Movie Review: Moana
Aulii Cravalho, the ocean and a simple chicken steal the show in Disney's Polynesian-inspired animated film
Aulii Cravalho, a beautifully animated ocean and a simple chicken steal the show in Disney’s Polynesian-inspired family film.
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Just moments after meeting Maui, Moana tells him, “I am not a princess.” He quips, “If you’re wearing a dress and have an animal sidekick, you are a princess.”
It’s a tongue-in-cheek line from the writers of Disney’s latest animated film. But Maui is right. Viewers won’t find much originality in the storyline of a scrappy young girl, unsatisfied with her safe world who is motivated to go out and explore, and, ultimately, save the world. But add Aulii Cravalho’s heartfelt performance as the title character, inspirational Broadway-style tunes from Lin-Manuel Miranda, a beautifully animated ocean and enough Hawaii overtones to make this feel like a hometown film and you’ve got a winner.
The plot is straight forward Disney. Moana is the daughter of a chief on a happily inhabited Polynesian island. But, from the moment she appears as a toddler, in tapa diapers, no less, her heart and power lies with exploring the sea outside of her safe reef-protected shores. So, when a dark power starts threatening her village’s essential coconut crop and the fish population, she sneaks away on a quest to find the demi-god Maui and force him to restore the heart of Tafiti and ultimately fertility to the islands. They take on tiny pirates, a dangerous crab and a vengeful lava witch, and succeed.
Like Brave, Tangled, Zootopia or any of the recent Disney films with a strong female in the forefront, it is the character that makes the movie. Cravalho does just that. Her Moana is sincere, strong, sympathetic and inspiring. She turns the comedic lines with dexterity, takes on the stubborn Maui with pure tenacity, and her soul searching once she’s abandoned at sea (Who am I? I’m a girl who loves her island and a girl who loves the sea. It calls me.) will resonate with any Hawaii-born-and-raised who have struggled with the decision to leave home.
Let’s not forget her voice. Cravalho’s Kamehameha School Glee Club roots are undeniable in her earnest and powerful delivery of the song, “How Far I’ll Go.” I rushed to download her songs when the album released today and I’ll bet, like Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go,” local audiences will prefer Cravalho’s singing to the pop version by Alessia Cara.
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
My 6-year-old clutched her Moana tsum tsum through the whole movie. But for the kids, Moana’s sidekick Heihei stole the show. The bug-eyed and brainless rooster provided slapstick comedic relief that somehow managed to be largely unexpected and funny, even when it involved falling into the canoe’s hold multiple times. Gramma Tala (Rachel House), draws laughs and the movie’s most tearful moments as Moana’s eccentric tutu whose spirit leads her to the truth. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson pulls off a human and likeable Maui who’s a great foil to the tenacious Moana. His singing was surprisingly good and, although I could have done without his schtick of talking to his tattoo, a mini version of himself that serves as his silent, mime-like conscience, Johnson’s relationship with the scrappy young chief’s daughter is believable and works as the heart of the plot.
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The ride is a wonderful one with a few exceptions. When Maui and Moana dive into the deep sea to retrieve Maui’s magical fish hook from the metal-happy hermit crab, Tamatoa, the 80s-style glam rock song feels like a sharp left and self-indulgent turn in the tale that goes on too long. An ocean battle between the kind of cute coconut pirates, the Kakamora, also feels like an odd and unnecessary diversion.
But, ultimately, the eye-catching animation and the always magical tale of a young woman finding her inner strength will entertain all ages. The families I spoke with at the preview, from kids to grandparents, all enjoyed it and appreciated the pieces of Polynesian culture woven through this film featuring Hawaii stars (Cravalho, Johnson, Nicole Scherzinger as Moana’s mother, Sina) and Hawaii writers–Iolani graduates and twin brothers Aaron and Jordan Kandell who surprised the advance screening crowd by showing up to introduce the film. That’s the thing about homegrown talent. Local audiences are always cheering them on. Fortunately, this time Moana is a winner.
Moana is rated PG and runs 1 hour and 53 minutes. It opens in theatres on Wednesday, November 23. The soundtrack is available now to download on iTunes and in the Google Play Store.
