The latest film from Disney Animation, Moana is a worthy addition to the Disney canon, combining a respect for the culture of the Pacific Islands while bringing audiences an action-packed and beautifully animated story of self-discovery. This film has a lot of heart and wit behind it, and is the second animated film I’ve seen this year to make heavy and good use of the Hero’s Journey archetype, adding another face to the Hero with A Thousand Faces.
Set in the Pacific Islands, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho, in her film debut) is the daughter of the village chief Tui (Tempura Morrison). The people of their village have not left the island in almost a thousand years, and Moana’s father wants to keep it that way, despite Moana’s constant draw to the world that lies past the reef surrounding their island. But when an ancient darkness threatens all life on the island and beyond, Moana must seek out the help of the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to restore life to a dead island far away and defeat a lava demon that wants the power to create life itself.
The majority of the voice actors in this film have roots in the Pacific, a gesture that I appreciated coming from Disney, and something that I feel brings greater credibility to this film. All of the voice actors help to build the world of this film in a believable way. Auli’i Cravalho, despite this being her first role in a motion picture, does a great job as the titular Moana. She has the confidence of someone with all of the experience she needs to succeed in her journey, but also acknowledges that she needs to learn more about a particularly important skill to have while sailing: how to sail. All of this comes through in Cravalho’s performance, and she also has some emotionally-heavy scenes that really tug at your heartstrings. Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui was excellent casting; he has an arrogance about him that befits an immortal who thinks himself to be the greatest gift to humanity.
Tempura Morrison’s portrayal of Chief Tui has the authority of a village leader while also possessing the tenderness of a loving father. After a bit of analysis, I found that the only thing about Tui’s characterization that I thought didn’t click with the rest of the movie was the explanation for his over-protective tendencies. Told very briefly and through flashback, he sailed beyond the reef as a teenager with a friend of his, they were caught in a storm, and his friend drowned. A valid backstory, to be sure, but it just felt slightly out of place in this film. It’s still good, so consider this extreme nitpicking.
A great influence on Moana’s growth is her grandmother, Gramma Tala (Rachel House), whose role as the “village crazy lady” (her words, not mine) makes for comedic and touching moments between grandmother and granddaughter. Though there are indications that Moana shares traits with her father, it’s her grandmother that she can relate with the most, specifically concerning their shared love of the ocean.
The only cast member who does not have roots in the Pacific Islands is Alan Tudyk, who plays Hei Hei the chicken, and who has had roles in several other Disney animated films, including this year’s Zootopia and 2013’s Frozen. At the screening I went to, the producer of Moana, Osnat Shurer, even referred to Tudyk as a “good luck charm” for recent Disney movies. Given his previous track record, and his voice and motion-capture role in the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, I’d be inclined to agree with Shurer’s sentiment. By the way, quick side note: for people who thought that Moana’s pet pig, that can be seen in several promotional posters and in the trailers, was cute, he isn’t in the movie much. He’s still alive by the movie’s end, but he’s not on the boat when Moana goes off on her journey.
This movie, being mostly on or around the water, does for the computer animation of water what Frozen did for the computer animation of snow. The ocean looks more real than in any animated I’ve seen, and the animators managed to literally bring some personality to the ocean, as the ocean actually comes alive and assists Moana on her journey. Another aspect of the animation that really stuck out for me were the moving tattoos on Maui’s body; it’s a combination of computer and hand-drawn animation, and since I have a soft spot in my heart for hand-drawn Disney, I really appreciated it. But it’s not just that the tattoos move; a tattooed version of Maui interacts with his real-life counterpart, almost making Maui a two-in-one character. There are a few different islands that Moana and Maui travel to, and while they all have some defining features, they don’t stay on them for long, causing a couple of them to look alike in my mind; but that’s a nitpick brought on by the fact that most of this takes place on the water, not on land.
The music is what you’d expect from any Disney film from either Renaissance: excellent. I’ll admit, after seeing the film, I had a little trouble remembering some of the songs, but Moana’s anthem of “How Far I’ll Go” definitely stuck in my head more than the other songs. Also, isn’t it kind of funny how the anthem songs for this film and Disney’s runaway hit Frozen both have the word “go” in them? No? I’m the only one who finds that funny? Okay, moving on. The music invokes a sense of wonder and adventure befitting a film like this, and the songs are powerful enough that their emotions stay with you long after you leave the theater. Another highlight of the soundtrack is the song “We Know the Way,” which features the voice of Hamilton creator and original cast member, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also co-wrote the song. The song comes at a point in the film right before Moana decides to set out on her journey, and accompanies a flashback of her ancestors who were, unbeknownst to her entire village, seafaring explorers. It fits so well, and Lin-Mauel Miranda’s vocals compliment the song perfectly.
As I said before, this film, like this year’s Kubo and the Two Strings, is the Hero’s Journey, with Moana having a call to adventure, crossing a literal threshold in the form of the reef surrounding her home, and eventually returning home with a changed perspective on life. The biggest difference is that the main villain in this movie, while a major threat, is not the biggest threat to Moana and Maui on their quest; the overarching threat that conspires to end their journey prematurely is their self-doubt, which, with each other’s help, evolves into self-confidence. Moana and Maui both start the film being outwardly confident, but when the big danger of the film, the lava demon, almost kills them, they shrink away from their roles as heroes in this grand adventure. But it’s their journey to make themselves stronger before and after their first battle with the lava demon that determines the course of this film, and makes it even more heartwarming when it all comes together in the end. If I had to recommend either this or Kubo and the Two Strings to a family with children, I feel like I’d be quicker to recommend Moana, because, while it can be intense in some moments, it is definitely a more kid-friendly version of the Hero’s Journey than Kubo.
Moana is a fun-filled family adventure film that will delight children and children-at-heart (like me), and that will warm people’s hearts with its message about discovering who you are meant to be. Moana hits theaters on November 23rd, so mark your calendars and prepare to set sail for this instant Disney classic.
The Sack Score: 9.5/10