An Animated Feast For Your Eyes

Rating: 7/10 (31 March 2018)

If I could write a review solely based on Moana's animation, it would be 20-pages long, and the movie would score a 10 out of 10. I cannot emphasize how beautiful this movie is. The textures, the colors, the movement, and the design of Moana are just breathtaking. This is the type of opulent 3-D animation that makes you wonder why Disney still owns Pixar if their animation studio is pumping out quality like this. This is Technicolor for the digital age, and it is glorious.
Moana follows the timeless Disney tradition of young girls finding their identity through a journey of self-discovery only to see that home is where their heart lies. One would think this trope would wear thin, but not with Disney movies. Disney's willingness to explore different cultures, their timely use of humor, and a cinematic storytelling style that is pure Disney magic, keeps things fresh and enlightening. And no, I don't work for the House of Mouse, but I'm definitely a fan. This time, Disney ventures into the Ancient Polynesian culture to tell the story of a young princess named Moana's (newcomer Auli'I Cravalho) who is desperate to save her people from a food shortage. But to do this, she must venture out beyond the barrier reef, against her father's wishes. A near death experience for Moana almost convinces her that her father is right to avoid traversing the ocean, but Moana's sage-like grandmother gives her departing words of wisdom that is all she needs to find the inspiration to carry on.
Armed with no knowledge of sailing, Moana sets out to find the demigod Maui-played infectiously by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, because he is believed to be the only one who can help save their island. And Moana is a determined young woman who is willing to endure Maui's stubborn, narcissistic and borderline abusive male ego, to achieve her goals at all costs. The story follows them (and a stupid chicken) on a journey across the Pacific Ocean to return a magical pounamu stone that Maui stole from the goddess Te Fiti to give to humanity as a gift for purely selfish reasons. Moana and Maui will spend most of their time sparring before realizing they need one another to complete their mission, but it's the final climatic battle with the lava monster Te Ka that reveals the films biggest secret and showcases an epic cascade of animated artistry.
Moana is a fun family film that allows The Rock to showcase that egotistical charm that won him millions and millions of fans as a pro wrestler. And Auli'l is so passionate about her performance that Moana comes off as one of the fiercest yet loveliest Disney princesses since Mulan-one of my favorite Disney films. No disrespect intended to Frozen and Princess and the Frog fans. While the songs in Moana are not as epic in scale as the renaissance era of Disney films in the 90's, the songs are still enjoyable. And Alessia Cara's theme song for the movie-"How Far Will I Go"-is the kind of self-empowerment anthem that will leave you humming the chorus long after the movie ends. While the film drags in a few sections, overall, Moana is a fantastic journey into Polynesian mythology, and it'll leave you wanting to plan a vacation to South Pacific to immerse yourself in this fantastic culture.