Disney’s Moana (2016) | Film Review

As the resident musical fan at The Hollywood Outsider, I was looking forward to checking out the latest animated entry from Disney, “Moana”. The corporate super giant may get a lot of flak for buying every property they can get their hands on, but it’s hard to argue that the majority of their films are not highly polished and offer experiences that both adult and younger audiences can appreciate at the same time. “Moana” is one of those rare films that actually met my already high expectations and reminds me of what a safe bet movies of this style can be.

The film’s title character starts her journey at a young age in a small village on a Polynesian island. Her father is Chieftan of a group of people who have secluded themselves to their island because of an ancient curse put upon them due to the actions of a demigod named Maui. As Moana matures, she breaks free of her father’s wishes to never leave the island and sets out on a journey to seek out Maui herself, demanding that he take the proper steps to remove the curse so that the people she will be leading one day may be free to follow in their ancestors’ ways.

While I’ll admit that the story itself doesn’t bring a whole lot new to the table outside of its setting, I don’t believe that it needs to in order to provide a great experience. The plot hits a lot of the same notes that your typical Disney princess movie does: the princess isn’t happy with her lifestyle, rebels against her family, has a quirky pet sidekick or two, learns about who she really is, and saves the world.

Even the music follows the Disney formula to a “T”. You’ve got your standard song to introduce you to the setting/characters, a song about the main character’s plight to have something different in her life, and another quirky number to teach you the secondary character’s motivation. There’s even a silly song halfway through the film that features a crab, which felt like a reminder that the makers of “The Little Mermaid” also worked on this film. With that said, the whole thing still works and put a huge smile on my face. Sure, I’d like to see Disney take a few more chances on occasion, but this isn’t where they need to do that. There’s always a demand for “safe” entertainment, and this is one film I’m happy was just that.

Speaking of the music, I’ve had most of the songs stuck in my head since I walked out of the theater, but not in the annoying way that most of us experienced for months after the release of “Frozen”. Yes, “Moana” has it’s version of “Let It Go” in a self-discovery number called “How Far I’ll Go”, but I don’t see it getting overplayed like it’s predecessor. It’s message feels much stronger as well, and I’ll have it on my playlist rotation for quite a while. The hooks in the songs, “You’re Welcome” and “Shiny” are equally as deep and do a great job of setting the tone of the film. Thankfully, none of the musical numbers overstay their welcome or get in the way of the story.

If you had asked me ten years ago if I would believe that I’d be enjoying pro wrestler The Rock in movies, I probably would have laughed at you. While he’s not the main character of the movie, Dwayne Johnson’s Maui is the star of the show. He’s proven himself as a solid actor in almost anything. I’m officially jealous of this guy’s well-rounded talent. And who knew that the guy could sing? He continually impresses me, and I can’t wait to see him do more.

That’s not to say that newcomer Auli’I Cravahlo doesn’t shine as the lead role. Not only does she have a beautiful singing voice, but she carries Moana’s required range throughout the entire film. I hope to see and hear more of her in the future. We even have a hilarious supporting role by Jermaine Clement that fits perfectly with the movie’s quirky side.

“Moana” is a great addition to the Disney animated library that I hope gets as much attention as its predecessors and the other current animated films out there. Its tropical setting makes for stunningly beautiful animation that makes me look forward to re-watching in high definition. On top of that, the theme of being true to yourself is great for kids and avoids controversial topics and the story is heartwarming and inspiring. I highly recommend this one for all audiences.