Wayfinding Into New Territory with A Likable Heroine and Interesting Tale

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2016)

I still can't believe my eyes in what I just saw. The visuals of Polynesian culture, tranquil vegetation, an immersive oceanic setting that's a living entity of its own, expressive songs performed magnificently by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho (I have to also credit The Rock having some singing chops too), and the character dynamics all kept my attention that it summed up yet another dazzling successor from this year's caper film Zootopia by the crew at Disney. Moana definitely has spunk and a spiritual personality mirroring that of Pocahontas crossed with a hint of Lilo Pelekai that my attention shifted quickly on where her adventure will take her next.
The story of Moana is that she's a free-spirited Polynesian individual who dreams of following her own path beyond her home in the Pacific Islands ever since she can barely walk. However when her home island of Motunui is threatened by a mysterious supernatural being and given the guidance of her wise grandmother, she must venture out in the ocean waters to find the demigod Maui where they must team up to put an end to the chaos.
The chemistry between Auli'i Cravalho voicing the leading heroine Moana and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson voicing demigod Maui began to somewhat remind me of the witty banter between characters of previous Disney animated films (Zootopia and Wreck-It Ralph to name a few) as well as a cross between the whimsical Genie of "Aladdin" and reluctant personality of Phil from "Hercules" on Maui's end. Not to mention his tattoos are also appealing because they seem to have a mind of their own and him spouting a couple wisecracking meta-references in some parts of the film were pretty laughable. Notably, the song "How Far I'll Go" is enthralling and stands out the most among the other well-written music pieces, giving a sort of "Lion King" chill to it. Broadway playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) definitely laid his cards out on the table by unveiling a few catchy songs and the collaborations with both Jemaine Clement and South Pacific Fusion singer Opetaia Foa'i made the ambiance feel more culturally serene and enchanting at the same time.
Directors John Musker and Ron Clements have certainly come a long way spanning well over three decades under Disney since I remembered their work dating back to 1986. Whether it be The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, or even Princess and the Frog, they've certainly pushed their boundaries further from their usual 2D animated flicks and wayfinding into 3D terrain with an intriguing story on how one heroine doesn't need a prince to rescue her or fall in love with (though an animal sidekick is a must). No, instead the focus is about finding the path that suits you along with the perils that lie ahead and seeing that there is good somewhere within. But hey, no one said it would be easy.
Look out, awards season. This is definitely a must-see and I applaud the amazing cast and crew for weaving such a tale.