment to live. As one of the several catchy songs say, the island gives them everything they need. No need to go beyond the reef.

I'm glad that Moana and Zootopia, Disney's two most recent feature films, humorously refer to the archetypal Disney traits that appear in film after film -- i.e. an animal sidekick, the heroine bursting into song, following your dreams. Even if they do year after year, it never gets old. (... Well, maybe a little bit. I'm actually jaded by the happy ending trope in practically every work of film, literature, etc. out there. But that's beside the point.) Even if you can predict the ending of Moana, it's not quite what you expected. Disney has recently been changing things up a bit and having creative endings. Frozen, for example. Even if they weren't slightly creative, the story still enacts the Disney magic -- the ability to inspire, motivate, uplift, and ultimately enlighten further on mankind's communal desire to go beyond the norm. You don't have to do something amazing to make a name for yourself. It's not the hook that defines you, it's what you do that defines you and makes you who you are. Just don't follow hard tradition all the time. If someone says you can't achieve your dreams, he/she is most likely right. HOWEVER. That's only true if you don't give it your all. Those right now who are living their dreams gave it their all. If it's something you really want, after all, then naturally you'll give it the necessary effort and force of will. It won't be easy; life wasn't meant to be easy.

It's not as amazing as Zootopia, but Moana is still a genuinely good Disney movie. It has a superb single, a nice accompanying soundtrack, great characters, sublime animation with crystal- clear attention to detail, and wonderful themes and messages. I admit, I was expecting too much from Moana after seeing Zootopia, which is probably why I give Moana a 9. Zootopia hits the 10. If you haven't seen either one, I recommend seeing Moana first.

Uninspriring

[Deux_Vega · 6/10 · 6 April 2017]

Weak songs and bad singers are the basis of this uninspiring movie. The theme and visuals are great and could have been the ingredients for another top Disney animation. But it's opposed by a weak story, boring jokes and did i already mention bad singing and songs? We don't see the actors, just hear them. Why would you ever pick the rock as a singer??? Or a 1 out of a dozen singer as Auli'i Cravalho. And please turn off that %#%$ vo-coder!!! That's only meant for kids that can't sing, like the cast you've picked.

Characters are too predictable too. This time a retard chicken as funny sidekick.

Disney, stick with your guns, be yourself and be original again. Don't follow the retarded pop culture of today but set it ...

Lame rehash

[vhp-57634 · 3/10 · 4 December 2016]

Awful - Just a rehash of the gurl ya can do it Disney princess Movies.

I thought all the other recycled Disney princess movies were bad but to have this culturally sensitive gurl running around Quouting the wisdom of the universe and sweet old lady grandma sounding Stupid as she is just not funny anymore is embarrassing.

Also wrestlers throwing in his obligatory growl now and again is annoying. Should have never brought in a wrestler who cannot act. Just because wrestler cannot act does not mean we need to hear him instead.

Just like Santa Claus does not exist, spirits and ghosts do not exist. Stop instilling rubbish into children's heads Disney. When grandma dies she is done.