A potentially excellent movie set back by bland, boring execution

Rating: 6/10 (18 December 2016)

Moana had some excellent, thought-provoking, relevant themes. There was following the destiny that pursues your heart, even if it means forfeiting the set course laid out for you. There was the sturdiness that arises from realizing one's identity and worth, despite losing one's talents and abilities. There was the power of belief to change oneself, and how belief in others can save them from going down a self-destructive path. There was deep-rooted culture, and how discovering one's roots can redefine individuals and influence their people. These are very deep and meaningful ideas.
However, I found the execution in the movie to be very poor. Disney had a masterpiece in their hands and instead churned out another generic blockbuster. The humor fell flat, and one joke in particular was a dated pop culture reference that will not stand the test of time. Maui's quirky tattoo jokes didn't add depth to his character. Moana's pet rooster, Heihei, was so distracting and stupid, it made every scene it was in feel crude and desperately lighthearted, as if its audience could not enjoy a film if an animal was not slamming its face into the ground throughout.
The soundtrack was excellent, with some very catchy tunes highlighting the film. Despite this, there was no shaking the feeling that Moana was intent on standing in line with familiar clichés and formulas. Rather than standing on its own merits and characters, Disney fell back on its safe Disney 101 formula, while marketing itself as something different due to the fact it is an animated movie based on the Polynesian culture. Moana could have been something much greater with all of its impressive themes and beautiful animations, but most scenes were predictable and boring. Judging on the consensus of the public's reviews, and the financial success of the movie, it pains me that Disney will only be encouraged by the poorly constructed movie that it made when looking towards future productions.