Moana Review

Starring: Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Christopher Jackson, Nicole Scherzinger

Moana is the newest film from the Disney empire. Since 2013, Disney has tried to recapture the magic of Frozen. Frozen received unanimous acclaim from critics, made $400 million in America alone, over $1 billion worldwide, produced the Top 5 hit song "Let It Go", and won two Oscars. After a few years spent trying to recreate that success, we were gifted with two Disney films in 2016:  Zootopia in March and Moana in November. I'm blown away by the craftsmanship in both films. While I never reviewed Zootopia (I actually did not see it in theaters) it will 100% be a contender for my favorite movie of the year. It's on Netflix, go check it out. But alas, this isn't a review about Zootopia, this is about Moana, the Polynesian princess tale from the Mouse House. The reason I bring up the perfection of Zootopia is to compare to the perfection of Moana. This proves that Disney is paying attention to detail, enough to produce two amazing films. I'd even call it a second Renaissance. I cannot speak for the cultural authenticity of Moana, but from what I've heard from individuals of Polynesian heritage, it does a pretty great job portraying the culture, lore, and values. As a Disney fan, Moana is one of the best Disney movies in my recent memory. The music, composed and written beautifully by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton perfectly captures the scenery, yet also taps into the modern viewer. The art and animation is gorgeous, and the characters of Moana and Maui seem so real. The voice work from newcomer Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson seems effortless, and the story and its themes are touching and inspirational. It's perfect for all ages.

The soundtrack to Moana is excellent. It has become the staple of Disney musicals to include pop hits. Look to the entire soundtrack of Tangled as an example. Even Frozen did not include any music that was culturally significant of the Nordic people, which was disappointing. Moana includes songs that are heavily derived from Polynesian culture, which is thanks to the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you're a Hamilton fan, you will instantly be able to recognize his style of songwriting, and most of it isn't even rap! The soundtrack perfectly blends with the story of the film. There is the classic Disney "I want" song (think "Part of Your World", "Belle", "For the First Time in Forever" and a classic villain song. The latter somehow makes it in, even though there is no clear antagonist. Moana brilliantly works without any romantic subplot (don't worry, Maui and Moana do not hook up) and no major villain. I won't spoil the ending, but there is a very interesting twist with Te Ka, who is the sort-of villain (even he isn't in the majority of the film, even if he's the looming threat.)

What is amazing to me, is how Moana doesn't just "work" in every department, it exceeds anything I expected. The story is rich with Polynesian culture and values. Moana goes through a very difficult test of her faith, and you begin to notice Maui goes through the same journey. The chicken Heihei, which actually annoyed me at first, ended up being pretty funny and useful to the plot (and kids LOVED him) Every song made its mark, and I've been singing them all since. The animation is beautiful and impressive. If you notice the stills I've pulled, the film does a great job displaying low-light scenes during dusk and dawn. The ocean is gorgeously animated, and the way it actuallt plays a character is breathtaking. There's a scene about ancestors (I won't spoil) and it gave me chills, and still does when I think of it. There's too much to say about Moana. It's the only film so far that I feel truly deserves its perfect rating. Even if it may not feel like it's perfect to you, I challenge you to find a narrative or creative flaw (not a personal one). I think you'll have a hard time.

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