I must say that I am impressed by Disney’s new film “Moana". The film is set around the protagonist Moana, the daughter of a chief in the Pacific Islands. When her island is threatened, Moana must sail beyond the reef in search of the Demigod Maui in order to save her island.
One of the most compelling aspects about the movie was the graphics. Everything, from the foliage to the ocean, was animated beautifully. I was impressed with the idea that the ocean itself became a character in the story. It helped advance the plot as well as add a bit of comedic flair into the mix. In fact, the ocean was said to be the hardest character that had to be animated in the film. As tedious as it was to create, Disney never failed to make “Moana” look cool.
Moana is a great addition to the Disney Princesses—except she is not a princess. She is the daughter of a chief, as she states in the movie. Voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, she is athletic, strong, determined, headstrong, and adventurous. Moana is a natural-born leader and she accepts her role as the chief’s daughter. Even if she disagrees with the village rule of staying on the island and refraining from traveling beyond the reef, Moana still remains spontaneous. Overall, Moana is comfortable with herself, and that’s what makes her such a great role model.
As for the Demigod Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, was portrayed as a sort of villain the first half of the film. Of course, his character called for a large ego, so it wasn’t very hard to dislike him at first. Needless to say, he was reluctant to sail across the ocean with a teenager in order to undo a mistake he did many years ago. That being said, the evolution of his character was impressive. The gradual discovery of Maui’s backstory made him more appealing. I couldn’t ask for more.
I believe many of the minor characters in “Moana” were well thought out. For example, Mini Maui was one of Maui’s many tattoos with a personality of its own. It served as Maui’s confidant, adding a bit of spice to the intrapersonal scenes every now and again. Another character that I found impressive was Moana’s grandmother. Gramma Tala, voiced by Rachel House, was depicted as the village crazy lady who loved to dance with the waves. Even after fate overtook her, she was an unforgettable character. And yes, I might have cried over her at one point. I will never look at a stingray the same way again.
Although there were multiple characters that shined their light in “Moana”, there were only a few details that seemed unnecessary during the film. For instance, the chicken. It was completely pointless. Other than to further complicate the journey and serve dry comic relief, the chicken served practically no purpose whatsoever. Even though Moana somehow formed an unexplained personal connection with the chicken, I wouldn’t be surprised if it almost got cut.
Another character that I found skeptical was one of Maui’s arch-enemies. Voiced by Jemaine Clement, Tamatoa was introduced as a giant crab that has an obsession with anything shiny. The villain song he provides is promising, but it feels as if there could have been a better alternative. Nevertheless, he was an original, self-absorbed villain that worked well into the plot.
I will say that my biggest issue with “Moana” was the lack of comic relief. Although the story was captivating enough to keep my attention, the comedic breaks could have been more creative. The useless chicken and the short witty statements that connected to modern culture could only go so far. However, I loved how Disney shined light on the fact that having long hair can be a big real-life problem. After taking a dip in the ocean, Moana’s hair would always get in the way in some form of fashion. I was happy that it added a bit of practicality to the events that occurred.
The best part about “Moana” was the fact that the humans looked like normal people. Moana’s muscular build makes her stand out among the other Disney Princesses. She was not animated as a stick-thin model, which has gained a positive feedback since the movie released theaters. In addition, this movie is filled with a variety of positive themes that can lean towards both children and adults. Not to mention the soundtrack, which combined the works of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’I, and Mark Mancina to create a fantastic collection of scores and catchy tunes.
“Moana” was not about falling in love. It wasn’t about finding a prince or defying parents. Moana was a leader that loved her people, and she was willing to sail across an entire ocean in order to save them. It is because of her that “Moana” is one of Disney’s most progressive films up to date. I hope that Disney continues to produce beautiful movies with realistic-looking characters and powerful messages the entire family can enjoy.
If Disney keeps this up, there’s just no telling how far they’ll go.
