Another beautiful excursion in the era of Disney rebirth. From its opening short film, which sets up a narrative of self-discovery and infectious personal joy, Moana brings abundance of life to the big screen. While many parts feel derivative at best and downright racist at worst, ultimately the film keeps everything light, moving, and fun. To that end, the music by Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foa'i, and Lin-Manuel Miranda creates a fabulous sense of urgency and wonder, propelling us through the rich cultural world of Polynesia as we try to take it all in.
The story -- riding the wake of Frozen and Zootopia in the best possible ways -- brings together some of the strongest feminism and environmentalism we've seen from Disney yet. Moana, the chief's daughter, learns to lead her island while her heart calls her out to the sea (read: Pocahontas in the Pacific). Her pagan grandmother (Grandmother Willow, by extension), perceiving Moana's restlessness, reveals the history of the island and the nature of the troubles inflicting it. To save her people, Moana must journey across the seas to find the demigod Maui, who has stolen the heart of the life-goddess Te Fiti. Apparently only Maui can restore the heart, which will stop a terrible destructive darkness from consuming the world, but Maui is lost and in denial, having been overcome by the darkness he had unleashed.
Confused yet? Don't be. Apart from the occasionally confusing mythology (which is probably only confusing due to the rather white-appropriated vision we are presented with), the story is straightforward. Moana sets out across a beautifully realized seascape and some stunning visual effects with little but a raft/sailboat and a terribly stupid chicken sidekick. When she finds the selfish and proud demigod (who takes more than a little inspiration from Aladdin's Genie), she labors to convince him to help her, and ultimately understands that the quest is hers alone. Though the film repeatedly sets up Maui to be a reluctant hero, the climax features Moana as the true hero, braving impossible odds to make a stand against the vicious lava demon Te Ka and restore Te Fiti's heart.
You might have noticed the references the film makes. There are many more. Notably, and perhaps most obviously, there is a brief sequence that hilariously nods to Mad Max: Fury Road, but I won't spoil that for you. Still other moments hearken to The Little Mermaid, and one such holds off until after the credits, so stick around. Since there's such vocal online misunderstanding about this film and its supposed uniqueness in being culturally diverse, I would make a few points to that end. First, there is nothing groundbreaking here: We've never seen Polynesia quite like this before, but we have seen several Disneyfied indigenous films (Pocahontas, Brother Bear) as well as those with strong ethnic female protagonists (The Princess and the Frog, Mulan). Second, we will also notice that this film, like those, is directed by white men. Third, while the film may not get the nuances of culture correct (apparently there is some heated opposition from Pacific Islander culture), Disney almost never accurately portrays culture. Because it's animation. And a fantasy, at that. The characters aren't meant to be grounded and realistic, they are meant to be tropes and caricatures; if they weren't, it would be a live-action film, and probably a documentary. Does that make dangerous stereotyping and whitewashing okay? No, but it can inform our appreciation and discussion more than having people shout at each other on social media.
While some of this can get a little heavy, I don't mean to mislead you. The film is a rollicking adventure, one loaded with fierce energy and fabulous art design. It's a pretty conventional Disney tale done with anything but conventional style, and if it doesn't move you, Maui probably stole your heart too.
IMDb: Moana
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