Beyond Expectations

Rating: 7/10 (14 January 2017)

I am reviewing this film because it did something unprecedented: It invested me. I seriously wanted Moana to succeed and to know what would happen next. I even got choked during the scene where the grandmother's ghost appears despite it obviously being cribbed from Lion King. This is the first Disney movie that I, as an adult and not a kid, enjoyed as it is. With many Disney movies I found that the protagonists' minds were not explored enough; here, I felt we got to know the characters sufficiently. After the disaster that was Frozen, this is a great relief. However, I am used to feeling smarter than Disney movies, so I feel defeated by liking this. I feel more defeated still by liking the songs since Lin Manuel Miranda, whose personality I REALLY resent, had a hand in writing them.
I totally predicted that the volcano spirit was really the island goddess. The plot was quite reminiscent of Lion King and Little Mermaid, but at least there's no romance. It is clear whoever writes these movies are becoming more aware of what people think of them, which results in some really funny moments. Oh, yeah, I was legitimately laughing at this! My favorite moments both involved Maui a) when Moana falls all that way down and he says "Well, she's dead." That was my exact thought before he said it. The screenwriter must watch Cinema Sins. My other favorite moment was when he said "If you're going to sing, I'm gonna throw up." Nice to have a little cynicism in a Disney movie.
Last but not least, the film looks breathtaking. I really wanted to be in these settings, especially the demonic coral reef world. Everything looks so photographically real, yet more vivid than life. Maybe Moana is what taking drugs at the beach is like. In conclusion, this is top-notch entertainment for you and/or your kids.