Moana

By now it's no secret that Disney Animation Studios is on quite a string/roll of fantastic films lately, even more than their Disney brothers-in-arms studio, Pixar. 

Ever since Moana was teased, I was looking forward to it quite a bit for several reasons. 

For starters, I love Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and I'll pretty much support anything he does at this point. Just an all around good guy. 

Second of all was just the knowledge in the back of my mind that this is an original film from a fantastic studio that looked to be making a wave (pun intended) to be unique while adding a Polynesian princess to the Disney catalog. 

Throw in the fact that genius Lin Manuel-Miranda was helping and composing most of the film's music and I was basically sold. 

 It's been a fairly strong year for animation already, with Disney having one of the best of them yet (Zootopia) -- not to mention a certain R-rated venture into the world of food -- but Moana easily cements itself with the others as one of the best animated films of the year. And one of the most entertaining blockbusters of the year as a whole.

It's a combination of Disney at its most classic, but also a side of Disney that is pushing the envelope forward in terms of animation and cultural awareness. 

"No! I can't smell what you are cooking. Stop asking!"

Moana 2: Nightmare on Maui St.

Moana's only weakness lies within its story. While I appreciate the focus on Polynesian mythology, it's still a fairly typical hero's tale, or heroine's tale I suppose, that has the usual beats we're accustomed too. It doesn't really challenge the status quo in that way which is a tad disappointing after the sheer brilliance contained with previous films like Wreck-it Ralph and Zootopia. Add in one song that I wasn't so fond of, and it's overall just a little too light on the humor, and you have an animated film that doesn't quite hit that "perfect" mark. 

Small complaints aside though, Moana is a really fun time at the movies. Much like Finding Nemo and Dory, Moana is insanely colorful. That right there is part of the reason why it's such a delight to watch; it has deep and varied blues, luscious greens, and plenty of scenes with a wide spectrum across the entire rainbow. On the topic of colorful, Moana also features many colorful characters that are sure to become some Disney classics and, as I always say, the most important aspect of an animated film. Moana herself, played by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, is a new Disney badass, and she's a character we want to see succeed. Strong and independent. Not whiny or relying on pure luck. Cravalho will likely become a star after this as she's clearly a good actress behind the voice recordings and she can also sing well. The other main character, Maui, is voiced by Dwayne Johnson who suits the character perfectly. There's a tad of arrogance there, but a deep bravado that fits the larger than life demi-god with some charm but also humility when it calls for it. There's also a chicken, Heihei, that gets most of the film's best laughs from its sheer stupidity as well as a super cute pig that gets sidelined all too quickly. 

Well that's a scary monster!

Moana has some of the best music I've heard in a Disney film in a while too, which is really no surprise given Manuel-Miranda's involvement and the unique islander spin. Unlike some of the other animated films that seem to shoehorn a song in at every turn, I actually quite appreciated all but one of Moana's songs and I don't feel like there was a single one that came at an inopportune time. Furthermore, the music itself is highly inspiring and melds with the theme of the film as a whole, with some of the best scenes coming from the singing bits. I know that I'll personally have a couple of the songs stuck in my head for the next few days at least and I'll be interested to see if their popularity surpasses "Let It Go" because, to be honest, they're much better. 

As is the case with most animated movies, I'm often flabbergasted (yes, flabbergasted) by the complexity and detail within the animation itself. In Moana the odd "winners" of dropping my jaw are actually hair and the ocean itself. They've perfectly recreated the ocean here, both on the surface and within its waves. Character hair is also shocking, as it looks like each strand was rendered separately or something of the sort and when it gets wet it behaves naturally. An odd thing to point out, sure, but I just couldn't stop looking at it. 

Some interesting and funny (and cute!) new characters

Simply put, Moana is another hit by Disney. Given their insane success lately (animated films, Marvel, Star Wars) I guess it shouldn't be surprising, but it's refreshing to see that they haven't become complacent in what they're offering. It introduces a really fun, vibrant new setting and characters with some great visuals and music. I wish the story was a little bit more something to write home about, but it's delightful enough to where it doesn't hinder the overall product too much. It's a great family film, just in time for the Holidays. 

CONS:

• The tale it tells is a bit generic. It's a common hero's tale that doesn't venture too far from the normal beats
• I wish it were a bit funnier overall
• Pua (the pig) gets sidelined too quickly
• One song from a villain was pretty lame compared to everything else

PROS:

• Johnson and Cravalho are great leads and both suit their characters really well
• Speaking of Maui and Moana, they're both fantastic characters, especially the latter, and are destined to become some Disney classics
• A very vibrant and colorful film. It's great fun
• Awesome animation that is insanely detailed
• Does have a few funny beats throughout as well as some cool action
• Some of the best music in a Disney film in quite some time. Songs also don't feel shoehorned in
• Highly entertaining and makes itself distinct with the culture and setting

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10