Loved it so much, I saw it again the next day

Rating: 10/10 (5 December 2016)

Disney's latest animated gambit, "Moana" details the story of the eponymous character's quest to restore her island, where she is the chief's daughter, to its former state of natural beauty. To do this, she must find the demigod, Maui and sail him across the sea to restore the heart of Te Fiti, a goddess whose stone possesses the power to create life.
Quite simply, "Moana" is exquisite.
From the very beginning (in which the history of the film is told) to the very end (where Tamatoa accuses the audience of loving him more if he were named Sebastian), the movie is visually stunning and has a well-crafted nature of storytelling.
The titular protagonist follows much the same formula as most Disney heroes do, but Moana is endearing and lovable enough for the audience to forget that as they watch her on her journey. The voice actress, 14 (now 16) year old Auli'i Cravalho, gives a competent voice performance given that it was her very first. Her singing vocals are impeccable and, since learning she never received professional training, I was more impressed with her performances.
The screenplay is very well done and the characters are given lots of opportunities for humour, a lot of them being via repetition. A particular standout is Moana's animal companion, Heihei the chicken who is quite simply one of the best parts of the movie.
The songs are catchy and excellently written: "How Far I'll Go" should go down as one of the greatest Disney songs ever written and performed in my opinion. Never have I listened to a Disney song more than this one. Move over, Frozen, Moana is coming.
All in all, this movie is a wonderful effort by Disney, made more pleasing by the lack of Caucasian characters. The all-Polynesian cast and characters were refreshing to watch, especially given Disney not-too-stellar reputation with diversity.
I would happily consider this my favourite Disney animation of all time because it would definitely deserve such a title. All I can say is make sure you watch this film, because it does not disappoint.