Escape to the South Pacific

Rating: 7/10 (27 December 2016)

Disney might try to tell you this is all about Hawaii, but it has it's origins in New Zealand, in fact using quite a few Kiwi talents. Once Were Warriors star Temuera Morrison is the Island Chief preparing his daughter Moana to be next in line, but she's drawn by the powerful forces of the Ocean. 19 year old Auli'i Cravalho voices Moana. We don't meet the great Demi-God Maui voiced by Dwayne Johnson until he breaks out in his wonderful song "You're Welcome"...which is worth the price of admission alone. Jermaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords has a star turn as a crustacean with his brilliant Tim Curry-esque song "Shiny". Rachel House from Hunt For the Wilderpeople is the spiritual Gramma Tala. And at the helm of all of this is Aladdin writer Ron Clements in the Directors chair...with screenplay from the Zootopia's Jared Bush.