Review by John Delia
Adding another princess to their gallery, the movie Moana comes to theaters and it’s perfect for kids and family. This feature takes place in the Pacific Islands with Fiji in mind and a young girl who wants to save her people from dying from lack of food. The adventure shows how courage, friendship and uniting with others can help you achieve your goal.
The teenage princes Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) on the island of Motunui has watched as fishermen have brought back empty baskets of seafood and harvesters find the coconuts rotting. She suggests that they go beyond the reef to catch fish, but her father tells her of bad weather and currents that are too dangerous. Her grandmother Tala (Rachel House) tells her the story of the once mighty Maui (Dwayne Johnson) who stole the heart of Te Fiti and holds the hook that can help her return the heart to its rightful place and end the problems of Motunui. Faced with the task of helping her people, Moana sets out on her own to cross the barrier reef in search of Maui.
The adventure shows the strong will of Moana as she presses forward on dangerous voyage. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker do an excellent job of bringing Moana, her villagers, her pet pig and chicken to the screen. The fun film gets an extra touch of darkness to it. It adds the urgency to save the Pacific island of Motunui and giving the film a feeling of adventure only offset by a good measure of comedy.
Adding song to the movie puts the Disney stamp on the heart of those films specifically designed for an enjoyable time at the theater. The songs involve the writing and composing of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa‘I lead singer of Te Vaka. Songs include “We Know the Way†Written and performed by Foa‘i and Miranda, “How Far I’ll Go†performed by Auli‘i Cravalho, “Where You Are†performed by Christopher Jackson, Rachel House, Nicole Scherzinger, Auli‘i Cravalho and Louise Bush, “You’re Welcome†performed by Dwayne Johnson. “Shiny†performed by Jemaine Clement,“I Am Moana†performed by Rachel House and Auli‘i Cravalho and “Know Who You Are†performed by Auli‘i Cravalho, Vai Mahina, Olivia Foa‘i, Foa‘i and Matthew Ineleo.
The voice acting is perfect for the characters and both Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are to be commended for breathing life into the animation. Cravalho gives us a brave, insightful and courageous Princess Moana who’s determined to complete her quest. She’s strong minded listening to her Gramma Tala rather than her father who has his head imbedded in the past. When she faces danger she questions her ability to cope, but moves on with the thoughts of helping her people survive the problems they are having. Cravalho’s singing voice certainly gives the character a boost as well.
The complete opposite Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, has been existing on an island far from his roots. He’s been admonished by Te Ka the fire God and the many tattoos on him tell the tale. His tattoos also predict the future and guide him to help Moana in her quest. His, singing voice isn’t too bad also and he belts out a resounding song that brings some comedy to the production.
Moana has been rated PG by the MPAA for peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements
FINAL ANALYSIS: One of the top three animated films this year for families. (4.5 of 5 stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson
Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
Genre: Family, Animated, Adventure, Comedy, Music
MPAA Rating: PG for peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements
Running Time: 1 hr. 43 min.
Release Date: November 23, 2016
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures
Released in: 2D, 3D