Another Lively & Gorgeous Entry for Disney's Revival Era

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2016)

I can't remember a better year for animation than 2016. Moana adds to this year's trend of progressing the limits of animation while giving stories for both children and adults.
Continuing the Disney Revival era of animation, Moana provides endless charm with its two leads, and an opportunity for audiences to see a much different and diverse story portrayed on screen. Not a true musical per-say, but Moana contains some of the catchiest, heartfelt, and downright colorful musical numbers of the year. Thanks to help from Lin-Manuel Miranda, this soundtrack is bound to top the charts and awards season.
Luckily, it isn't just the songs that will stick with you long after the theater, gorgeous animation and a heart-warming story flood Disney's latest hit. The filmmakers notably took plenty of time in researching the lives and culture of those living in the South Pacific, and it showed. Even if there were liberties taken, I loved learning about these people and how they lived their lives. It's a timeless adventure story that doesn't rely on pop culture references or screwball humor, instead, its layered lore and appealing leads pave the way for a glorious experience.
What also struck me was the immense detail that went into making Moana. Everything from Maui's tattoos to the lively ocean, this may be the most beautiful animated film to date. Ironically, it will be up against Kubo & the Two Strings come awards season, and they both share many qualities. Both have groundbreaking animation, fantastical and mythological characters, and a coming of age story of a youth growing into a leader.
I think the only weaknesses were with the pacing and its villain. Not unlike Frozen in that the antagonistic elements aren't really present until the third act. It's not an overwhelming negative considering the film does just fine without a true villain, but the absence is definitely felt at times. The middle act also is a little slow, and I wasn't a big fan of one particular character introduced about halfway through, but the third act was truly remarkable.
So even though I thought having The Rock sing or casting a completely unknown in the title role was a risk, it couldn't have turned out better for Disney's next chapter in their revival. Plenty of well- strung songs, detailed animation, and a thoughtfully important story makes Moana one of the best animated movies in quite some time, and certainly of 2016.
+Brilliant songs
+Detailed animation
+Heart-warming story
+Different & diverse Disney film
-Middle act slows
9.3/10