Moana

After what I could only consider as one of the most heartbreaking weeks of the year, it was nice to watch a film that was on the lighter side and take a bit of a break from all the gloom. I’ll be honest, I really only had interest in this movie because A) it’s a Disney movie featuring the first Polynesian Princess and B) because Lin Manuel Miranda has the helm of the original score, and since everything he touches seems to turn to gold lately, I figured this film would be at least bearable. So with my fingers crossed I entered the cinema feeling like I was the oldest person in the room and settled in.

Disney’s Moana tells the story of a young girl living on the island of ­­­Motunui, who is destined to become the next leader of her people. Although Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) understands the importance of her leadership and attempts to be the perfect daughter, she has an inescapable desire to venture beyond the reef that surrounds the island, an act that has been forbidden by her father Chief Tui (Christopher Jackson). To make matters worse, the community is facing a crisis: a great darkness is beginning to descend on the land, causing fish to be scarce and crops to wither.  Moana’s grandmother, Gramma Tala (Rachel House), explains that this is the work of Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a Demigod who stole the heart of the Goddess Te Fiti, effectively damning the world until it is returned. With her call to the ocean and her people to save, Moana sets off to find Maui and demand he put the heart back, however she and Maui will have to learn to partner up if they are ever to reach Te Fiti in time to save her island.

The positives: One of the great things about this movie is the vast array of characters and how they’re all explored in the film.  The fact that this movie took a step away from the typical prince/princess love story Disney pattern and instead made it a film about journeys and understanding one’s place in the world was really refreshing and sends a great message to the kids (seriously, so many kids) that are going to see this movie. Each character’s actions are explained in a way that makes them relatable, and pushes the message that even the most powerful people can make mistakes as well as learn from them. The musical numbers are well timed and catchy as hell, and the exploration of Polynesian culture and its beauty is really eye catching and entertaining. I really enjoyed this movie mostly because it does away with a lot of stereotypical Disney traits (such as having stick thin characters who are all white and having each character fall in love by the end of the film) and instead reminds us the importance of making our own paths in the world.

The negatives: This is a kids movie, so of course you’re gonna have to learn to suspend your disbelief in parts. If talking crabs, musical numbers and dancing tattoos don’t sound like a good time, you’re not gonna enjoy this movie. Also, the pacing in this film tends to be a little off in places: for kids its fine, but films like Zootopia (2016) remind us that animated films can pander to a lot of audiences, not just the kiddies. In this sense, there are parts where the action tends to lull a little too much and you’re left waiting for things to pick back up, which was a little disappointing.

Guys, what more can I say. The kiddies are gonna love it, and even the big kids are bound to have a good time. Go and see Moana, at the very least you’ll leave with a smile.