Hey….shut up…and that's exactly what I'm going to do because Moana is awesome.
Moana
Directed by John Musker & Ron Celements
Starring Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Let me just say how nice it is to be in the period we're calling The Disney Revival. For the unitiated that's the string of films that began in 2009 with The Princess & The Frog and continues up to the present day. The Mouse's animated output hasn't been this consistent in quality since the Disney Renaissance in the nineties, and if you still don't know what I'm talking about consult this. Point I'm trying to make here, is that there was no doubt that Moana would deliver, and deliver it did.
The film opens by flash-backing to a time when the goddess Te Fiti created life and rose multiple islands to the surface of the ocean. Once her work was complete she too became an island. Shortly afterward the shape-shifting demigod Maui (Johnson), stole her heart and source of power, a ponamu stone. Shortly after that, Maui loses the heart and his magical fish hook in a battle with the lava monster Te Ka, cursing the world for thousands of years to come.
Back to present day, and Moana (Cravalho), the daughter of the chief on the island of Motunui, discovers the ponamu stone, and learns from her grandmother (Rachel House) the ocean has chosen her to return the heart of Te Fiti and bring peace back to the world. Against her father's wishes, Moana leaves her island home to find Maui and get his assistance in returning the heart, and therefore save the world.
The story of Moana is simple in structure, but rich in themes of identity, heritage, and self-worth. You can surely draw parallels between Moana and fellow Disney princesses (She dreams of more, and while a certain little mermaid wants to go on land and her father wants her to stay in the sea, Moana wants to go into the sea and her father wants to stay on land. Man, imagine the fan-fictions.). Nevertheless, Moana is a well-developed character. She wants to do right by her family, but she can't shake the desire to forge her own path, and she struggles to define who she really is. In turn Maui is another well developed Disney lead. On the surface he may seem like he's there for just comic relief, but he's an undoubtedfly flawed, three-dimensional character who also has his own issues of identity to work with.
Together these two characters work together so well, creating another dynamic Disney duo, that build off and strengthen one another throughout the film. Their voice actors, the newcomer Cravalho and everybody's favorite superstar The Rock bring these characters to life and have great chemistry. Cravalho is a true tour de force as Moana, and her performance is the foundation of the entire film. The Rock surprisingly gives a truly heartfelt performance, with his typical charm and humor as Maui. The rest of this voice cast you're not likely to recognize, but each actor embodies his or her character perfectly. Special props go to Rachel House as Moana's grandmother Tala, and Alan Tudyk as Hei Hei.
That's right. That's Alan Tudyk clucking away as that chicken. Give the man an Oscar…by the way how come the animal sidekicks don't talk or have their own songs in Disney films anymore? I miss it…
Speaking of songs, they're unbelievably catchy, crafted by Opetaia Foa'i and Hamilton himself, Lin Manuel Miranda. Each piece is a perfect blend of beautiful and bouncy. Cravalho, only sixteen years old, endures pure awe and chills in many of Moana's songs. Guys, The Rock can sing!! He's only got one number in the film but he nails it. Also, Jermaine Clement of Flight of The Concords shows up for a very interesting song as Tamatoa, a giant crab monster.
The animation in Moana is gorgeous. The setting of South Pacific islands, combined with the story's magical elements, give way for some truly breathtaking visuals, making Moana a real masterpiece of a feast (masterfeast?) for the eyes. You can clearly see that the technology has improved in the short time between Frozen and now.
Moana will rightfully takes its place in the parthenon of Disney animated classics. Wonderful characters, catchy songs, and beautiful animation are the ingredients for another Disney winner, that should get all the repeat viewings in the years to come.
...I feel like I should touch more on the concept of Disney Animation Eras. Sometimes The Package Feature Era is called The War-Time Era, because while they are all package features, that's all they could afford to make because the majority of the studios funding was directed towards making World War II related features, so you know either is appropriate. Also, sometimes The Dark Age is clumped in with The Bronze Age because really, is anyone from Disney really going to call a period of the company "The Dark Age"?
…I should quit while I'm ahead…
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