Dear readers, let us cheer for "Moana," Disney's latest animated creation. Perhaps you were among the audience who was able to shell out some money for this product of art and you did so gladly. If so, bravo. Because of you, a female-led film is leading at the box office. To be clear, "Moana" isn't the Mouse House's first offering of a female-led movie, definitely not, but at the risk of sounding cliche, it truly is the first of its kind for the exceptionally prominent studio.
Disney's first animated feature was released way yonder in 1937 and that movie was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." So verily, they are to be commended for this output and for creating and adapting a number of female-centric stories since then. Yet, romance is either a driving force or at least a defining ingredient to the "happily ever afters" for all but three of these theatrically released Disney Princess movies.
The first of these, released during 2002, doesn't really qualify since Lilo Pelekai is quite a young girl in "Lilo & Stitch". Of course she wouldn't be in a romantic relationship with anyone, at most it would be "puppy-dog love". However, the second film, unveiled within 2012, qualifies since Merida is in her late teens in "Brave." This movie was a groundbreaker for the major studio since romance was not a necessity for Merida's empowerment; a powerful message for girls everywhere. A similar approach to romance allows "Moana" to shine, in addition to its diversity and climax.
Besides the lack of the romantic aspect, "Moana" is brilliant because the film showcases Polynesian culture. Aspects of this culture were highlighted in "Lilo & Stitch." Though, the movie would have been even better in terms of diversity and accuracy, if Lilo was voiced by a Polynesian actress, instead of a Caucasian one, (this is not a knock on Daveigh Chase's endearing performance).
Alas, Moana was voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, an individual of Polynesian ethnicity. It's true that "Pocahontas" had Irene Bedard voicing the lead character, "The Princess and the Frog" had Anika Noni Rose imbuing her voice to Tiana and "Mulan" had Ming-Na Wen giving her voice to the titular individual, so these characters were appropriately portrayed; the former by a woman of Native American ethnicity, the next by a woman of African American ethnicity, and the later by a woman of Chinese ethnicity.
Yet, romance is a throughline in "The Princess and the Frog".
Disney's Mulan and Shang have romantic tension and it's implied that they will happily wed at the end of the movie.
Romantic love holds such a sway over Disney Pocahontas' ultimate happiness that it leaves her a bit devastated and feeling incomplete when John Smith has to leave at the film's conclusion.
Romance was a contribution to each of their ultimate happiness in the end. Not with Moana.
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Finally, "Moana" is heartwarming because the "villains" of the story turn out to be redeemable and their selfish actions, though not condoned, are understood as the film progresses. Maui is presented as a troublemaker in the movie's opening but ends up being a friend and an assistant to the film's heroine, Moana. Te Ka even becomes reborn into her previous heroic self, courtesy of Moana's persuasion to that lava monster's heart. Never before has a Disney Princess film portrayed all "villains" with such sympathy nor granted them with redemption instead of death.
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As per Seth Kelley, news editor of "Variety" magazine, "Moana" is triumphing at the box office. When he uploaded his article on Nov. 26, 2016 at 7:44 a.m. PT, he notes that the film's total Thanksgiving weekend intake will be north of $80 million. With adoration from critics and audiences alike*, "Moana"'s victory at the box office should not wither away any time soon. Bravo, "Moana," bravo.
* On the critic aggregate sites, "Moana" has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 81 on Metacritic. Meanwhile, audiences gave the film an "A" rating on "CinemaScore".
