Disney Has A Winner With Moana
It’s a tale as old as time, a young Disney princess, with a sidekick animal tries to go about saving the world—however Moana is completely different which is definitely a good thing.
Moana’s ability to break the classic Disney princess shell wasn’t forced and at times it poked fun at the idea. The filmmakers’ ability to poke fun at the cliché was a hit with the audience. In order to do this, they used Maui, the demigod of trickery, as their main vehicle.
“If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess,” the demigod, played by Dwayne Johnson, says.
But while the audience is reminded that this is different than other princess movies, the filmmakers give an extraordinary presentation of the Pacific Island-type culture and how important the relationship between man and human. Disney has always been one of the best when it comes to exploring other cultures.
Another great thing is how Moana develops in the typical “grow into yourself” story. While formulaic, it’s very successful and Disney does a good job of putting all of the “feels” there as well. One can’t help but feel for Moana as she sings about being the perfect daughter and following in the paths of her family—even though something bigger like the ocean is calling to her.
Her relationship with Maui is one of big brother and little sister. During the initial phase of this story, it was Maui who was supposed to be the main character. However, the decision to go with Moana proved to be even better as Maui’s character is able to play off of Moana a lot better.
As both try to find their way to return the heart of Te Fiti, a jade stone that is used for all of the earth’s creation, to it’s proper place, they go through perilous, and somewhat funny situations together. Near the end, the audience feels as if they have been there
The visual display and soundtrack of this movie is classic Disney and enhances the film throughout. The tunes are catchy and the work by Lin-Manual Miranda was superb.
All in all, this is a great family film just in time for the holidays.
