Moana (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Moana' (a Disney coming-of-age adventure directed by Ron Clements, John Musker) is heartwarming, beautifully-animated, funny & inspirational. Little girls can watch as Moana (voiced by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho) takes on the responsibility of saving her people, & sets-off to accomplish this enormous task. The film begins with Moana as a toddler playing near the surf of her idyllic Polynesian community; collecting shells, when she discovers the "heart" - a small green Pounamu stone - of Te Fiti, an island goddess. It was stolen by the mischievous, shape-shifting demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson) 1,000 yrs. ago, then lost to the sea when Maui fought with the lava monster Te Ka. Because of Maui's foolhardy act, Te Fiti cursed all of the surrounding islands. Moana has always had a special relationship with the ocean & longs to cross the barrier reef to explore what is beyond.
She is encouraged by her beloved Grandma Tala (voiced by Rachel House), yet forbidden to travel beyond said reef by her concerned father, Chief Tui (voiced by Temuera Morrison) & mother (voiced by Nicole Scherzinger). When Moana discovers her ancestors' sea-faring past, her ailing grandma then explains that she has been chosen by the ocean to control its waves. So, when the harvest fails & the local fishermen return with empty nets, Moana can no longer listen to her father's stern-if-loving words. To save her people, Moana must listen to her grandma's sage advice on finding her destiny, defy her father's ban on traveling "beyond the reef", & seek out the self-absorbed, disgraced Maui. She follows her heart & sets sail with only her pet chicken, Hei Hei (voiced by the comedic Alan Tudyk) in tow, until she locates Maui & convinces him to aid her in her quest. Moana explains how her people once voyaged the seas, but stopped many generations ago to establish their bountiful island. Along the way, braggadocious Maui mentors her on how to be a "Voyager"; as her people were always meant to be. And a plethora of sea adventures ensue.
Wow, wow, wow -- I loved this film. And there is much to love: the WONDERFUL music, lush animation, & stirring narrative; just to name a few points. If 'Moana' seems like a throwback to the Disney animated classics from the late 80s/early '90s, it is no coincidence (even the directors here helmed both The Little Mermaid & Aladdin). For 'Moana', they have resurrected components of the winning template that made those films so beloved: catchy songs that serve the narrative, a dynamic protagonist finding his/her way, cute animal sidekicks, & heartfelt emotion. Teen Hawaiian singer Auli’i Cravalho is an absolute delight; plucky, sweet, & a perfect role model for young girls. “The Rock” is amusing, charming {as he always is}, & shares great chemistry with Cravalho as the mythic Maui. His Maui starts off selfish, but grows truer & kinder while getting to know his plucky companion.
Although famed composer Alan Menken isn't involved here, his place has been filled by Mark Mancina & "he's so hot right now" Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda's songs are fresh, catchy, melodic, pays tribute to Polynesian culture, & completely recaptures the spirit of the Menken/Alan Ashman tunes from those 1980/90s classics. Miranda offers his own vocals to the percussive "We Know the Way". Dwayne Johnson shows that he's got some chops with the humorous "You're Welcome". Rachel House (as grandma Tala) sings the poignant "Where you Are". But the clear standout of Miranda's contribution is Moana's signature song, "How Far I'll Go", which blew me away (all 3 times it's sung), yanked on my tear ducts, & stands alongside the likes of "Part of Your World", "A Whole New World:, & "Let it Go" as iconic musical offerings.
The animation is stunning. Never before (even in Finding Nemo/Dory) has water looked so realistic, gorgeous, inviting, & almost a character in itself {kinda is, as Moana can control the sea when she wants}. Another aspect of 'Moana' that I find admirable is that our empowered female heroine does not have a love interest. That aspect was not even missed this time around and, the film makes quite a statement by proving that a Disney princess doesn't need said love interest to define them. So in a way, 'Moana' is very "retro Disney"- a film that embraces older narrative approaches - but does so with so much heart, progressive themes, messages of self-discovery/empowerment, & stunning CGI animation ... not a bad combo if you ask me! 'Moana' made me cry 3 times throughout its proceedings, and I'd gladly cry 3 more to see it all over again, right now.
She is encouraged by her beloved Grandma Tala (voiced by Rachel House), yet forbidden to travel beyond said reef by her concerned father, Chief Tui (voiced by Temuera Morrison) & mother (voiced by Nicole Scherzinger). When Moana discovers her ancestors' sea-faring past, her ailing grandma then explains that she has been chosen by the ocean to control its waves. So, when the harvest fails & the local fishermen return with empty nets, Moana can no longer listen to her father's stern-if-loving words. To save her people, Moana must listen to her grandma's sage advice on finding her destiny, defy her father's ban on traveling "beyond the reef", & seek out the self-absorbed, disgraced Maui. She follows her heart & sets sail with only her pet chicken, Hei Hei (voiced by the comedic Alan Tudyk) in tow, until she locates Maui & convinces him to aid her in her quest. Moana explains how her people once voyaged the seas, but stopped many generations ago to establish their bountiful island. Along the way, braggadocious Maui mentors her on how to be a "Voyager"; as her people were always meant to be. And a plethora of sea adventures ensue.
Wow, wow, wow -- I loved this film. And there is much to love: the WONDERFUL music, lush animation, & stirring narrative; just to name a few points. If 'Moana' seems like a throwback to the Disney animated classics from the late 80s/early '90s, it is no coincidence (even the directors here helmed both The Little Mermaid & Aladdin). For 'Moana', they have resurrected components of the winning template that made those films so beloved: catchy songs that serve the narrative, a dynamic protagonist finding his/her way, cute animal sidekicks, & heartfelt emotion. Teen Hawaiian singer Auli’i Cravalho is an absolute delight; plucky, sweet, & a perfect role model for young girls. “The Rock” is amusing, charming {as he always is}, & shares great chemistry with Cravalho as the mythic Maui. His Maui starts off selfish, but grows truer & kinder while getting to know his plucky companion.
Although famed composer Alan Menken isn't involved here, his place has been filled by Mark Mancina & "he's so hot right now" Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda's songs are fresh, catchy, melodic, pays tribute to Polynesian culture, & completely recaptures the spirit of the Menken/Alan Ashman tunes from those 1980/90s classics. Miranda offers his own vocals to the percussive "We Know the Way". Dwayne Johnson shows that he's got some chops with the humorous "You're Welcome". Rachel House (as grandma Tala) sings the poignant "Where you Are". But the clear standout of Miranda's contribution is Moana's signature song, "How Far I'll Go", which blew me away (all 3 times it's sung), yanked on my tear ducts, & stands alongside the likes of "Part of Your World", "A Whole New World:, & "Let it Go" as iconic musical offerings.
The animation is stunning. Never before (even in Finding Nemo/Dory) has water looked so realistic, gorgeous, inviting, & almost a character in itself {kinda is, as Moana can control the sea when she wants}. Another aspect of 'Moana' that I find admirable is that our empowered female heroine does not have a love interest. That aspect was not even missed this time around and, the film makes quite a statement by proving that a Disney princess doesn't need said love interest to define them. So in a way, 'Moana' is very "retro Disney"- a film that embraces older narrative approaches - but does so with so much heart, progressive themes, messages of self-discovery/empowerment, & stunning CGI animation ... not a bad combo if you ask me! 'Moana' made me cry 3 times throughout its proceedings, and I'd gladly cry 3 more to see it all over again, right now.