Disney has once again created an Oscar-worthy animated film with their new Disney Princess film, "Moana."
The film is a traditional Disney animated musical film. The story follows Moana, a Polynesian princess in line to become chief of her tribe, as she embarks on a quest to save her village and also find out who she is meant to be.
As someone who just loves Disney in general, I had high expectations when I went to see this film. "Moana" is by far one of the best animated films I have ever seen. First, the plot was actually interesting and different from what Disney has been doing recently with their "princess" movies. The story was written by Jon Musker and Ron Clements, who had previously worked on other Disney films such as "Mulan" and "Hercules." It is very easy to tell that these writers worked on those two movies because "Moana" is very similar to "Mulan" and "Hercules." Moana is a born leader who doesn't rely on anyone but herself, much like Mulan and Hercules. The arrogant demigod Maui, who is essentially Moana's sidekick, also demonstrates similar traits to Hercules. The common trend with "Mulan," "Hercules" and "Moana" is that the plot revolves around a strong individual who struggles to find where they belong, and even though the ultimate story follows a quest to save the world in some way, the real quest is for these characters to find themselves in the end. I feel like Disney has strayed from making musical films like this for a while and it was a good refresher to see these types of characters.
To continue with character discussion, Moana is one of Disney's most well-rounded characters. Moana is a natural leader like I mentioned before, but she also struggles with real human problems. She struggles with self-confidence throughout the story as she doesn't know if she is truly meant for the quest or to even become chief. She struggles to find who she is, which is what most young adults go through. However, Moana exhibits strong leadership skills as she takes control of the quest, despite her lack of confidence, experience and also Maui trying to take control and abandon the quest. I feel like Moana is an exceptional role model for young girls as she encounters problems, and she then solves her way out of them to the best of her abilities, without asking for help.
She also never does anything out of her interest in a man, which is odd because a love-interest is a common theme in Disney movies with a female protagonist. She even puts Maui in his place many times, which proves that women do not need men to be strong and confident. She probably got more done than Maui did throughout the entire film. Maui is clearly the sidekick in this film and Moana is the hero, which I love. I also love her appearance on top of her personality. She has a strong build, thick curly hair, oh, and she's colored. Moana actually has a normal body type unlike, for example, Anna and Elsa, who have scrawny arms and tiny waists.
Speaking of "Frozen," which is known for its amazing songs, "Moana" clearly outshined it in the musical field. The songs of "Moana" were written by Lin Manuel-Miranda, who is well-known for writing the Broadway sensation "Hamilton." I can't even describe Manuel-Miranda and his musical abilities, especially with the "Moana" soundtrack. The songs actually have meaning, and there aren't basic tunes and lyrics. The songs are fun and empowering. Also, the score is very accurate to the culture in which this film is based. But, the one things I specifically like about the music is that it is good, and still drives the plot, but it doesn't control the film. With "Frozen," the music overshadowed the very mediocre plot. When you take the songs out of "Frozen," there really isn't much to go with at that point. The entire movie loses its pizazz after "Let It Go." The plot of "Moana" stays steady and doesn't lose it's wow factor, even after the incredible "How Far I'll Go," which is essentially the "Let It Go" of "Moana," but with more meaning.
Lastly, I have to talk about the animation. "Moana" has beautiful animation. I can't remember the last time I saw animation like this. The colors were vibrant and the characters' movements and reactions were so smooth it was hard to look at most of it as animated. Moana and Maui's hair looked so amazing with the textures and the way it flowed around their faces. The backgrounds such as the islands, and especially the ocean, were very well constructed. It is hard for me to describe the beauty of this animation and analyze how it's done because I am not an animation expert. However, if even someone who doesn't know a thing about animation can tell the difference in the animation design in "Moana" compared to "Frozen," then it is obviously phenomenal.
"Moana" is a Disney film that took years to make and it is clear that all the time was worth it. All the time put into research, character development, composing and designing made the film what it is today. Because of this, "Moana" has exceptional characters, an upbeat score, record-setting design and a story that can be shown for generations. This definitely can go on the list as one of Disney's greatest animated films.
