Beautiful and expressive with lush visuals and great music.

Rating: 8/10 (13 May 2017)

One of the better Disney classics I have seen in some time. Maybe a bit much for kids under 7, but it has a lot of appeal for most ages.
The characters have a lot personality and their expressive faces are really amazing. The score and songs are surprisingly catchy. What really stood out for me is the gorgeous ocean (which plays a central character), in all of its colors and moods. Idyllic beaches, clear aquamarine lagoons, Starry skies, violent waves, lightning storms and stunning luminescent scenes abound.
There is an underlying mother earth wisdom which tries to surface while teaching us about early Pacific culture, mythology and their history as ocean voyagers. The main character Moana is equally wonderful as a curious toddler (utterly cute), and as the young heroin who musters the courage to carry on the destiny of her ancestors. Her Demi-God sidekick Maui is also a great character.
I have had a lot of reservations with some of Disney's more recent productions, as they tend to be more trendy and less traditional, but this one manages to have progressive sensibilities while maintaining that high standard we expect.