Disappointing, annoying and mean-spirited characters, formulaic

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2017)

I had high hopes for Moana. A Disney film about a brave and fun Samoan-ish girl? What could be better? Moana started off strong. The beginning was interesting, with nice-looking characters and beautiful animation.
But by the time they got to the demigod Maui, the film really went downhill. Maui is simply obnoxious. The interplay being the arrogant demigod and the "brave" Moana was just irritating and stupid. I didn't want to root for either character.
It's 2017, filmmakers. Do you STILL need to drive in Title IX on such a superficial, patronizing level? I've been seeing girls kick ass my whole life (Disney's original Beauty & the Beast, anyone?), so I don't need filmmakers to drive it in more, in the most vapid way.
Disney feels guilty for giving films to so many blond "princesses," like Cinderella, Aurora, etc. It's gone to black with Tiana, and Asian with Mulan (stereotypical-looking), and now, it's moving on, probably for the first time, to the Pacific Islands/Polynesia. Pseudo-Samoans need their chance, too.
I did notice in the film how "realistic" the characters' build, legs, and body types were. Looks like they modeled the demigod, physically, after Dwayne Johnson, who voiced the character. And the credits did show that Disney consulted with a few official Samoan or Polynesian "experts" - college professors, maybe? Writers and thought leaders? Looks like Disney's doing its job, diligently trying to portray Polynesian characters realistically and non-stereotypically. Would they give so much thought to Asian characters? I don't know.
The film is just kind of dumb and superficial. They made the poor ugly chicken a scapegoat and comic relief. Moana's heroic dad is portrayed as a really handsome, buff guy. But the arrogant, annoying demigod is uglier, with a big but awkward build. Disney thinks good people are handsome/beautiful, and bad people are ugly. Disney itself made Beauty and the Beast, which drives in the fact that beauty is only skin deep, and the fabulous Belle learned to love a Beast. Stop being contradictory and hypocritical, Disney!
The ending of Moana was an insipid disappointment, too. They had a demonic sea monstress turn into some earth mother loving green thing. O-kay! Very painful to watch. I thought Disney was master of animation and story, but they were really lacking this time around. The child-ish fiascos between Moana and the demigod are painful to remember - them throwing her precious green stone into the water, her jumping into the water and out? It would only appeal to young children.
Get Moana out of my mind! Disney could've done a good job with their first(?) Samoan-ish run, but they didn't do a good job with it.