movie review essay moana

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

“Moana” would have been enormously entertaining regardless of when it came out, but its arrival at this particular moment in history gives it an added sense of significance—as well as inspiration.

The latest musical extravaganza from Walt Disney Animation Studios follows the adventures of a young woman who finds her own voice and forges her own identity. She chooses to be a forward-thinking leader of her people on her own terms, rather than a stereotypical princess in need of rescue, which the film acknowledges in amusingly knowing fashion. She has both the wisdom to respect her people’s traditions and the bravery to blaze her own trail toward the future.

Moana is on the verge of becoming the first female chief in the proud history of her Polynesian tribe, shattering the glass ceiling under spectacular blue skies. Imagine that.

Sure, you could go see “Moana” for its dazzling visuals, catchy tunes, enjoyable performances, clever running gags and overall sense of fun. It’s all there, and—except for a few scary moments—it’ll delight viewers of all ages. But for some of us older folks in the crowd, it’s hard to shake the feeling of wistful possibility in seeing a woman assume the leadership position for which she was destined.

It’s a must-see for girls and boys alike, though. And it features an astonishingly assured, auspicious debut from Auli’I Cravalho, a Hawaiian teenager showing chops and instincts well beyond her experience and years. In lending her voice to the title character, Cravalho radiates grace, great timing and an infectious energy. And the film from the veteran directing team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“ The Little Mermaid ,” “ Aladdin ”) and a small army of writers gives her plenty of opportunity to shine both individually and as part of a large, colorful cast of characters.

None is larger than Dwayne Johnson as the muscled demigod Maui, with whom Moana must team up to return a magical stone to its resting place and right an ancient wrong that’s steadily plagued the Pacific islands ever since—including, most pressingly, her home. Being one of the most charismatic people on the planet, Johnson charms with all the swagger you’d expect, and he’s also capable of toying with his tough-guy image as we’ve seen over the years. (A running bit in which Maui’s mass of tattoos comes to life to comment on the action—and mock him—provides a consistently funny Greek chorus.) But Johnson doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to connect with more intimate, dramatic moments, and “Moana” allows him to show off that side of his talent, too.

The two enjoy plenty of highs and lows as they set out on the open ocean, learning to work together to navigate various obstacles and outsmart their foes. (If you’re thinking about bringing very young children, a giant lava monster might seem frightening to them, but everything else is pretty darn delightful—including a pirate armada of evil coconuts who attack in a hilarious and thrilling sequence that’s straight out of “ Mad Max: Fury Road .”)

“Hamilton” mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda co-wrote several of the songs that help propel the action, including Moana’s girl-power anthem, “How Far I’ll Go,” and Maui’s bouncy introductory tune, “You’re Welcome.” The former speaks to her yearning to break free and explore beyond the island’s reef, something her father ( Temuera Morrison ) and mother ( Nicole Scherzinger ) have urged her not to do for fear of the dangers that may await. While it (mercifully) lacks the same persistent earworm qualities of the ubiquitous “Let It Go” from “ Frozen ,” its message of female assertiveness makes it infinitely more worthwhile. Another major highlight is “Shiny,” a campy little ditty sung by Jemaine Clement as a conniving crab with a taste for all things glittering and gold; it’s hard to ignore the modern-day political figure he calls to mind, too.

The details in these production numbers are just decadent; the colors are a million shades of green blue, and the underwater creatures and settings have a wonderfully immersive, tactile quality. Maybe the movie goes for the easy, physical gag a few times too many, as is the case with Moana’s animal pal, a kooky, cross-eyed chicken named Heihei (voiced by Alan Tudyk ) who accidentally tags along when she dares to set out on the high seas.

But Moana—a strong, curvy girl and not your typical, stick-figure princess—is ready for any challenge that comes her way. Even a wacky sidekick.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Now playing

Problemista

Monica castillo.

Peter Sobczynski

Knox Goes Away

Robert daniels.

State of Consciousness

Simon abrams.

The People's Joker

Clint worthington, film credits.

Moana (2016)

Rated PG-13 for peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements.

113 minutes

Auli'i Cravalho as Moana (voice)

Dwayne Johnson as Maui (voice)

Alan Tudyk as Hei Hei the Rooster (voice)

Phillipa Soo as (voice)

Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa (voice)

Nicole Scherzinger as Sina (voice)

Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui (voice)

Rachel House as Gramma Tala (voice)

• Ron Clements
• John Musker

Director (co-director)

• Chris Williams

Writer (story by)

• Pamela Ribon
• Aaron Kandell
• Jordan Kandell
• Jeff Draheim

Composer (original score composed by / original songs by)

• Mark Mancina

Composer (original songs by)

• Opetaia Foa'i
• Lin-Manuel Miranda

Latest blog posts

The End of the World is Going to be Weird on Prime Video’s Quirky, Clever Adaptation of Fallout

The Zellner Brothers Take a Walk in the Woods with Sasquatch Sunset

The Scene That Clint Eastwood Cut to Make Unforgiven a Classic

Ape Shall Not Kill Ape: A Look at the Entire Apes Franchise

• Entertainment /

Moana review: after 80 years of experiments, Disney has made the perfect Disney movie

The new film uses plenty of familiar disney tropes, but polishes them to a new high gloss.

By Tasha Robinson

Share this story

Virtually everything about Disney’s latest fairy tale, Moana , is familiar from past Disney films. The studio is still following the broad parameters it started laying down in 1937, with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , by reshaping a culturally specific fairy tale to fit a family-friendly, accessible template. Once again, there’s a young woman leaving a safe, comfortable home, venturing into a dangerous world, and finding her destiny, all while singing catchy songs about what she wants and how she’ll get it.  

All the narrow parameters are familiar, too, this time from Disney’s Tangled . Like Rapunzel in Tangled , Moana (Hawaiian newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) is brave and ambitious, but also naïve and sheltered, because she’s been held back by overprotective parents with their own agenda for her life. Like Rapunzel, Moana defies family to pursue her own quest. And like Rapunzel, Moana seeks the help of a more worldly and experienced man, who holds her in dismissive contempt until she’s proved herself enough times to earn his admiration. The fact that he’s a boastful demigod instead of a smug thief seems almost beside the point: Both Maui (Dwayne Johnson) in Moana and Flynn Rider in Tangled are flashy, arrogant, and headed for breakdowns when they realize the limits of their talents. And they’re both overshadowed by their plucky young protégés, who start out less cocksure and brash, so they suffer smaller falls whenever they hit a crisis of confidence. Naturally, in both films, there’s an animal companion, a lot of bantery comedy, a solemn moment where the heroine has to decide to press on alone, and some big explosive action when she does.

But the familiarity of the formula doesn’t matter nearly as much as the execution. Moana makes Tangled feel like one of many experiments at tinkering with the formula, getting it exactly right. All the beats proceed exactly as expected, but they hit with admirably precise timing, amid a strikingly beautiful landscape where every leaf is rendered with loving clarity. The humor, the wonder, and the awwww moments all hit home comfortably. This is such a perfect execution of the Disney formula, it feels like the movie the studio has been trying to make since Snow White .

It’s no wonder Disney keeps coming back to different forms of this fairy-tale-derived story, which encourages viewers to relate to a character with boundless drive and goodwill, then lets her triumph in a world that seems determined to make her fail. The Disney-heroine formula isn’t just a standard feel-good underdog story, it’s specifically a story about how determination and good intentions count for more than experience and age. That narrative is particularly friendly to younger viewers, who get to see their fantasies of heroism play out on-screen. But it’s a satisfyingly idealistic stance for older watchers, too. 

Moana also draws on a wrinkle familiar from films like Mulan and Pocahontas : The heroine isn’t just buoyed by her own inner strength, she’s drawing on the teachings and traditions of her culture as well. Moana is the daughter of a Polynesian chief, being groomed to succeed her father and advise her people, but she’s as much the recipient of received wisdom as she is its arbiter. Moana directors John Musker and Ron Clements ( The Little Mermaid , Aladdin , Hercules , The Princess and the Frog ) built an extensive brain trust around designing and vetting the movie to respect the South Pacific myths it incorporates, and to accurately reflect the culture it portrays. There have been missteps along the way — a controversy over a Maui costume that looked suspiciously like a brownface suit; early complaints that Maui’s thick build was a Samoan stereotype — and telling lapses, like the animators making Maui bald , which required an intervention from a Tahitian cultural consultant. But mostly, Moana is refreshingly free from groan-inducing stereotypes, or ridiculous twists like the European invaders leaving the American natives in peace and returning to England at the end of Pocahontas . Moana is respectful to the world it’s evoking — sometimes to a fault, given how carefully calculated and celebratory it is when addressing those cultures.

If the worst that can be said about a Disney film is that it’s too conscious and crafted about its messaging, though, it’s mostly doing diversity right. And within all these familiar parameters and cultural caution, Musker and Clements still find ways to make Moana stand out, and to make it feel spontaneous, joyous, and beautiful. Character movements are based in Polynesian traditional dances and Samoan war dances. Apart from a weak, instantly dated joke about Twitter, the comedy is lively and rambunctious, and it works well to establish the characters. The songs, crafted by Samoan musician Opetaia Foa’i, composer Mark Mancina, and Hamilton composer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda, draw on Polynesian drumming and choral vocals for a rich, hypnotic sound. And the best of them — Maui’s smarmy “look how great I am” anthem “You’re Welcome” and the twisty, Bowie-esque phantasmagoria “Shiny,” sung by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement — are just upbeat, earwormy show tunes, the kind that send audiences out of the theater humming.

Above all, though, Moana feels like the endpoint of the slow-burn modernization process that Walt Disney Animation started shortly after the Disney Renaissance kicked off. The Little Mermaid revived the studio’s reputation for memorable animation, songs, and stories, but Beauty and the Beast started bringing its old stories into a modern era, by giving its heroines personality beyond the traditional “I Want” song, and agency that wasn’t usurped as soon as the bland love interest entered the picture. It’s been a slow road to self-realization for Disney heroines, but the old tropes have steadily been strengthened through films like Mulan , Lilo & Stitch , The Princess and the Frog , Tangled , Zootopia , and Frozen .

And now here’s Moana, a fully rounded character with an idealized yet believable body, flaws that she acknowledges and fights, and a resourcefulness that makes her admirable even when she’s failing. She doesn’t even need a love interest to define her story. Maui, a tattooed trickster with all Johnson’s gleaming-toothed charm, is compelling, but he’s also ageless and inhuman, so it’s a relief when he doesn’t start giving his traveling companion the hey-baby eye. Moana is all about familiar patterns, refined to their ultimate forms, and presented with a satisfying energy and power. But Musker and Clements also have the sense to pick and choose which tropes make sense for their story. As perfectly as these old beats work in this new context, Moana functions as well as it does because the story team ultimately focused on finding everything about Disney stories that worked in 2016, and improving everything that didn’t.

How filmmakers manipulate our emotions using color

This is the new sonos app, coming may 7th, kobo announces its first color e-readers, with vids, google thinks it has the next big productivity tool for work, consumers will finally see fcc-mandated ‘nutrition labels’ for most broadband plans, amc theatres’ top brass has misgivings about the dune popcorn bucket.

More from Culture

Spike Jonze’s Her holds up a decade later

How AI can make history

The text file that runs the internet

The ‘queer.af’ Mastodon instance disappeared because of the Taliban

• Newsletters

Site search

• Israel-Hamas war
• 2024 election
• Solar eclipse
• Supreme Court
• All explainers
• Future Perfect

Filed under:

Disney’s Moana tells an emotional, funny story worthy of its luminous heroine

Disney’s new don’t-call-her-a-princess is the hero we need right now.

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Disney’s Moana tells an emotional, funny story worthy of its luminous heroine

Whether or not Moana (pronounced Moe-AH-na) is the movie we need right now I can't say definitively, but I think it was the movie I needed. And I suspect I won’t be alone in that feeling.

A tale of a courageous young woman who learns to lead from her ancestors and takes on a lava monster, Moana has a lot things going for it. Its sunny island setting lends itself to magical realism to great effect, similar to this year's outstanding Kubo and the Two Strings . The film’s imagination runs rampant, and the results are funny and unpredictable. It has a great heroine. It calls for young people to embrace their family and community while also being brave and authentic. And the songs are mostly written by Opetaia Foa'i , Mark Mancina , and Hamilton composer Lin-Manuel Miranda , and whew are they catchy.

All these factors taken together and topped off with a great voice cast means Moana punches way above the weight class typically assigned to children’s movies with a fairly boilerplate plot about figuring out who you truly are. It's delightful.

Moana draws on legends to tell a story of bravery

Moana is set on Motunui, a Polynesian island far enough away from any mainland that its time period isn't clear. But modernity hasn't touched the island, which is self-sufficient from its fishing and coconut farming. Everyone seems content.

Except Moana, voiced by newcomer (and Oahu native)  Auli'i Cravalho . Moana's father is the chief, Tui ( Temuera Morrison ), and someday, he tells her often, she will be chief. Technically, then, Moana is another Disney princess, though the film is self-aware enough to make a crack about it when Moana protests that she's actually the daughter of a chief. ("If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you're a princess").

Moana's people tell the story of their ancestors, who came to Motunui and stayed because it is protected by a reef, which they must never cross. But why would they cross it? They've got everything they need right there on Motunui, and an all-village song-and-dance number called "Where We Are" to prove it.

Yet Moana has heard the ocean calling to her since she was a tiny child (Moana means ocean), and though she loves her home and family, she also longs to see what's beyond the reef, singing her conflict in "How Far I'll Go." Her grandmother, a bit of a gadfly, gently nudges her teenage granddaughter toward a fuller discovery of her people's heritage: They were once voyagers, people who sailed the ocean.

Meanwhile, Moana discovers that her island is in trouble. The coconuts aren't growing well. The fish supply is drying up in the reef. The way to restore prosperity to the island, Moana knows from her grandmother's stories, is to return the heart of the goddess Te Fiti, which was stolen by the demigod Maui ( Dwayne Johnson ). And so Moana, heart in hand, sets sail for the island where Maui is marooned — with her scrappy chicken sidekick in tow — to force him to return the heart to Te Fiti.

The movie’s legends are based on real myths . But once Moana gets on the high seas, the film takes on the standard episodic nature of similar quest movies, with scary beasts and catchy dance numbers (most notably, one from a giant crab who is very fond of glittery things, voiced by Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement ). Along the way, Moana learns how to navigate from the stars, that courage and valor aren't just for demigods, and that it's important to know who you are and know where you came from if you want to lead well.

Moana looks great, and you’ll leave humming

The magic in  Moana comes from its striking visual imagination, something that's always been a feature of Disney animated films but is especially fun here. In some cases, it actually helps propel the story and get around some narrative trickiness. For instance, telling all of Maui's backstory could grow ponderous; luckily, Maui's enormous body is covered with tattoos that tell his history, and a tiny Maui-shaped tattoo is animated, jumping around his body and serving as a sort of conscience whenever the demigod gets too cocky.

Maui’s stylized moving tattoo is a nice two-dimensional contrast to Moana ’s 3D computer animation, which doesn't add much in this film but is probably inescapable by now at your local multiplex. And it's not the only time Moana switches to 2D: An early segment tells the legend of Te Fiti and Maui using a stylized mixed-animation technique that’s been around for a while, and was effectively used at length in a few films this year, including  Kubo and the Two Strings and The Little Prince . The mix of styles in these films suggest that filmmakers are growing more thoughtful about how animation doesn't just depict a story in a cool way, but actually helps shape the way we perceive it, and lets them pay homage to art from other cultures and time periods.

Moana also manages to make surprisingly effective use of inanimate objects: The ocean itself is a character in Moana , with a personality and (non-verbal) jokes of its own. And the film's funniest bit may be when Moana and Maui are attacked by three huge pirate ships run by a roving band of murderous … coconuts? (I hope the coconuts become a recurring thing.)

A lot of the early buzz regarding Moana — particularly once Miranda’s involvement was announced — centered on whether it would be a worthy musical successor to Disney’s massively successful Frozen. Whether or not the Moana soundtrack supplants "Let it Go" in the minivans of parents everywhere may depend more on the parents' need to switch than anything else: Moana 's soundtrack is exuberant and fun, but a little more lyrically complicated, and thus potentially less earwormy.

Moana's big song, "How Far I'll Go," as well as "I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)" and " We Know the Way ," are fairly standard show tunes inflected with a strong Polynesian influence, whereas both the crab's song "Shiny" and Maui's introductory number " You're Welcome " are sly, with a lot of fast-paced internal rhyming. But regardless of whether they take a spot on permanent rotation, they're definitely fun.

Moana is hitting theaters not just at Thanksgiving, but at a moment when a lot of weary people are looking for a little escape. In times marked by cowardice and ugliness, a luminous movie about a brave girl who taps into the past to lead in the future — accented with catchy tunes and a demigod — may indeed be a sunny balm for weary souls.

Moana opens in theaters on November 23.

Will you support Vox today?

We believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, and stewards of this planet. Producing deeply researched, explanatory journalism takes resources. You can support this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Will you join us?

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via

Next Up In Culture

Sign up for the newsletter today, explained.

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

The Vatican’s new statement on trans rights undercuts its attempts at inclusion

The messy legal drama impacting the Bravo universe, explained

Why car insurance rates are so high

X-Men ’97 is Marvel’s best argument for an X-Men animated feature

Language doesn’t perfectly describe consciousness. Can math?

The rise of the scammy car loan

Review by Brian Eggert November 23, 2016

“If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess,” says Maui, a self-obsessed demigod. In her Polynesian village, Moana serves as the chief’s daughter, not royalty; nevertheless, she bears all the traits of your typical Disney princess. Alongside her dim pet rooster, Heihei, a comic relief character even more useless than the talking snowman in Frozen , Moana sets out on an adventure of self-discovery against the wishes of her father. Following this boilerplate scenario, the heroine of Walt Disney’s animated musical Moana remains a princess regardless of her title. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements established this formula in 1989 with The Little Mermaid , and then followed their model in Aladdin (1992) and The Princess and the Frog (2009, underrated). Musker and Clements are joined by co-directors Chris Williams and Don Hall here, and despite the absurd volume of directors behind the production, Moana remains an entertaining and often beautiful entry into Disney canon.

When she realizes her island village is slowly dying, Moana (voice of Hawaiian newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) defies her overprotective father and sets out to find Maui (Dwayne Johnson). According to Polynesian legend, Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti, the goddess of life, a thousand years ago—the “heart” being a small, glowing green stone. But the heroic Maui has since lost the stone and his magical fish hook beneath the sea, the latter of which allows him to shape-shift into various animals. Once the heart is returned to Te Fiti, who lies beyond a wall protected by the volcanic deity Te Ka, life will once again flourish. But before any of that can happen, Moana must convince the egomaniacal Maui to cooperate. Serving as a kind of scatterbrained version of the Genie from Aladdin , Maui reluctantly guides Moana on a quest to recover his fish hook and return Te Fiti’s heart.

Aside from its plot originating from actual Polynesian mythologies, Moana ’s characters adopt many of its idiosyncrasies and personality from Samoan and other South Pacific cultures. Maui and the proud men from Moana’s island appear covered in decorative tattoos, their bodies shaped like puffed-up figurines made of fondant, rather than the doll-like appearance of the princesses from Frozen . Their long, wavy, dark brown hair moves in fascinating ways (bringing to mind Princess Merida’s transfixing locks in Pixar’s Brave ) as they perform traditional Polynesian dances. Best of all, the story’s wildest and most outlandish quirks come from the joyful legends passed among Polynesian people. The film’s immersion into these cultures remains something different than U.S. audiences are accustomed to seeing, which seems more important in our culture today than ever before.

Fortunately, the gorgeous animation compensates for an occasionally predictable and hammy script. Viewers may find themselves getting swept up in the photo-real water, the lifelike movement of hair (particularly that of Moana and Maui), or the detail of a scene where Moana finds herself covered in sand. Elsewhere, the bioluminescent undersea life forms and bright oceanic backgrounds pop on the screen in vivid colors. For one sequence during the hilarious song “You’re Welcome,” written by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the foreground animation looks even more lifelike when the background turns into a flat plane, recalling musical numbers from the 1960s. Another sequence, an actionized chase, seems to pay homage to Mad Max: Fury Road with a caravan of Kakamora pounding wild drums in spiky coconut costumes. The inventiveness of such asides easily compensates for typical “I want” songs and other required moments in a model Disney film.

Alongside Miranda, Opetaia Foa’I (lead singer of the band Te Vaka) and Disney collaborator Mark Mancina create several memorable songs that adopt the style of South Pacific cultures. Although I may be in the minority for thinking Frozen ’s “Let It Go” was grossly overrated, Moana ’s soundtrack embeds several songs and melodies in the viewer’s brain. The aforementioned “I want” song called “How Far I’ll Go” may be one of the best of its kind, whereas the village’s journey tune “We Know the Way,” performed in the Tokelauan language, rings with authentic harmonies that hit the viewer in the chest. Perhaps the most entertaining of the film’s songs is “Shiny,” performed by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, who lends the giant crab monster Tamatoa his smooth, deep voice and oddball humor.

Moana ’s dependence on its familiar structure may reduce it to an average experience overall, but the film’s few innovations are inspired. For instance, Moana’s gender never becomes an issue. She doesn’t define herself or her quest through a prince, and in fact, the film never develops a romance subplot at all. Having a resourceful and independent heroine at the center of a story about demigods and larger-than-life monsters shows Disney’s willingness to modernize (somewhat, anyway). Likewise, the film’s immersion in a specific culture’s belief systems demonstrates their desire to take occasional risks, although not to the socially reflective extremes of their other 2016 film, Zootopia . Most of all, Moana proves so visually stunning that all other qualities recede, and the audience beams afterward in awe of its sheer beauty.

Related Titles

The Definitives

• In Theaters

Recent Reviews

• Civil War 4 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Patreon Exclusive: Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter 4 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• LaRoy, Texas 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
• Blackout 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
• Monkey Man 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
• Short Take: Baghead 2 Stars ☆ ☆
• Patreon Exclusive: The Public Eye 2.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
• Wicked Little Letters 3.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• The Animal Kingdom 4 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Patreon Exclusive: Immaculate 1.5 Stars ☆ ☆
• Late Night with the Devil 2.5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 2 Stars ☆ ☆
• Road House 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
• You'll Never Find Me 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆
• Patreon Exclusive: True Lies 3 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆

Recent Articles

• MSPIFF 2024
• The Definitives: Ocean's Eleven
• Reader's Choice: Ocean's Twelve
• Reader's Choice: Ocean's Thirteen
• The Definitives: The Abyss
• The Definitives: The Gleaners and I
• Guest Appearance: KARE 11 - Oscar Picks and Predictions
• The Definitives: Cléo from 5 to 7
• The Definitives: The Terminator
• The Definitives: Melancholia

Film Review: ‘Moana’

This musical tale of an empowered Polynesian princess marks a return to the heights of the Disney Renaissance, from the directors of 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Aladdin.'

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

• ‘Arcadian’ Review: Nicolas Cage Takes a Back Seat to Two Boys and a Bunch of Bugs in Clumsy Survival Thriller 15 hours ago
• Critic’s Notebook: Sharper Than Ever, French Crime Classic ‘Le Samouraï’ Might Be the Coolest Film Ever Made 2 days ago
• Don’t Believe What You Read About ‘Liarmouth,’ Says John Waters, Whose Next Movie Is Still Up in the Air 3 days ago

Princesses come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, though Disney’s latest addition to its ever-growing gallery of empowered female heroines — Moana (voiced by Hawaiian actress Auli’i Cravalho), the daughter of a Pacific Islands chieftain — doesn’t see herself as a princess per se. Even so, as her friend, the Polynesian demigod Maui ( Dwayne Johnson ), is quick to point out, “If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess.” Thankfully, while Moana is going through a pretty serious identity crisis in the new animated movie that bears her name, Walt Disney Animation Studios has resoundingly solved its own, delivering a musical adventure that’s a worthy addition alongside “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” two now-classic cartoons also brought to life by directors John Musker and Ron Clements, whose gift for hand-drawn animation translates beautifully to the realm of CG here.

More than “Tangled,” more than “Frozen,” “Moana” keeps with the tradition that made Disney the leader in animated fairy and folk tales, and yet, showing a thoroughly modern touch, it’s the first to do so without so much as suggesting a love interest. Sure, there are men in Moana’s life, big hulking men shaped like Samoan rugby players with egos of a similar size: Maui wants mortals to adore him, and Moana’s father enforces a rule that no one from their tribe is allowed to venture beyond the shallow reef that encircles their island, Motunui. But the only force Moana answers to is the ocean itself, which behaves quite unexpectedly in an early scene, pulling back the water’s edge so that she can amble in over her head, peering at the sea life all around her as if staring into a giant aquarium.

It’s a magical moment, and one that endears us to both Moana and the ocean for the rest of the film. As if witnessing Buzz Aldrin stare out into space as a child, we’re afforded the opportunity to see an explorer make first contact with her destiny, and if there’s any doubt that this is something special, the film front-loads her story with two exceptional original songs: The first conveys her father’s play-it-safe mantra, “Where We Are,” while the other gives voice to Moana’s own horizon-challenging desires, “How Far I’ll Go” — both the result of an inspired collaboration between “Hamilton” composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, longtime Disney music guru Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa’i, the lead singer of South Pacific fusion band Te Vaka. Much as “Moana” means “ocean” in Maori, effectively reinforcing the bond between the two, Miranda discovers a near-perfect rhyming connection between “daughter” and “water.”

These two competing forces are as strong as those that control the tide itself, as her dad demands that she remain on land, while Moana dreams of setting sail on a quest to return to its rightful owner the “heart of Te Fiti,” a carved, jade-like stone stolen years earlier by Maui. You can practically hear the swagger in Johnson’s voice as he plays the vain demigod, the depiction of whom has set off some alarm bells among the culturally oversensitive. Frankly, it’s impressive all the myriad ways in which research trips to the region have informed the film’s design, and though Maui may not look like previous artists’ depictions, he’s a thoroughly original character. Plus, his massive size serves a practical function, supplying the canvas for elaborate full-body tribal tattoos, including a “Mini Maui” silhouette whose Jiminy Cricket-like advice is delivered via pantomime (instead of perching on his shoulder, Maui’s conscience is drawn directly onto his skin).

For older audiences, especially those who came of age during the era of “Beauty and the Beast,” much of what follows will seem like Disney boilerplate, but that would be understating the shrewd yet significant ways Musker and Clements innovate. There’s the welcome cultural aspect of the female explorer, of course, plus the fact that the film gives its heroine a healthy, more realistically proportioned physique (reminiscent of the Hawaiian characters in “Lilo & Stitch”), rather than forcing Moana into the mold of past princesses.

Freed of the Barbie body image and over-large Bratz-doll eyes of recent toons, Moana’s expressions seem more consistent with Disney’s classic 2D character form, reflecting all the subtleties of performance possible in hand-drawn animation. At the same time, liberated by the possibilities of CG, the virtual camera is free to swoop and surround the characters in dynamic ways, best reflected in the psychedelic disco thrill of “Shiny,” a musical number performed by Flight of the Conchords singer Jemaine Clement, in the guise of a monster crab. And, of course, there’s the not-insignificant challenge of animating water itself, and though Dory and “The Red Turtle” both swim in the stuff, it has never looked better or boasted more of a personality.

Set mostly on the open sea, which can be as dull a place as the driest desert, “Moana” never lingers long enough for the energy to stagnate. There’s comic relief in the form of Heihei, a real dodo of a rooster, who’s there to supply laughs and sell toys, but otherwise has no business having left the island. Moana, by contrast, is only just beginning to get in touch with her people’s seafaring ways, but takes to the water so naturally she might as well be half-fish — like her distant cousin, “The Little Mermaid,” or Maui, who retrieves his magic fishhook, but is so rusty at shape-shifting that he manages only a shark tail at points (a somewhat restrained reminder of the Genie in “Aladdin”). In other words, the film gives the directors a chance to update what they do best, much as its more independent-minded princess manages to hold her own against the ultra-macho Maui and other rivals, including an army of coconut pirates and Te Kā, a supernatural beast with a volcanic temper.

Naturally, these encounters give the quest-like storyline an episodic feel, and yet the dynamic between Moana and Maui deepens as the story unfolds, revealing her to be one of Disney’s most remarkable heroines yet: Rather than waiting for her prince (or whomever) to come, Moana takes control of her own destiny. Still, there’s a simplicity to the plot here that feels like a step back from the narrative complexity of some of Disney Animation’s recent achievement — most notably “Zootopia,” whose elaborate mystery plot left room for a powerful social message. Considering these two movies side-by-side, one can see how far the toon studio has come in recent years, and rather than judging them against one another (an exercise required only of Oscar voters), there’s something to be celebrated in the way “Zootopia” advances the storytelling possibilities of animation, while “Moana” demonstrates how Disney has gotten its mojo back. As princess movies go, this one broadens the studio’s horizons, and as Moana herself sings in the film, “no one knows, how far it goes.”

Reviewed at Disney Studios, Burbank, Nov. 4, 2016. (In AFI Film Festival.) MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 113 MIN.

• Production: (Animated) A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release and presentation of a Walt Disney Animation Studios production. Producer: Osnat Shurer. Executive producer: John Lasseter.
• Crew: Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements; co-directors: Chris Williams, Don Hall. Screenplay: Jared Bush; story: Ron Clements, John Musker, Chris Williams & Don Hall, Pamela Ribon, Aaron Kandell & Jordan Kandell. Camera (color, widescreen, 3D): Rob Dressel, Adolph Lusinsky. Editor: Jeff Draheim.
• With: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, Oscar Kightley.

More From Our Brands

The 12 best-smelling laundry detergents of 2024, from dedcool to glamorous wash, a ‘shark tank’ star’s sky-high n.y.c. penthouse seeks $38 million, shohei ohtani could be cleared by a mizuhara guilty plea, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, ahs: delicate turns back the clock, unmasking another familiar foe, verify it's you, please log in.

‘Moana’ (2016): A fresh, feminist Disney classic (review)

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

In present day, Moana, daughter of Motunui’s chief Tui ( Temuera Morrison ), is selected by the ocean as its chosen one. However, her father Tui has other plans. Moana is slated to ascend to the thrown as Motunui’s next chief. However, a plague strikes Motunui, and Moana’s grandmother Tala ( Rachel House ) insists that the heart of Te Fiti must be returned. Despite Tui’s warnings, Moana steals away in a boat heading beyond the barrier reef, and seeks out Maui and the heart of Te Fiti.

“Moana” is a masterpiece among Walt Disney productions. Its animation glistens with an awe-inspiring realism: light shimmering across the surface of the ocean water, a gradient of greens comprises the island foliage. Colors are dynamic and truly pop on-screen. And its soundtrack complements the eye candy wonderfully. Mark Mancina handles the score, with Opetaia Foa’i and Lin-Manuel Miranda aiding Mancina on the lyrics. Music varies from comedic pieces to moving, emotional ballads, but the unifying factor is that all tracks are incredibly catchy and memorable.

There’s ample character development. While Tui initially appears as an overly protective father, a flashback reveals his reluctance to let his daughter venture beyond the reef. Grandma Tala seems bonkers and while she’s certainly a bit kooky, Tala ultimately proves correct in her assertion that Moana must put back the heart of Te Fiti. Moana remains the star of the show as a likable heroine. She’s imperfect in a relatable human way, and endearingly headstrong. Maui, voiced with aplomb by Dwayne “The Rock,” Johnson proves to be the movie’s most nuanced character. On the surface, he’s an all-powerful demigod, yet his backstory paints a gentler picture of the hulking Maui.

Arguably the most enjoyable aspect of “Moana” is that it’s a wholly feminist film. Moana, no shocker here, saves Motunui, aided by Tala. Even the main deity, Te Fiti, is a godess. Moreover, the movie foregoes a romance subplot far too often shoehorned into the narrative. Instead, there’s only platonic love washing over the entire film. Visually-stunning, bolstered by a solid cast, and masterfully scored, “Moana” is a well-deserving Disney classic.

This post may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in affiliate programs such as the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, all products are thoroughly tested and reviews are honest and unbiased.

• Become a Critical Movie Critic
• Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: Moana (2016)

• Greg Eichelberger
• Movie Reviews
• 4 responses
• --> December 4, 2016

In an effort to recognize every genre and cultural sub-group, Walt Disney Animation Studios has scored again with Moana , a tale recounting how Pacific Islanders traversed the South Seas in search of lands to inhabit. Here, a few archaeological facts are mixed with the Legend of Maui, a demigod/shape-shifter/adventurer who, with his trusty ivory fish hook (a gift from the gods, you see), steals a piece of jade called the Heart of Te Fiti from an island goddess that is lush and beautiful.

As soon as the rock is purloined, however, the land is turned into barren decay and a plague begins to spread to other islands in the region. Meanwhile, Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson, “ San Andreas ”) is knocked from the sky, separated from his fish hook and banished to a small rock enclave in the middle of the Oceania for 1,000 years.

After this opening drama, we see Gramma Tala (voice of Rachel House, “ Hunt for the Wilderpeople ”) scaring small children of their island by relating ancient stories of sea monsters and such; all except little Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho, a Hawaiian high school sophomore making her film debut), who is drawn to the sea, even as a baby. Her father, Chief Tui (voice of Temuera Morrison, “ Green Lantern ”), however, does not want her near the water, and despite being surrounded by it, he harbors a deep fear for his little girl. The addled Gramma, though, knows that the sea has seemingly chosen Moana for something very special indeed.

As she grows and takes upon more of her inherited chiefly responsibilities, Moana discovers that the crops are dying and fish are no longer plentiful.

Unbeknownst to her, it’s the Maui curse creeping up on their own land and only she can do anything about it. Of course, this action involves her taking a boat far across the reef and beyond, finding Maui and forcing him to return the Heart of Te Fiti so plants and vegetation will once again flourish. It’s a task fraught with almost unconquerable obstacles considering that Moana is only 12-years old, Maui is a huge, powerful demigod, plus the Heart and fish hook are lost at the bottom of the sea AND the island of Te Fiti is guarded by a vicious lava monster called Te Ka.

But, since we’re accustomed to Disney films sending their heroes and heroines on these impossible quests, we know things will most likely work out in the end. Led by a friendly and accommodating ocean and accompanied by a deranged chicken (there’s always a weird pet, right?) named “Heihei” (voice of Alan Tudyk, “ Trumbo ”), she finds the arrogant quasi-deity, still bragging of his great deeds (with clever visual tattoos telling much of these stories), yet refusing to accept the responsibility of the wrong he had done earlier. It’s not only a journey of necessity, it’s also one of self-discovery, for both, as he teaches her to become a “wayfinder,” not just using sailing skills, but her intuition, and she instructs him on the lessons of humility. This oil/water mix continues until the two grudgingly accept one another as necessary to the completion of the journey. This takes place when Moana helps to battle a legion of coconut-like pirates and to retrieve the fish hook from a giant crab (voice of Jemaine Clement, “ What We Do in the Shadows ”) before facing off against what they believe to be the unbeatable lava demon.

With Cravalho’s reading giving little girls (especially those of South Pacific culture) a sense of empowerment (I would not go as far as to call it a “feminist” picture, however) and Johnson carrying the comedic weight very well, Moana is a very pleasant surprise with a positive message and even a few catchy songs, including “Where We Are,” “Shiny,” “How Far I Will Go,” etc. (soundtrack is by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who, when not rubbing elbows with the POTUS, had time to compose the hit Broadway production of “Hamilton,” Disney composer Mark Mancina, as well as the classic work of Opetaia Foa’i, the lead singer of the band, Te Vaka).

All of this is wonderful and all, but the real treat is the amazingly lifelike, colorful and superb animation that we’ve become used to with most Disney and Pixar films. Manuel Arenas (“ Zootopia ”), Neysa Bove (the upcoming “Gigantic”) and their army of talented animators, bring the oceans, islands, villages, tropical vegetation, storms at sea, the almost electric blues, greens and other shades and visuals to probably the highest acme of any Disney animated feature in recent times.

Then there is the writing, utilizing the talents of eight writers and four co-directors (including Ron Clements, Don Hall, John Musker and Chris Williams, all of whom are also credited with the original story), which weaves a funny story, but with plenty of oomph on impact.

About the only people who will be disappointed with Moana are those expecting a love interest for the young heroine or a typical Disney princess tale. Still, it’s a rather simple message that girls can do it for themselves, no matter how young and inexperienced they may be; and that no father or hidden legend can stop them from reaching their potential.

Tagged: fish , girl , god , Hawaii , island , journey , mythology

I have been a movie fan for most of my life and a film critic since 1986 (my first published review was for "Platoon"). Since that time I have written for several news and entertainment publications in California, Utah and Idaho. Big fan of the Academy Awards - but wish it would go back to the five-minute dinner it was in May, 1929. A former member of the San Diego Film Critics Society and current co-host of "The Movie Guys," each Sunday afternoon on KOGO AM 600 in San Diego with Kevin Finnerty.

Movie Review: Despicable Me 3 (2017) Movie Review: Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) Movie Review: All Eyez On Me (2017) Movie Review: The Mummy (2017) Movie Review: Baywatch (2017) Movie Review: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Movie Review: The Promise (2016)

'Movie Review: Moana (2016)' have 4 comments

December 4, 2016 @ 6:44 pm coffeegrindr

Disney has done more for empowering girls and moving the discussion forward than every feminist combined.

Log in to Reply

December 4, 2016 @ 8:19 pm Ralph Toms

Gorgeous to look at and even sing along to but Moana is yet again The Hero with a Thousand Faces redressed and topped in Disney syrup and cherries.

December 4, 2016 @ 8:36 pm videoguy

A few musical numbers were off but most were great. A few characters were off but most were great. Lovely visuals. Fun. Refreshingly no love interest.

December 4, 2016 @ 10:00 pm Jan

Disney in Hawaii.

Privacy Policy | About Us

 |  Log in

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘moana’: film review.

Boosted by songs co-written by 'Hamilton' sensation Lin-Manuel Miranda, 'Moana,' the colorful Polynesian animated excursion from Disney, features voice work from Dwayne Johnson and young newcomer Auli'i Cravalho.

By Michael Rechtshaffen

Michael Rechtshaffen

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

Appealing equally to the eyes, ears, heart and funny bone,  Moana  represents contemporary Disney at its finest — a vibrantly rendered adventure that combines state-of-the-art CG animation with traditional storytelling and colorful characters, all enlivened by a terrific voice cast.

Drawing upon the folkloric cultures of the Pacific Islands, this tale about a self-possessed teen who embarks on a quest to save her home turf from looming extinction required the proven talents of two teams of directors to tell its story: Ron Clements and John Musker ( The Little Mermaid  and  Aladdin ) and co-directors Chris Williams and Don Hall ( Big Hero 6 ).

Release date: Nov 23, 2016

It may have taken a village, but when you add in a selection of infectious, soul-stirring songs by  Hamilton  sensation Lin-Manuel Miranda along with score composer Mark Mancina and Samoan musician Opetaia Tavita Foa’i, you’ve got a tropical  Frozen  with the potential for a similarly wide-reaching audience when  Moana  (pronounced “Mo-ahna”) sails into theaters Nov. 23 (it will have its world premiere Nov. 14 at AFI Fest).

Related Stories

Afi fest: 'moana' world premiere among special screenings.

Even though she has felt the call of the ocean ever since she was just a small child, spirited Moana (impressive newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) has been forbidden by her father, Tui (Temuera Morrison), the chief of the village of Motunui, to travel beyond the reef that surrounds their island. In many ways she’s a kindred spirit of  Beauty and the Beast’s  Belle, who also contended that there must be more than her provincial life.

But when a dire ecological occurrence threatens their future, Moana defies her father’s wishes, setting out into the uncharted waters to undo a curse visited upon her people after Maui, the demigod of the wind and sea, stole the heart of Te Fiti, the mother island (a sort of goddess from whom all other islands sprung).

Accompanied on her excursion by Heihei (Alan Tudyk), a rainbow-colored chicken who definitely isn’t the brightest bird in the flock, Moana soon comes face to face with Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who turns out to be more like a charismatic rocker/lost-boy type than a feared semi-deity. Though at first reluctantly, the two ultimately join forces, facing numerous obstacles en route to reuniting the glowing green heart with its rightful owner.

While the studio may have in the past faced criticism for whitewashing cultural storylines, both the look of the film’s characters and the accompanying voice casting have been carried out with notable sensitivity. In addition to 15-year-old Cravalho, a native Hawaiian with a nice dramatic range, and Johnson, who is of Polynesian heritage and also does his own singing here (is there nothing The Rock can’t do?), supporting players Morrison, Rachel House (as Moana’s encouraging grandmother) and Jemaine Clement as the bug-eyed, crab-like Tamatoa are all New Zealanders of Maori descent.

Disney Casts Native Hawaiian as the Voice of New Animated Heroine 'Moana'

Effectively interweaving those Samoan, Tahitian and Fijian oral traditions with their own distinct sensibilities, screenwriter Jared Bush, who also penned this year’s  Zootopia , and the quartet of directors manage to work in plenty of offbeat humor at every inventive turn. At one point, Maui insists the chief’s daughter must be a princess because all princesses wear a dress and are accompanied by an animal sidekick.

But if Moana boldly ventures beyond the reef, so, too, does the breathtakingly beautiful animation break fresh visual ground. Letting the natural light of the sun and the moon inform virtually every textured frame, the film boasts backgrounds that are awash in phosphorescent greenery and shimmering blue waters.

Equally strong are the tunes; you can definitely hear Miranda’s inspirational hip-hop stylings in songs like “You’re Welcome” and “How Far I’ll Go,” which, if not quite as catchy as “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” and “Let It Go,” come pretty darned close.

Accompanying screenings of  Moana  will be the animated short Inner Workings , Leo Matsuda’s wryly satirical portrait, Inside/Out  style, of a meek everyman who decides to start taking chances in life.

Distributor: Disney Production company: Walt Disney Animation Studios Voice cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker Co-directors: Don Hall, Chris Williams Screenwriter: Jared Bush Producer: Osnat Shurer Executive producer: John Lasseter Production designer: Ian Gooding Editor: Jeff Draheim Composer: Mark Mancina Casting director: Jamie Sparer Roberts

Rated PG, 103 minutes

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Jonathan nolan initially disagreed with christopher nolan over ‘dark knight rises’ villain, cinemacon: donna langley talks universal’s big year amid industry angst, ‘wicked’ lights up cinemacon with ariana grande, cynthia erivo and director jon m. chu, ‘wicked’ casts peter dinklage as dr. dillamond the goat, blumhouse shows off creepy first ‘wolf man’ footage, trailer for ‘see no evil’, lee isaac chung’s ‘twisters’ touches down at cinemacon with glen powell, daisy edgar-jones.

Competitions

Review: moana is a refreshing breeze of enchantment.

By Caroline Cao · December 4, 2016

In Moana’s signature musical sequeway, the titular heroine discovers hidden relics of her ancestor’s ships as she bangs an ancient drum, which swoops her into a majestic vision. She witnesses her ancestors sailing across the sea to the tune of a goosebump-inducing epic song number “We Sail the Way” that rivals “The Circle of Life.” Like Moana’s rediscovery of a past, the film revives the tradition of the musical princess story. But just because Moana is a momentary return to an old artform, it does not make it out-of-date.

If Frozen and Tangled served as the prototypes of Disney’s CGI potential in the fairy tale or mythical realms, Moana is the fully-realized one. It’s a fresh break from the modernized Big Hero 6 and Zootopia .

The film opens on an ancient South Pacific world and its young princess protagonist Moana (voiced winningly by newcomer Auli’I Cravalho) as she heeds an Earth origin story: A wily demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) snatches the stone-heart of the Gaia-esque Goddess and unleashes a gradual decay of the world’s resources. 

Young Moana is not the first of the Disney princesses who is deeply conscious of impending queenhood, a relatively new subject matter in the discourse of Disney princesses. But she signifies a major stride in depiction of queenhood. Unlike Merida, her story does not contain the rudiments of love interests or the wariness of upcoming marriage. Like Elsa, she does confront the anxiety of leadership and stares at her headdress, her essential crown, with hesitation. Her sea quest represents both her pursuit of freedom beyond her village and her maturation as a budding leader.

Like all high-spirited Disney princesses, she has her eyes on the horizons beyond the safety reefs. But through a chorus of song verses, her chieftain father and her people reel her back to her royal commitments. Despite her yearning for beyond the horizon of the island, she does truly want to stay for her beloved people and forge her own happiness there.

But then comes a time where she needs to leave as her people’s food source mysteriously dissolves. She finds that the unpredictability of the waves is beyond her comfort zone. Although she is literally allied with the ocean, almost an animated character in itself, can gesture hints and intervene, it also settles back at appropriate moments where Moana has to earn her own experience.

She journeys out to recruit the aide of Maui. Bearing tattooed-recordings of past feats (and perhaps one of Disney’s darkest origin story since the Hunchback of Notre Dame ), the demigod Maui is a muscle-bearing egomaniacal Promethian-messiah whose feats had been done in the name of worshipped by mortals.   He becomes her beguiled sailing mentor who teaches her to read the stars to find her direction.

He also has a tiny tattooed replica of him that serves as fundamentally the stand-in of a conscience-angel-on-the-shoulder (except on his chest) that constantly reminds him of his good side.

Both Moana and Maui sail into deathtraps, including the adorably menacing tiny coconut-shelled pirates who partake a breathtaking chase sequence with an ingenuity almost like “Mad Max: On the Sea, Disney Edition!”

Years ago, I considered myself disappointed with debunked rumors that Moana would not be heavily designed in the medium-blending like in the Disney’s Paperman hand-drawn-blended-with-CGI short. Luckily, the solidness of the CGI here does wonders for rendering the lush texture and the blockiness of details. The animators resourcefully play with every expressive stream as Maui’s body tattoos dance in an animated life on its own to accompany the beats of his tales.

Like the recent Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana serves as the embodiment of the mythical, rooted in its Polynesian roots. I can forgive its few trips into the clichés of cartoony slapstick, a few gratuitous winks at its Disney trademarks (with Maui vocalizing Moana’s status as a princess with a cute animal sidekick), and more-forced-than-funny anachronistic allusions (see the “Tweet” joke or the remarks about high-fives), but even compared to its princess-movies predecessors Tangled and Frozen (considered beloved films not without faults), Moana bears a sharper restraint on these troublesome tropes and remains anchored in its cultural edges and the consistency of the musical cultural carvings—the notable exception is a campy David Bowie-esque song number of a enemy. Moana is contentedly clear-cut and woven in familiar Disney and Five-Act Structure school-script beats but saturated with breath to float it above the formulaic surface. It also designs a shrewd twist, as now per the norm in previous modern Disney films for better or worse, and in this case, for a thematic coming-of-age resonance and a mythical punctuation.

With electric lyrics and reverberating drum-laden score whipped up by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame, Moana presents its lyrical chops in articulating the tribal philosophies, familial bonds, the affirmation of identity, and the balance between obligations and wants. Although most would consider Manuel-Miranda’s labor as the usual ear-worms, I liken his music as more of a divine echo where its memorability isn’t in the catchiness of beats but rather the resonance of rhymes and meaning. 

Moana  serves as something of an animated blessing this holiday season. The heroine comprehends the primal desire to venture into the new while also holding her origins close to her heart. Mirroring this strong princess’s epiphany, this narrative revers the ancient and the forward-techniques of animation. In an already great year for Disney animation, this movie proves to be their watershed.

Caroline Cao is a Houstonian Earthling surviving under the fickle weather of Texas. When she’s not angsting over her first poetry manuscript or a pilot screenplay about space samurais, she’s doing cheesy improv performances for BETA Theater, experimenting with ramen noodles, or hollering vocal flash fics on Instagram. Her columns and poems have popped up on  The Cougar, Mosaics: The Independent Women Anthology, Glass Mountain, OutLoud Culture,  and  Aletheia . Her flash fiction recently earned an Honorable Mention title in  Sweater Weathe r magazine. She has her own  Weebly portfolio  and contributes to  Birth.Movies.Death . 

Download Free Trending Scripts

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Oppenheimer

Fargo (1996)

Poor Things

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

A Quiet Place

The Silence of the Lambs

Next Related Article

Review: Edge of Seventeen is a Teen Comedy Masterpiece

London Vayavong · November 29, 2016

Recent Articles

What is the wilhelm scream.

Ken Miyamoto from ScreenCraft · April 10, 2024

Sonic Stories: The Cinematic Magic of Movies About Music

Ken Miyamoto from ScreenCraft · April 8, 2024

2024 TSL Free Screenplay Contest Quarterfinalists

Admin · April 5, 2024

Deadline: April 15th, 2024

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Competition

Shore Scripts Short Film Fund

Deadline: May 2nd, 2024

More Related Articles

Review: xXx 3 is Still Kickin’, Still Stuntin’, Just With Dopeness Running Scarce

Nguyen Le · January 20, 2017

Review: La La Land Is For The Ones That Dream

Valerie Kalfrin · December 18, 2016

Review: Arrival Offers Cerebral Close Encounters

Valerie Kalfrin · November 14, 2016

© 2024 The Script Lab - An Industry Arts Company

Sign up for the TSL Newsletter

and get $50 off Final Draft 12

Stay up to date on the latest scripts & screenwriting articles.

• Negative Leap Seconds: Global Warming is Slowing Down Time
• Former UCSD professor Nathan Fletcher files defamation countersuit against accuser in sexual assault case
• 2024 Presidential Election: The Guardian’s guide to where candidates stand on major issues
• Speech and Debate: Navigating challenges and articulating arguments
• Student loans: Is America letting 18-year-olds ruin their financial lives?
• Submission: Doing Divestment Right
• Texting is not good for your relationship
• The Ozempic epidemic in Hollywood
• The key to mastering minimalism
• The Beamer: The story of a failed car restoration

The UCSD Guardian

• Arts & Entertainment
• Films & TV

Film Review: “Moana”

Disney has the formula for a successful animated movie down to a science: a likeable lead character, a wacky animal sidekick, catchy songs and an underlying moral. When incorporated together, Disney consistently gives us sentimental experiences that make us feel like kids again. “Moana” follows this formula to a T, and while there aren’t any surprises, its impeccable execution and stunning visuals create a uniquely touching story that stands out from previous Disney princess films.

The Polynesian island of Motanui is dying. It’s supplied its people with everything they needed for generations, but resources have begun to mysteriously dwindle. Moana, the teenaged daughter of the island chief, ventures beyond the reef to find the demigod Maui for his help saving the island. This is a classic Disney adventure movie, but “Moana” manages to encapsulate extraordinary heart and emotion through its fiercely independent heroine, quick-witted humor and Polynesian spirit.

Visually, “Moana” might be Disney’s best work yet. The sharp, colorful details in the characters and ocean setting are overwhelmingly convincing to the point where it feels like you could reach out and touch whatever’s on the screen. One of the most impressive pieces of animation in “Moana,” however, has to be the hand-drawn tattoos on Maui that jump around his body and seamlessly contrast with the 3D animation.

There is also a small number of voiced roles in “Moana,” keeping the focus on the two main characters. Moana, voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho, is arguably the feistiest, most badass Disney princess yet. Her lack of a love interest also builds on the recent wave of feminist heroines, which is a refreshing deviation from typical love-struck princess tales. Instead, Moana has an uncanny relationship with the ocean that allows for whimsical interactions, including a scene where Moana waves at the ocean and it literally waves back. Moana’s strong-willed personality is offset by the wisecracking, egotistical Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson. The banter and camaraderie between Moana and Maui is the driving force of the film, and both Cravalho and Johnson utilize their own vibrant personalities to breathe life and energy into their characters.

Aside from the captivating characters, one of the biggest assets of “Moana” is the beautiful depiction of Polynesian culture. Rather than being a side note, the traditions and folklore of the Pacific Islands occupy a central part of “Moana.” The influence of Polynesian culture is also heard in the music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”), Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina. For example, the song “We Know the Way” is played when Moana discovers her ancestors’ ocean voyages; the dynamic beat combined with singers performing in their native tongue creates a bold, poignant sequence that makes you want to sail from island to island. Indeed, more than any other Disney movie, “Moana” pays respect to the culture of its characters without stereotyping.

Despite a fairly standard plot, “Moana” is bound to be an animation classic due to its dazzling animation, memorable characters and cultural flair. This movie exudes pure Disney magic, and during a time when the real world is plagued with negativity, the inspiring and uplifting message in “Moana” is a welcome relief.

Rating: A- Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, Jemaine Clement Release Date: November 23, 2016 Rated: PG

Image Courtesy of Disney

Your donation will support the student journalists at University of California, San Diego. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment, keep printing our papers, and cover our annual website hosting costs.

The Student News Site of University of California - San Diego

Comments (0)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Human Editing
• Free AI Essay Writer
• AI Outline Generator
• AI Paragraph Generator
• Paragraph Expander
• Essay Expander
• Literature Review Generator
• Research Paper Generator
• Thesis Generator
• Paraphrasing tool
• AI Rewording Tool
• AI Sentence Rewriter
• AI Rephraser
• AI Paragraph Rewriter
• Summarizing Tool
• AI Content Shortener
• Plagiarism Checker
• AI Detector
• AI Essay Checker
• Citation Generator
• Reference Finder
• Book Citation Generator
• Legal Citation Generator
• Journal Citation Generator
• Reference Citation Generator
• Scientific Citation Generator
• Source Citation Generator
• Website Citation Generator
• URL Citation Generator
• Proofreading Service
• Editing Service
• AI Writing Guides
• AI Detection Guides
• Citation Guides
• Grammar Guides
• Paraphrasing Guides
• Plagiarism Guides
• Summary Writing Guides
• STEM Guides
• Humanities Guides
• Language Learning Guides
• Coding Guides
• Top Lists and Recommendations
• AI Detectors
• AI Writing Services
• Coding Homework Help
• Citation Generators
• Editing Websites
• Essay Writing Websites
• Language Learning Websites
• Math Solvers
• Paraphrasers
• Plagiarism Checkers
• Reference Finders
• Spell Checkers
• Summarizers
• Tutoring Websites

Most Popular

13 days ago

AI or Not AI? A Student Suspects One Of Their Peer Reviewer Was A Bot

12 days ago

How To Summarize A Research Article

Loose vs lose, how to cite a blog, apa paraphrasing, moana plot summary essay sample, example.

The story starts with grandmother Tala telling a tale about Te Fiti, the mother island. The mother island can bring islands to life through her heart. The shapeshifting demigod Maui steals the heart of Te Fiti as a stunt to get attention from his parents. The mother island starts to deteriorate, and issues forth a demon named Te Ka. Te Ka eventually knocks away Maui and the heart of Te Fiti is lost. The story ends by Tala telling children that Te Ka and his army are still looking for the heart of Te Fiti, and that one day someone will have to find the heart to restore peace in the world.

After the story is told, Moana goes down to the beach. She notices that a baby turtle is being attacked by birds, and protects it. She takes the baby turtle to the water, and many beautiful seashells are revealed as a wave ripples back. As she starts collecting the seashells, a wave rises up and starts to play with her. She sees a green stone coming towards her and she takes it in her hand. However, her father, Chief Tui, calls her to come and she drops the stone. Before she can pick it up again, her father takes her back to the village.

A fast forward starts to happen in that we are shown Moana learning more about how to be a chief from her father, and her grandmother Tala teaching her about her spiritual side. Moana is conflicted, as she wants to be near the ocean at all times, but she has many duties as a chief’s daughter. When finally Moana is shown to be a teenager, her father takes her up to a sacred mountain where a pile a stones symbolize each chief. Her father tells her that she will one day place her stone there.

Moana is shown to help out around the village with chiefly duties. Soon, a low amount of fish are being hauled in, though. Moana suggests to her father they should fish beyond the reef, but her father does not agree with this idea and gets angry over the suggestion. Her father wants her to stay as close as possible to the island in order to not be harmed by evil forces. Moana’s mother, Sina, tells Moana that her father does not want her to go beyond the reef, as her father once got caught in a terrible storm while sailing and people drowned. Sina instructs Moana to do what her heart feels, despite the protest of her father.

Moana tries to go out beyond the reef with her pet pig. A huge wave eventually turns over the canoe and she barely makes it back alive. After this experience, Moana feels like quitting her ideas of fishing beyond the reef, but is intrigued by grandmother Tala’s diffidence. Tala shows Moana a small passageway that leads to a big room with canoes, boats, and a waterfall. Moana is then instructed by Tala to beat a drum, and when she does, images of her ancestors appear on a sail of a ship. Moana learns that her people were once voyagers, but stopped sailing when they knew the forces of evil were around. Tala then shows Moana a place on the island that is now desolate, and hands Moana the green stone she saw in her childhood. Tala tells Moana that she must restore the heart of Te Fiti, and then the ocean starts playing Moana as it once did when she was a child. In addition, Tala shows a constellation where Maui is, and tells her to go there to meet him.

Inspired, Moana goes to her father and collective of elders of the village. She tells them that she will go out and restore the heart of Te Fiti in order to save her people from hunger. Her father gets angry and throws the green stone in the bushes, but Moans retrieves it. However, she finds out that Tala is now lying in bed sick. She once again tells Moana to take the heart to Te Fiti, and hands her a special necklace to insert the green stone in. Tala’s last words are that she will always be with her. Sina helps her daughter pack for the trip, while Moana gets a canoe from the secret cavern. She sets out, and successfully makes it out of the reef, following Tala’s spirit acting as a guide, in the shape of a manta ray.

Moana sails safely for a while, but at night, a storm comes and knocks her boat over. She is washed ashore on a rocky island, and wakes up the next morning there. She realizes that the ocean brought her to the right island, and she meets Maui. At first she is afraid of him, but they start to talk and Maui sings a song about how great he is. Maui then tricks Moana by walking to his cavern and locking her in there, while he speeds away on her canoe. Moana finds a way out of the cavern and start swimming towards Maui on the canoe. The ocean picks Moana up and puts her on the boat. Maui is frustrated by this, and throws her overboard many times—but the ocean keep putting her back on the boat. Moana then demands Maui to aid her in restoring the heart of Te Fiti.

While Maui and Moana argue over the green stone and its importance, a ship full of nasty, miniature pirates start attacking the canoe and them. The green stone comes out of the necklace during the battle, but Moana’s pet chicken gobbles up the stone. Maui and Moana almost get killed, but luckily two ships of these pirates crash into each other during the confusion and flurry of battle. They escape on the canoe through a cloud of blow darts.

When safe, Moana convinces Maui to help her, as she says Maui will become the demigod he used to be. Maui said first they need to get his hook, a magical weapon. Moana ask Maui for sailing lessons, but he refuses. However, the ocean shoots a leftover dart at Maui and paralyzes him—he then agrees to teach her how to sail. They go to a tall spire in the middle of ocean, and Maui says it is where the realm of the monsters is. He further explains that he thinks a certain monster has his magical hook there.

When they reach the lair of Tamatoa, a big creature who collects shiny things, Maui uses Moana as bait while Maui shapeshifts in order to elusively find his hook. However, Maui has not shapeshifted in a long time, and he cannot control it well. Tamatoa realizes what Maui is doing, and captures Moana, and goes after Maui. Moana takes iridescent algae and tells Tamatoa that it is the heart of Te Fiti, and the creature gets distracted. Maui and Moana escape through by the force of a geyser while Tamatoa is entranced by the fake heart of Te Fiti.

Back on the surface, Maui says that even with his hook, he believes he is no match for Te Ka, and describes how he became a demigod, despite being born human. Moana encourages him and Maui starts to practice shapeshifting again. In the course of practicing this art, Maui teaches Moana to sail even more, and they arrive to Te Fiti through his guidance.

As they approach Te Fiti, Te Ka rises up to confront them. Maui changes into a hawk and tries to bring the heart to Te Fiti. But Te Ka is too much for him and he smashes him down in the water. Maui gets back on the boat, and Te Ka attacks their boat. Maui blocks the attack, but the force from the confrontation sends them flying far away. After they land in a remote place, Maui notices that his hook is severely damaged, and in anger, he turns into a hawk and flies away.

Moana is sad about Maui leaving, and decides to drop the green stone in the water so that someone else can do this task. Tala’s spirit comes back and comforts her, stating that if she wants to go home, she will come with her. But Moana realizes that her village is in danger and she must try to help them. At this point, the spirits of her ancestors appear, and she dives into the ocean to retrieve the green stone. With renewed zest for the task at hand, she sails towards Te Fiti.

She sneaks around islands while trying to get to Te Fiti, and Te Ka gets enraged. Te Ka makes a huge wave and knocks over Moana’s canoe, and sends a fiery blast her way. In the nick of time, Maui appears and block the blast. While Maiu engages Te Ka, Moana goes to Te Fiti. Strangely, she finds that the island is no longer visible, and looks back at Te Ka, who has a spiral symbol on its chest that matches the green stone. Moana understands that the Goddess has transformed into Te Ka, and she raises the green stone, as it starts to shine. This catches the attention of Te Ka, and Moana asks the ocean to clear the way so she can reach Te Ka. The enraged goddess rushes towards Moana, but Moana stays calm and sings a song to calm Te Ka down. As Te Ka comes closer to the green stone, it relaxes and Moana inserts the heart of Te Fiti into the goddess. The goddess transforms in a lush green person, and restores the island in all of its beauty. After this, Maui apologizes for taking the heart, and the goddess gives him a new hook, and Moana a new canoe. Te Fiti lays down to rest after 1,000 years of struggle.

Moana offers Maui to teach her people sailing, but he says she already knows everything to teach her people and leaves. Moana returns to her island, now full of greenery and plentiful in food supplies. The ocean gives her a pink seashell and she places it on top of the mountain where tribal leaders are represented. The end scene is her sailing with her village people, with Tala’s spirit and Maui at her side.

Summary essays can touch upon various themes and describe books, research articles, exhibitions, and many other works. The key thing is to do a thorough research and familiarize yourself with the subject of the summary. However, there’s not always enough time to do that alone. So, you can choose a fast essay writing service and complete your writing much quicker than you would expect.

Follow us on Reddit for more insights and updates.

Comments (0)

Welcome to A*Help comments!

We’re all about debate and discussion at A*Help.

We value the diverse opinions of users, so you may find points of view that you don’t agree with. And that’s cool. However, there are certain things we’re not OK with: attempts to manipulate our data in any way, for example, or the posting of discriminative, offensive, hateful, or disparaging material.

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More from Summary Essay Examples and Samples

Nov 28 2018

Hacksaw Ridge Essay Sample, Example

Nov 26 2018

Gulliver’s Travels Essay Sample, Example

Nov 23 2018

The Great Gatsby Essay Sample, Example

Related writing guides, how to write a good summary essay: best tips.

Remember Me

What is your profession ? Student Teacher Writer Other

Forgotten Password?

Username or Email

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Moana review – Disney's Polynesian princess movie can't help itself

Culturally accurate and with a pleasing ‘know who you are’ message, this South Pacific adventure tale nevertheless settles into empowerment cliches

D isney animations never have it easy. They have been accused of ethnic stereotyping and of having a white-centric worldview. But when they attempt to embrace other cultures, the studio is told off for appropriation. The latest entry, Moana, which is inspired by Polynesian mythology and culture, has attracted criticism for depicting Pacific islanders as stereotypically overweight , and for selling a padded, tattooed bodysuit as a child’s Halloween costume (which the studio hastily withdrew). Credit to Disney for even wading into these hazardous waters, then. And this seafaring adventure appears to take great pains to get it right, from the textile designs to the dance movements, the coconut-based crafts to the lovingly rendered turquoise seas.

But there are other traditions Disney animations must respect. As one character says of our heroine: “You’re in a dress and you’ve got an animal sidekick: you’re a princess.” Despite Moana’s denials, this is a Disney princess movie, which means it has certain royal obligations to fulfil: a role-model heroine, a magical quest, a wholesome message, a merchandisable animal sidekick (in this case, a supremely dumb chicken) and musical numbers that will pass the playground test. (Some of them do: Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda had a hand in the songwriting and the earwormy How Far I’ll Go is this year’s Let It Go ).

The course of the story is set by a prologue telling the legend of Maui, a trickster demigod who stole the goddess’s fertility-giving heart-stone, but then lost the magical fishhook that enabled him to transform into other animals. So when teenage Moana (voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) sees her implausibly contented preindustrial society going into ecological meltdown, she knows what she must do. Her huge, overprotective father (who is the size of a large fridge), forbids anyone to sail beyond the reef, especially his daughter. But her more free-spirited grandma reveals to Moana her seafaring heritage, and beseeches her to ignore dad, listen to her inner voice and hit the high seas, preferably with an animal sidekick.

Of course, she runs into Maui, a charming, slightly vain proto-surfer whose animated tattoos betray his bruised inner feelings. He wears his heart on his pecs, you could say. If dad was a fridge, Maui is a small car. Moana’s waist is about the same circumference as his wrist. That may be conceivably offensive, but it bears remembering that Maui is a demigod, not a representative mortal, and that he’s voiced by ex-wrestler Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, whose sport career was founded on his conspicuous lack of svelteness. Maui is only interested in getting back his lost fish hook (some symbolism is universal, it seems), but with a mix of emotional empathy and wily deal-making Moana enlists him on a seafaring mission that readily settles into the groove of an opposites-attract romcom road-trip – sorry, sea-trip.

The story takes some agreeably bizarre turns. There’s a flotilla of coconut-clad little pirate creatures who seem like they’ve come out of Mad Max. And stealing the show is Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, who gets a cameo as a glam crustacean monster decked out like a giant glitter ball, whose musical tastes clearly include David Bowie and Christina Aguilera. It’s best not to give too much away – but the fact that there’s little else to give away is where Moana falls down.

Moana’s “know who you are” message is the sort of thing we’d probably want our children to hear, and there’s a pleasing resonance in the way the movie transmits ancient folk knowledge via digital means. But Disney has set a high standard lately. Frozen defied its fairytale template by swerving into matters of sisterhood, Big Hero 6 pulled off a clever trans-Pacific cultural fusion, and this year’s excellent Zootopia was both a snappy, original comedy and a valuable primer in identity politics. Moana never quite reaches these heights. Its cultural setting is fresh; its storytelling, less so. It navigates the reefs but it doesn’t discover a whole new world.

• First look review
• Walt Disney Company
• Animation in film
• Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

Moana Review

02 Dec 2016

113 minutes

Back in 1963, Disney had huge success with a project tapping into Polynesian culture. It wasn’t a movie, but a theme-park attraction called the Enchanted Tiki Room that surrounded visitors with singing animatronic birds. Amazingly, it’s taken 50 years for the studio to get around to making a feature film based around the lore of the Pacific Islands. The good news is that Moana was worth the wait. The bad news is that it does not have a single singing bird, although there is a scene-stealingly idiotic chicken called Hei Hei.

It’s been a banner year for Disney Animation. Pixar, watch your back.

Originally it looked like the movie was going to be called Maui : the name of the tattooed demigod voiced by Dwayne Johnson. It was his folkloric exploits that first grabbed the attention of directors Ron Clements and John Musker. Then they decided to make the lead character a 16-year-old girl instead, creating a bickering, True Grit -esque dynamic between her and Maui as they navigate cyan-blue seas. It turned out to be an inspired move: the relationship is relentlessly entertaining. “I am not a princess,” Moana insists. “If you wear a dress and you have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess,” fires back Maui. She does and she has, but there’s no love interest and she is every bit the equal to her big-chested, big-talking, curiously nipple-free companion. Like Frozen , it’s a progressive Disney movie that nimbly dodges outdated tropes.

Also like Frozen , it’s got some mighty music, thanks in no small measure to the involvement of Broadway smash Lin-Manuel Miranda. There are some parallels between this and the musical that made him famous: both Moana and Hamilton involve someone leaving a tropical island to achieve greatness (you could call this Clamilton ), and both feature earworming anthems of empowerment (We Know The Way, featuring Miranda himself on pipes duty, is the one you’ll be humming two days later). It’s also hard to resist Johnson singing Miranda’s You’re Welcome: an ode to egotism that is simultaneously a perfect storm of delightfulness.

There is a scene-stealingly idiotic chicken called Hei Hei.

Story-wise Moana doesn’t do anything radical. But visually it’s always finding new riffs, whether with the moving tattoo on Maui’s pec, a kind of inky Jiminy Cricket, or the sea itself, which transforms into an Abyss -style sentient wave to interact with our heroes. There’s a gloriously surreal battle with the Kakamora (think the Smokers from Waterworld , if Dennis Hopper was a coconut). And perhaps most fun of all is the sequence in which Musker and Clements, the duo who brought us The Little Mermaid , take us back under the sea for a confrontation with a glammed-up hermit crab (Jemaine Clement), a foray into a realm of fluoro nightmares.

There’s the odd dull stretch and dud line: “When you have a bird to write with, it’s called tweeting,” is unlikely to age well. It turns out, though, that Polynesian mythology and the House of Mouse go together very well indeed. Between Moana and Zootopia/Zootropolis , it’s been a banner year for Disney Animation. Pixar, watch your back.

Related Articles

Movies | 04 04 2024

Movies | 08 07 2021

Movies | 21 10 2020

Movies | 27 08 2020

Movies | 18 06 2020

Movies | 12 12 2019

Movies | 18 07 2019

Movies | 12 03 2019

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Civil War Link to Civil War
• Monkey Man Link to Monkey Man
• The First Omen Link to The First Omen

New TV Tonight

• Chucky: Season 3
• Fallout: Season 1
• Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Season 1
• Franklin: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Dora: Season 1
• Good Times: Season 1
• Beacon 23: Season 2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Ripley: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• Parasyte: The Grey: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• The Gentlemen: Season 1
• The Regime: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Fallout Link to Fallout
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

CinemaCon 2024: Day 2 – Universal Showcases Nosferatu , Twisters , Wicked , and More

Fallout First Reviews: A ‘Violent, Fun, Emotional, Epic’ Video Game Adaptation, Critics Say

• Trending on RT
• Play Movie Trivia

2016, Kids & family/Musical, 1h 47m

What to know

Critics Consensus

With a title character as three-dimensional as its lush animation and a story that adds fresh depth to Disney's time-tested formula, Moana is truly a family-friendly adventure for the ages. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch moana.

Watch Moana with a subscription on Disney+, rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Moana videos, moana   photos.

An adventurous teenager sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master way-finder. Together they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds. Along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she always sought: her own identity.

Rating: PG (Peril|Brief Thematic Elements|Some Scary Images)

Genre: Kids & family, Musical, Comedy, Adventure, Animation

Original Language: English

Director: John Musker , Ron Clements

Producer: Osnat Shurer

Writer: Jared Bush

Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 2016  wide

Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jan 20, 2017

Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2017

Box Office (Gross USA): $248.8M

Runtime: 1h 47m

Distributor: Walt Disney

Production Co: Walt Disney Animation Studios

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, SDDS, Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

Cast & Crew

Dwayne Johnson

Auli'i Cravalho

Moana Voice

Rachel House

Gramma Tala Voice

Temuera Morrison

Chief Tui Voice

Jemaine Clement

Tamatoa Voice

Nicole Scherzinger

Heihei Voice

Oscar Kightley

Fisherman Voice

John Musker

Ron Clements

Chris Williams

Co-Director

Screenwriter

Osnat Shurer

John Lasseter

Executive Producer

Jeff Draheim

Film Editing

News & Interviews for Moana

13 Pacific Islander Movies that Showcase the Richness and Diversity of Pasifika Cinema

87 Fearless Women Movie Heroes Who Inspire Us

Rank Dwayne Johnson’s 10 Best Movies

Critic Reviews for Moana

Audience reviews for moana.

My sister is in Hawaii and I'm hella jealous so I thought I'd put this on while finding what genre/horror film to watch tonight. And holy shit this was fun. And beautiful. And ... a musical (which I hate). The CGI in this in 4K is utterly fantastic. I mean I literally felt like I was in the South Pacific. The water effects were completely realistic -- I felt like if I touched the TV screen I'd get my finger wet. Moana and Maui are on a sail boat at sunset and it felt like I was on one of the few sunset cruises I've been on in Hawaii, Malaysia or Mexico. Maui as Dwayne Johnson had more chemistry with Auli'i Cravalho as Moana than Emily Blunt in Jungle Cruise or Vanessa Kirby in Hobbs and Shaw. I enjoyed Luca and Raya the Last Dragon but this was masterclass. It would've been five stars if it didn't have all that damn singing.

Disney's animated pacific adventure is a feast for all senses. The visuals are stunningly beautiful, the songs catchy, the characters lovable. All this plays together so well, you don't even notice that the story is mostly put together of the usual chosen one tropes. Still, the film's beating heart is so huge that it easily sways you to have a wonderful time, no matter your age.

What a delight! Great character design, insidiously catchy music, crackling sense of humour and a story that's timelessly elegant in its simplicity.

Great Disney movie, the kind that gives you nostalgia for the ones of old. This is a disney character that really does it on her own, great story and concept. The music is fun, inspiring, and moving at just the right moments, everyone should enjoy this movie.

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Review by Tasha Robinson

Moana 2016 ★★★★.

Watched Nov 18 , 2016

Tasha Robinson’s review published on Letterboxd:

This is pretty much the perfect Disney musical as far as I'm concerned. It's got a familiar shape and familiar themes — coming of age, leaving home, the hero's journey, self-discover, and so forth — plus some big action setpieces and catchy songs at set intervals. But it's so beautifully rendered visually, so joyous emotionally, and so well planned and prepared and written. I loved the main character and I felt deeply immersed in her POV, which is a big hurdle for Disney adventures. We talk a lot about what this movie gets right and why it touched us on on the Next Picture Show podcast.

Full review for The Verge here.

• Moderator dashboard
• Block this member This member is blocked
• Report this review
• next picture show podcast
• passes the bechdel test
• coming of age

Select your preferred poster

Upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

Decoding ‘You’re Welcome’: Dwayne Johnson’s Musical Charm in Moana

This essay offers an insightful analysis of the song ‘You’re Welcome’ from Disney’s “Moana,” performed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It explores the song’s multifaceted nature, highlighting its role as a catchy and humorous tune that also delves deep into character development and cultural storytelling. The piece examines how ‘You’re Welcome’ serves not only as a showcase of the demigod Maui’s heroic deeds but also as a reflection of his desire for love and validation. Furthermore, the essay discusses the song’s significance in celebrating and respecting Polynesian mythology, noting how Lin-Manuel Miranda’s lyrics and the musical composition blend traditional Pacific elements with contemporary rhythms. The analysis acknowledges Dwayne Johnson’s charismatic performance, emphasizing the song’s contribution to the narrative richness of “Moana” and its testament to the power of storytelling through music.

On PapersOwl, there’s also a selection of free essay templates associated with Music.

How it works

In the pantheon of animated movie hits, the soundtrack of Disney’s “Moana” holds a special place, and among its musical gems is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s performance of ‘You’re Welcome.’ This catchy tune is not just a delightful earworm but a narrative device that adds depth to the film’s storyline and characters. Sung by the demigod Maui, voiced by Johnson, the song is a complex weave of humor, character development, and cultural storytelling.

At its surface, ‘You’re Welcome’ is a jaunty, upbeat track that showcases Maui’s larger-than-life personality.

With a melody that makes you want to tap your feet, the song is an ode to Maui’s many feats as a demigod. From pulling islands out of the sea to lassoing the sun, the lyrics, penned by the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda, are a rollicking recount of Maui’s achievements. But it’s not just the heroic deeds that make the song; it’s the tongue-in-cheek bravado with which Maui presents them, and Johnson’s charismatic voice adds the perfect layer of roguish charm to the character.

However, ‘You’re Welcome’ is more than a catchy tune. It’s a window into Maui’s character, revealing both his strengths and vulnerabilities. The song starts as a boastful recount of Maui’s deeds, positioning him as a larger-than-life figure. Yet, as the song progresses, it subtly hints at Maui’s deeper motivations – his desire for love and validation from humanity. This need to be adored and remembered is a driving force for Maui, making him a complex character rather than a one-dimensional hero.

Moreover, ‘You’re Welcome’ is a cultural narrative, a celebration of the rich mythology of the Pacific Islands. The song’s references to Maui’s feats are deeply rooted in Polynesian mythology, and Miranda’s lyrics masterfully weave these tales into a narrative that’s both entertaining and respectful of the source material. The song, like the film, is a nod to the stories of the Pacific Islands, bringing them to life for a global audience while maintaining their essence and integrity.

The musical composition of ‘You’re Welcome’ is another layer of its charm. The song’s arrangement seamlessly blends traditional Pacific sounds with contemporary rhythms, creating a track that’s both fresh and familiar. The use of traditional instruments and rhythms pays homage to the cultural roots of the story, while the modern twist makes it accessible and relatable to a global audience.

In conclusion, ‘You’re Welcome’ is not just a song but a narrative layer in the tapestry of “Moana.” It’s a character study, a cultural celebration, and a musical masterpiece rolled into one. Dwayne Johnson’s performance adds a special dimension to the song, bringing Maui’s character to life with charisma and charm. The song is a testament to the power of storytelling through music, showcasing how a melody can carry the weight of culture, character, and narrative in its notes. As Maui would say, it’s a song that makes you feel like saying, ‘You’re welcome,’ for the music, the stories, and the magic that it brings.

Cite this page

Decoding 'You're Welcome': Dwayne Johnson's Musical Charm in Moana. (2024, Jan 26). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/decoding-youre-welcome-dwayne-johnsons-musical-charm-in-moana/

"Decoding 'You're Welcome': Dwayne Johnson's Musical Charm in Moana." PapersOwl.com , 26 Jan 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/decoding-youre-welcome-dwayne-johnsons-musical-charm-in-moana/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Decoding 'You're Welcome': Dwayne Johnson's Musical Charm in Moana . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/decoding-youre-welcome-dwayne-johnsons-musical-charm-in-moana/ [Accessed: 11 Apr. 2024]

"Decoding 'You're Welcome': Dwayne Johnson's Musical Charm in Moana." PapersOwl.com, Jan 26, 2024. Accessed April 11, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/decoding-youre-welcome-dwayne-johnsons-musical-charm-in-moana/

"Decoding 'You're Welcome': Dwayne Johnson's Musical Charm in Moana," PapersOwl.com , 26-Jan-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/decoding-youre-welcome-dwayne-johnsons-musical-charm-in-moana/. [Accessed: 11-Apr-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Decoding 'You're Welcome': Dwayne Johnson's Musical Charm in Moana . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/decoding-youre-welcome-dwayne-johnsons-musical-charm-in-moana/ [Accessed: 11-Apr-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

• Cast & crew

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever... Read all After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever faced. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever faced.

• David G. Derrick Jr.
• Auli'i Cravalho
• Dwayne Johnson

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Continuing the trend of recent films, this film's existence was teased in the credits of Walt Disney Animation Studios' previous film Wish (2023) .
• Connections Follows Moana (2016)
• How many episodes does Moana 2 have? Powered by Alexa
• November 27, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Official Site
• Hành Trình Của Moana 2
• Disney Television Animation
• The Walt Disney Company
• Walt Disney Animation Canada
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Surround 7.1

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Moana 2 New Image Revealed With Confirmation of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho Returning

Why does that island look like it has eyes, tentacles, and a giant mouth.

Alongside officially confirming that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho will be returning for Moana 2, Disney has shared a new image of the much-anticipated sequel that is set to sail into theaters on November 27, 2024.

This first image was revealed on X/Twitter during Disney's 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and features an older Moana sailing with a confident look on her face. She is also holding an oar with Maui's fish hook and a heart engraved on it.

Perhaps most concerning, however, is the island behind her that very well may actually be a giant monster/shell creature with eyes, tentacles, and a giant mouth.

Moana 2 was announced back in February with a short teaser and Moana's newest adventure kicks off when she gets an "unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors."

"Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers," the official description reads. "After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced. Directed by Dave Derrick Jr. with music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina, Moana 2 opens in theaters on Nov. 27, 2024."

The original Moana was released in 2016 and, in our review, we said, "Storywise, Moana perhaps isn’t breaking new ground and it’s not making as much of a notable statement as Disney’s last animated film, Zootopia, but that doesn't stop it from being an easy recommendation. The film delivers the strong humor, well executed action, memorable music and lovable characters Disney has perfected in a delightful and lovely manner."

For more, check out other upcoming Disney and Pixar movies and the latest details on the live-action Moana film that will star Johnson but not Cravalho.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected] .

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

In This Article

IGN Recommends

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Moana is back with first image from Disney sequel

April 7, 2024 by EJ Moreno

Moana is back, and she’s aged into her role as protector of the seas. In a newly released image from Moana 2 , we see our titular hero noticeably older and ready to take on adventures that came her way. 

For those who don’t remember, the film was once planned as a series for the Disney+ streaming service but has now morphed into a theatrical movie with a release set for this November.

Per Disney’s new announcement: “Moana is on an expansive journey in search of people beyond the shores of Motunui. Joined by Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.”

Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are returning for the project. Cravalho will voice Moana, and Johnson will tackle the Hawaiian god Maui again. Disney is also developing a separate live-action reimagining although production has paused with the development of this animated sequel its release pushed back to 2026. 

The sequel is directed by Dave Derrick Jr.wFoa’iusicic by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee OpetaiFoa’i’i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.

Moana 2 will release on November 27th 2024.

About EJ Moreno

EJ Moreno is a film and television critic and entertainment writer who joined the pop culture website Flickering Myth in 2018 and now serves as the executive producer of Flickering Myth TV, a YouTube channel with over 27,000 subscribers. With over a decade of experience, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic who is also part of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

What Should We Watch Tonight? A Movie Podcast

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Gruesome Brilliance of 1980s Italian Horror

The Essential Exorcism Movies of the 21st Century

The 10 Best Villains in Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies

5 Underrated Jean-Claude Van Damme Movies

House of the Dragon: What Happens to Alicent Hightower in the Book?

10 Actors Quentin Tarantino Needs In His Final Film

All Upcoming Taylor Sheridan TV Shows in 2024

Philip K. Dick & Hollywood: The Essential Movie Adaptations

The Pink Panther at 60: The Timeless Comedy Caper Revisited

Cannon Films and the Search for Critical Acclaim

• Comic Books
• Video Games
• Toys & Collectibles
• Articles and Opinions
• About Flickering Myth
• Write for Flickering Myth
• Advertise on Flickering Myth
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy

Screen Rant

Moana live-action remake: release date, cast, story & everything we know.

Moana joins the ranks of Walt Disney animated movies to receive a live-action adaptation, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is leading the way.

Quick Links

The latest moana live-action remake news, the moana live-action remake release date, moana live-action remake cast, moana live-action remake story details, where does moana fit with disney's slate of live-action remakes.

• Moana Live-Action Remake: Further News & Info
• The release window for the live-action Moana remake has been changed, likely due to the announcement of Moana 2 in 2024.
• Dwayne Johnson confirmed the live-action remake and revealed that his portrayal of Maui was inspired by his late grandfather.
• Auli'i Cravalho will not be reprising her role as Moana, but will instead be producing the film and helping to find the next actor for the role.

A live-action version of Disney’s Moana has been announced and there are many exciting details about the remake of the hit musical fantasy movie. The most recent wave of live-action remakes of Disney animated movies began in 2010 with Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland , but Disney has dabbled in this type of movie-making even before that. The memorable live-action remake of One Hundred and One Dalmatians with Glenn Close in 1996 was a very early example of this.

2016's Moana has the unique distinction of being the studio's most recent animated movie to be remade as live-action , while most of Disney's remakes have been of "classic" movies released in the 20th century. Moana follows the titular princess as she sets off on an oceanic voyage to save her island. Along the way, she meets Maui, a trickster demi-god, and many other mythical figures as she attempts to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Though it was only announced in April 2023, there's already lots of news surrounding Moana 's live-action remake.

The Release Date Is Moved

Not long after The Rock seemingly confirmed filming would begin soon, the release date for the live-action Moana remake has been moved . Originally slated to arrive on June 27th, 2025, the remake has been pushed more than a year to its new slot on July 10th, 2026. No reason has been given for the change, and the film is still expected to begin principal photography in 2024.

2016's Moana is available to stream on Disney+

The Remake Arrives In 2026

Unfortunately for fans eagerly awaiting the live-action remake, Moana has now been pushed down Disney's calendar more than a year later than its originally scheduled slot. While it was first expected in June 2025, Disney has now rescheduled the live-action Moana remake to July 10th, 2026 .

Dwayne Johnson Will Reprise His Role As Maui

Since it’s a remake, the live-action Moana should retain most of the same characters. The only confirmed actor so far is Dwayne Johnson, who will be reprising his role as Maui. Auli'i Cravalho will not return as Moana but is going to be producing the movie alongside Johnson. She's also pledged to help find the next actor to play Moana, wanting to make sure Pacific Islander heritage is accurately reflected.

The producers of the live-action remake of Moana should have an easier time with two significant characters. Heihei the rooster (Alan Tudyk) and Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement) will both need to be CGI creations if they are in the movie at all. Tudyk and Clement would be welcome additions to the cast. Tamatoa’s song “Shiny” needs Clement’s singing ability, and while Heihei may only make bird noises, Tudyk’s voice-acting skills sell the rooster as a multi-dimensional character. There's every chance the pair will return for the live-action Moana cast.

Auli'i Cravalho will not return as Moana but is going to be producing the movie alongside Johnson.

Moana Remake Cast & Character Guide

A straightforward remake is expected.

The Moana live-action remake will likely follow the same story beats as the animated movie . Original writer Jared Bush returned to pen the script and worked with Dana Ledoux Miller to adapt it. In Moana, the headstrong titular character ventures out from her home island to find a solution to the blight that has tarnished the land. Along the way she meets the demi-god Maui and learns important lessons about herself.

With many fantastical elements, Moana ’s story takes place primarily on the water , which may prove a challenge for a live-action remake. Fortunately, Disney is no stranger to large special effects-heavy movies , and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever proved they have artists capable of producing water effects combined with fantasy imagery that live-action actors can credibly interact with. The whole story could easily be translated into a live-action remake and there should not be many cuts.

Disney Has Big Plans For Live-Action Remakes

Despite producing a slew of live-action remakes already, Disney already has plenty more planned , some of which are further ahead in production than Moana. Peter Pan & Wendy debuted on Disney+ on April 28, 2023, and The Little Mermaid premiered May 26, 2023. Further along in the schedule, there will be the Snow White remake, and a prequel to The Lion King (2019) titled Mufasa: The Lion King .

The upcoming Disney live-action remakes include:

Moana is the most recently made animated movie to have a live-action remake . In fact, there have only been five Walt Disney Animation films produced between Moana 's premiere in 2016 and the live-action remake announcement in 2023. It is an unusually quick turnaround for the studio, which tends to wait longer to make live-action adaptations. However, Frozen (2013) was remade as a Disney on Ice production (2014) soon after its premiere, followed by a Broadway play adaptation (2018), so a live-action remake of Moana is not completely unprecedented in that regard.

Moana (2026)

Moana live-action remake: further news & info.

• Live-Action Moana Reportedly Gets Release Update After Surprise Moana 2 Movie
• Live-Action Moana Gets Encouraging Filming Update From Dwayne Johnson

Moana Remake