Prior to its release, I had watched and waited with anticipation for Moana, Disney’s newest animated feature. Every character and concept design made me more interested in the film about a young girl adventuring into the unknown and not only saving her people and her island but finding her own identity, too. It’s clear this movie is a standout for Disney films by its gorgeous animation, wonderful characters, and charming songs.
Choosing between her duty and her dreams, Moana as a character plays the balance wonderfully, expressing her longing for the ocean and adventure, and manages to stay who she is throughout the film. She’s daring, bold, adventurous, and represents anyone who’s had to jump out of their comfort zone to achieve what they want. I felt moved by Moana’s determination to see her ambition of becoming a master Wayfinder realized and save her island when it’s threatened by a darkness that will destroy her people’s resources. Above all, she loves her people and the sea, and it’s shown beautifully in this film.
Maui, the Demigod who has to help Moana, also is a character who is well-developed. He’s arrogant and uncaring of Moana’s problems but is easily persuaded with a promise of being revered and loved. Despite his tough demeanor, Maui does have an amount of vulnerability that’s shown; he does feel a fear of rejection and does have a want to be accepted by the people he’s supposed to help. This makes his character feel more human and more likable.
The casting for this movie was wonderful. Auli’i Cravalho is wonderful as Moana; sitting in the theater, I could really feel the emotions Moana felt and Auli’i’s voice felt like a perfect fit. Her singing voice was wonderful, too. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was perfect for the role of Maui as well, and the two voice actors really pulled off in helping create a good character duo for the film. Their voices just added to the nice experience of enjoying the film.
Music for this movie fit incredibly well, too. Lin-Manuel Miranda—who wrote and starred in Broadway’s “Hamilton”—Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa’i all wrote music and lyrics for this film that just really adds a nice layer to the movie. Miranda and Foa’i’s writing really comes out in the songs, and ties into the story wonderfully. While watching, I just felt like the songs were natural being in the film, whereas I feel in other films the songs are a bit more forced. “You’re Welcome” gives the audience a fantastic way of meeting Maui; the song is energetic, upbeat, fun, and has a mixture of animation texture to push the idea of him conning Moana out of her boat. The song is infectious and really lifts up the mood as we the audience are introduced to the first character Moana encounters since leaving home. “We Know the Way” also has a great way of not only having an effective song performed both by Foa’i and Miranda but aiding the visuals of Moana discovering her people. Each song supports and adds more meaning to each scene they’re in, and it just makes the movie-watching experience more enjoyable.
One criticism I do have about the film is mainly in the story. While I did love the narrative and what it stood for, the way everything was paced felt a bit off. So much time is spent on the island, which is understandable so that we could see Moana’s home, but the beginning did have a bit of a slow start and things got progressively rushed towards the end. It wasn’t really horrible pacing, but it was enough to make me think and pull me out just a bit towards the end. The ending is still wonderful, but everything from the “all is lost” moment to the resolution felt almost too fast-paced. This is a choice I understand, though; choices have to be made, and Moana’s love for her home needed to be established.
I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who wants to see something enjoyable. While it isn’t a perfect film, it’s definitely worth seeing for its animation, characters, and music. I really loved being able to watch this film on the big screen, and I suggest anyone who is able should, too, before it goes out of theaters.
