Disney’s “Moana” shatters expectations

I’m a sucker for a good Disney animated film. It’s rare I meet a Disney movie that I don’t like, but this year’s “Moana” raised the bar. From the crystal clear graphics to the enticing score, as well as accurate portrayal of the Polynesian island culture, “Moana” was a masterpiece.

The central character Moana, the daughter of the chief of a small Polynesian island of Motunui, has been drawn to the water ever since she was a child, despite her father’s strict rules about not going beyond the reef. Moana is voiced by 15-year-old Hawaiian native Auli’i Cravalho. Cravalho’s voice is a breath of fresh air in the Disney sphere, due to their habit of casting middle aged women to voice teenage characters. Idina Menzel was undoubtedly vocally impressive as Elsa in “Frozen,” but the 21-year-old character ended up sounding like a 40 year old. Cravalho captured the spirit of a younger character while still having the vocal gravitas of a more seasoned performer.

Cravalho was perfectly foiled by movie titan Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Maui. Maui is a demigod from Polynesian legends who stole the heart of island goddess Te Fiti, cast darkness over the world and disappeared. Moana’s island faces many problems, and she believes finding Maui and having him restore the heart will solve them.       

Moana’s grandmother, Tala (Rachel House), is the proclaimed village “crazy lady”and told Moana of Motunui’s legends including the story of Maui. Tala also opened Moana up to her ancestors’ history as voyagers. When her grandmother dies early in the film, it motivates Moana to go and find Maui and restore the heart.

Moana’s journey is flourished by original songs by “Hamilton’s” Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa’i and a magnificent score by Mark Mancina. The songs fuse Foa’i’s Polynesian culture with Miranda’s lyrical Broadway expertise to create an unforgettable sound and catchy songs you just can’t stop singing. From the uplifting “How Far I’ll Go” to the spectacular “We Know the Way” featuring vocals by Miranda to the dissonant “Shiny,” the music is varied and tailored to fit every moment in the film. The score also features many songs in the Tokelauan languages of the Polynesian islands, furthering the audience’s immersion into the culture in yet another way. Miranda and Foa’i’s songs highlight the culture of the Polynesian islands while still having the classic Disney feel through Miranda’s Broadway and hip hop background.  

The impressive score on a paper was brought to life by an impressive vocal cast. Cravalho is talented beyond her years, House’s vocals are perfectly characterized and tender and Christopher Jackson, of “Hamilton” fame, is the perfect singing voice of Moana’s father Chief Tui to complement New Zealander Temuera Morrison as the speaking voice of Tui. Although Johnson isn’t a very talented singer in a technical sense, his unprofessional tone and primitive vocal placement were perfect for the playful and overconfident Maui.

The animation in “Moana” was more lifelike and realistic than any of the newer Disney movies and the attention to detail was spectacular. The character’s hair looked, moved and behaved like real hair in the windy and wet environment of “Moana.” The majestic landscapes were lush and awe-inspiring . The animators also did a fantastic job of  making the ocean function as a character in the film with their magical coloring, movement and sound effects.

Another high point of “Moana” was its focus on a young woman that accomplishes something that seemed impossible without the help from a love interest. I believe this movie will empower a whole generation of girls to see and believe that they don’t need a man to reach their goals, an example that wasn’t around when I was a little girl obsessed with Disney princesses. Moana even stressed throughout the movie that she isn’t a princess, furthering the movie’s theme of female empowerment.   

In my opinion “Moana” really raised the bar for Disney animated films; the cast and creative team was second to none bringing to life and accurately portraying a culture with lifelike animation, loveable characters, an incredible songbook and an inspirational story to boot! I know I’ll be back at the movie theatre to see “Moana” again and I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next Disney animated feature, “Cars 3,” coming in June 2017.