Fairly Generic Disney

Rating: 7/10 (31 July 2017)

It's nice to see a spunky female heroine of color at the center of a Disney film, and it's also nice that the story doesn't remotely involve her falling in love with anyone by the film's end, but this movie still couldn't completely shake off its patina of generic Disney message.
The animation is pretty, the music is forgettable (with the exception of the rousing Oscar-nominated anthem "How Far I'll Go"), and the story is moderately engrossing. This was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2016 Academy Awards, but it's no where nearly at the same level as some of its co-nominees, namely "Kubo and the Two Strings" and my personal favorite, "The Red Turtle."
Grade: B