Some problems in the presentation but overall a solid Disney film

Rating: 7/10 (17 December 2017)

The qualities of Disney films that most people like are sustained in 'Moana' and generally presented with great skill and wit. Auli'i Cravalho handles her debut role excellently, and Dwayne Johnson makes a much better voice actor than I expected. The setting of 'Moana' is fresh and seems to be arranged with integrity and a genuine interest. My only substantial complaint about this film is that the distribution of songs seems somewhat inconsistent, dominating the first half to the extent that the narrative isn't as easily followed as it should be; the world of 'Moana' is harder to break into than those of 'Frozen' and the other recent, memorable Disney films, and so the directors probably should have taken a little more time to explain it to the audience before we hear half a dozen songs. The good in 'Moana' definitely outweighs the bad, though, and my 7/10 rating *almost* became an 8/10.