We've been hearing about Disney's newest Princess movie, "Moana," for about a year now. And news about the film, and what audiences are to expect, is growing more and more readily available as the release date draws nearer. The film is set to release in theaters on Wednesday, Nov. 23 of this year, and the anticipation is growing steadily. However, not all of the coverage and views on this new addition to the Disney princess line-up has been rosy. As Moana is the first princess to come from a Polynesian background, audiences and onlookers have been extremely curious as to how well Disney will do at representing the culture accurately. We won't know for sure how well the execution of the film will be until it hits theaters, but until then, let's take a look at the good and bad of what the media has announced so far.
"Moana" tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who dreams of venturing away from her island home and exploring the ocean and islands that surround it. However, leaving the island is forbidden. But when her home is put in danger, she must journey toward a fabled island with the help of a powerful demigod, Maui, to save and protect her people.
Pretty bada**, right?
One of the big pluses of this film, as we've seen it so far, is the character of Moana herself. She's fearless and adventurous, while also being deeply connected to her family and to nature. The actress who was chosen to voice Moana, Auli'i Cravalho, is a 14-year-old Hawaiian native who embodies many of the traits within Moana herself.
As far as Disney Princesses go, Moana may be the most butt-kicking princess we've seen yet. She's not afraid to go explore uncharted territory, fight off monsters and evil spirits, and the real shocker, does not have any sort of romantic interest during the course of the film. That's right: Disney will be dropping the "finding a prince" part of the plot for this film in what audiences hope will be a more adventurous coming-of-age story as opposed to a damsel in distress plot line.
But the hype isn't all about the character of Moana herself, but the world she lives in. The universe within Moana brings in Polynesian mythology and culture to weave a story line that is deeply entrenched with a connection to the ocean. The ocean in this movie, as seen in the most recent trailer, is not an emotionless body, but rather acts as a guide and a friend, as if it is in itself, a character working with Moana on her quest. Pair this enthralling storyline with some amazing animation and it can pretty much be expected that this film will be incredibly beautiful visually, as well.
But, with all that good, a little uncertainty has inevitably crept in. As Moana will be the first Polynesian Disney princess, critics have been very concerned about how the characters in this story will be represented.
Following the release of the first trailer, some viewers were concerned that the characters within this story could be perpetuating negative stereotypes. One of the largest critiques was that Maui was too overweight as a character to be a good representation of Polynesian men and women. Jenny Salesa, a member of the New Zealand Parliament, had this to say:
"When we look at photos of Polynesian men and women from the last 100 to 200 years, most of our people were not overweight and this negative stereotype of Maui is just not acceptable."
It was also deeply offensive to those who knew the stories of Maui, who is traditionally revered as a representation of extreme strength and godliness, to be drawn in such a way.
Another issue that some viewers have come across is how to interpret that the plot of "Moana" does not include a romantic interest. In the industry, Pacific Islanders have previously been stereotyped as either the exotic siren or the sexless spiritual healer, as one article from Bustle explains. However, even the critics of this move can acknowledge that it is a powerful and progressive decision on Disney's part to include a female character whose motivation within the story has nothing to do with the involvement of a love interest.
But, with all this being said, the majority of these individuals, whether for or against the film's early actions, are waiting patiently for the full film to be released before passing any judgments. Many hope that Moana will follow in the footsteps of previous Disney female leads like those from "Mulan," "Brave" and "Lilo & Stitch" to bring a welcomed new addition to the line of Disney Princesses.