Moana is a 2-16 animated film set in Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana’s island, a young girl answers the Ocean’s call to seek out the Demigod to set things right.
So you may have heard that Disney is leaving Netflix soon, it creating its own streaming service scheduled to start up sometime in 2019, so we’ve got only a limited time to catch the Disney movies still available. Yes, you’ve seen Moana. Everyone did according to the box office, but it’s time to sit down and revisit this very well made and inspiring film about a girl named Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) – daughter of the king – from a small Polynesian island whose livelihood is threatened by lack of sustainable food. She has a kinship with the ocean and against orders from her father, takes to the waves in search of Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a demigod who stole the ‘heart of the sea’ from Te Fiti, a goddess who has fallen into a deep slumber. Filled with great songs and stirring animation, this is a genuinely moving story with loads of laughs and plenty of heart. Don’t miss this (again). And check out our extend look at the film and one of its supporting characters.
THE LAST WORD
A lot. This is high adventure with a terrific lead character and a story that never feels false. Gorgeous animation and great songs to boot.
The film drew a lot of criticism for his representation of the fictionalized people and its reductionism of the culture its based on. It at least should open doors to conversations and further education.