Moana

Out of the mouth of a mischievous demigod and into the ears of audiences, Moana offers the catchiest line from its catchiest tune: “what can I say except you’re welcome?” Maui (Dwayne Johnson, Central Intelligence) sings. He’s boasting about his prowess, and he’s expecting the titular Pacific Islander (debutant Auli’i Cravalho) to shower him in gratitude. She doesn’t. Instead, she makes a request. She’s slated to be the next chief, is determined to reverse a curse that’s threatening crops, and wants Maui to play his part after causing the problem in the first place.

It’s telling that this dynamic is expressed in song — and that Maui’s arrogance and subsequent Moana’s refusal to massage his ego is captured in an infectious track that burrows into the heads of viewers. There’s much that appears straightforward about Disney’s latest effort as it charts a teenage girl’s coming of age on the ocean while striving to save her previously sea-faring, now sea-fearing people, but its core ripples with spirit. It’s the type of zest that happily rallies against Maui’s hubris and eagerly stresses Moana’s resourcefulness, all in one upbeat, entertaining and insightful animated musical package. 

Accordingly, the latter meets the former after stealing away from her island home against the wishes of her leader father (Temuera Morrison, Mahana), but with the encouragement of grandmother (Rachel House, Hunt for the Wilderpeople). With plant life waning and the sea’s bounties diminishing, Moana enlists Maui to restore the Heart of Te Fiti, an artefact he stole centuries earlier. He’s far from obliging, but her journey soon becomes his too. She tests her mettle, he learns the cost of his selfishness — and they also encounter a treasure-hoarding, glam-rock crooning giant crab (Jemaine Clement, The BFG) along the way.

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (The Princess and the Frog), co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams (Big Hero 6), and written by Jared Bush (Zootopia) based on a story credited to the four helmers plus Pamela Ribon (TV’s Samantha Who?), Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell, Moana proves a film about self-belief, balancing the earned and the inflated kind. It’s a culturally specific Disney princess movie that doesn’t use that term for good reason, and doesn’t need to. Moana’s tale is special because of what dwells inside its fleshed-out heroine regardless of labels or her status within her village, and with her gender and heritage celebrated yet seamlessly woven into the fabric of the feature. Maui doesn’t initially take her seriously because she’s a young woman embarking on a sizeable mission, but championing her assertiveness and enterprising ways while refreshingly steering clear of any romance, the movie itself doesn’t share his view.

Instead, affection and empowerment characterise an effort that’s as warm as the golden sands around Moana’s home, as vivid as the blue waters that ferry her away on her quest, and as energetic as the tattoos that adorn Maui’s body (and, in perhaps Moana‘s best animated sequences — which coincide with its aforementioned enthusiastic anthem — that come to life). So too, does detail, from the vibrant imagery, to the emotional resonance in composers’ Opetaia Foa’i, Mark Mancina (Planes: Fire & Rescue) and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (Broadway musical Hamilton) original songs, to the lively voice work by newcomer Cravalho and her main co-star Johnson. Combined, they make a familiar narrative feel like much more, and an entertaining feature ooze with thoughtful delight. Filmmakers Clements and Musker were also behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, which might give an indication of the format the end result favours — but not its big-hearted, progressive-thinking, charm-drenched impact.

Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5

Moana             
Directors: Ron Clements and John Musker
US, 2016, 107 mins

Release date: 26 December
Distributor: Disney
Rated: PG