Moana – movie review

Girl kicks butt and sings a happy tune. That about sums up Disney’s latest foray into fantasy, this time into the Pacific Islands. Moana is an animated feature about an adventurous teenager who sails away from home on a daring mission to save her people.

The title character is the 16-year-old daughter of the chief of Motunui, whose name is Tui. Brave, determined, compassionate and smart, Moana has a never-say-die attitude and a profound connection to the ocean. Her father keeps telling her about the perils that lie beyond the reef, instructing his people not to go out there either. Tui has seen too many voyages past the waves dashed and out of love for his people, has forbidden further forays. But Moana is nothing if not curious. She is troubled by that edict. In time, she will go against her father’s wishes to pursue her destiny set forth by the Ocean.

The story is inspired in part by oral histories of the people and cultures of Oceania, where filmmakers traveled to learn as much as possible. For centuries, some of the greatest navigators in the world masterfully navigated the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, around 3,000 years ago, their voyages stopped for a millennium – and though there are theories, no one knows exactly why.

Pacific Island storytelling culture is celebrated as the film opens. Gramma Tala, the mother of Chief Tui and Moana’s greatest confidante, shares the tale of Te Fiti, the mother island. Her story culminates with details of Maui, demigod of the wind and sea, who steals the heart of Te Fiti, unleashing a terrible darkness that threatens the life and habitat of islanders throughout the region.  Maui is confronted by Te Ka?, a demon of earth and fire, and ultimately loses the heart of Te Fiti to the sea.

The legend woven by the movie suggests the Ocean has chosen Moana to find Maui and return the heart of Te Fiti, saving her island and her people from the darkness that has begun to take over. The mighty demigod Maui, a ?charismatic character in the film,? was inspired by the varied tales?and legends about him throughout? the Pacific. Maui? is larger-than-life, a trickster and a ?shape-shifter, who can pull up whole islands from the sea with his fishhook. Maui, who’s on his own journey of self-discovery, reluctantly guides Moana in her quest to become a way finder and save her people. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds. Along the way, Moana discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.

Newcomer Auli’i Cravalho is the voice of Moana, while Dwayne Johnson (Central Intelligence) lends his vocal cords to demigod Maui. The voice cast also includes Temuera Morrison (Once Were Warriors) as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui. Rachel House (Whale Rider) is Moana’s trusted Gramma Tala and Nicole Scherzinger Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother, Sina. Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) voices Tamatoa, a self-absorbed 50-foot crab and Alan Tudyk (Zootopia) lends his voice to one very dumb rooster, Heihei. Direction is from John Musker and Ron Clements, who were also partly responsible for the story. Jared Bush (Zootopia) wrote the screenplay.

While it has a nice preservation and conservation message, not to forget the idealism behind the adage “anything is possible if you put your mind to it and give it your all”, I wasn’t totally sold on the mythical fable that I saw unfold. For one thing, it was far too long. For another, it was far too predictable. And I thought the set-up, backgrounding the fable, was too quick. Moana lacked the element of surprise throughout, inevitably moving in the direction you would fully expect it too. I quite liked the central character and couldn’t but admire her tenacity and drive. With that she is able to win over the self-centred, surly demigod. The rooster and a pig add comic relief and more heart. Perhaps their characters could have been developed further.

I thought the soundtrack and the colour palette were mighty impressive, as is usually the case with animated features. The score by Mark Mancina (The Lion King) is a feature that elevates Moana beyond the ordinary, even if the story didn’t resonate with me like other Disney titles. Rated PG, Moana scores a 6½ out of 10.

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker,
Cast: (Voices of) Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Rachel House, Jemaine Clement, Alan Tudyk
Release Date: 26 December 2016
Rating: PG

Alex First