Beautiful Movie

Rating: 8/10 (4 December 2016)

"Moana" is an exemplary demonstration of what Disney Animation can pull out at their best. The story is rich in culture and symbols. Characters feel true and develop beautifully. Of course, the visual aspects are beyond belief: every color and texture is vibrant and full of detail.
While it does fall into some Disney princess tropes(although we are reminded adamantly that she is not a princess per se but a chief's daughter), there is enough newness to "Moana" that it does not feel like a retread. She is rebellious but dutiful, innocent but strong, and the involvement of her (hilarious) animal sidekick is kept to a minimum. What is surprisingly refreshing is that there is no love interest to distract from the main conflict (not that I have any issue with other Disney characters having romantic side-stories).
My only critique of "Moana" would have to be with it's music. There are some truly wonderful melodies, particularly "We Know the Way," which manages to resonate with all that is wonderful about the music of the pacific. However, I felt some other numbers were not on par with the best of Disney classics. I do not know if Lin-Manuel Miranda was responsible for the lyrics, but whoever was should be told that words do not rhyme with themselves. "Go" does not rhyme with "go," and "island" does not rhyme with "island." Using this sort of rhyming pattern once or maybe a couple times can be bold and memorable, repeatedly just makes it sound like they couldn't come up with better lyrics.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this film. The visuals were incredible, the plot well paced, and the story beautifully told. I had a great time watching "Moana" and would recommend it to anyone who does not mind being transported to a magical, tropical paradise for a couple hours.