Moana - Movie Review

Rating: 9/10 (2 February 2020)

Moana is a simply wonderful film, and one of the best that Disney has offered us over the last few years. A lot works in this film, but the main draw is having The Rock as the voice of the Demi-god Maui. All of his usual charm was there, and the interaction between Maui and Moana was great to watch.
The music in Moana is mostly phenomenal, but 'You're Welcome' is clearly the standout. I also have a soft spot for 'How Far I'll Go', because of the messages that it conveys about the inner turmoil of what Moana should do vs what she knows her father wants for her.
At the heart of it, Moana is an adventure film, and it works incredibly well on that level. The visuals were breath-taking, and honestly some of the best I have ever seen in an animated film. The locations certainly helped, because of the deep blues and gorgeous views, but it was still impressive what they managed to pull off.
However, there are a few jokes played throughout the film that contradict lore that was previously established, and I don't like when films do that. It's not worth undoing the narrative just for one quick gag. I am also not a bit fan of the song 'Shiny', and that whole segment of the film is definitely the weakest part for me.
All of that aside, Moana is a great film, and one that I don't watch nearly enough as I should.
SCORE: 87%