Another return to Disney's classic formula

Rating: 9/10 (25 November 2016)

Moana was the only other animated film besides Zootopia that I considered a must-see film for this year. I was really drawn in by its premise, which I thought was a spiritual predecessor to Lilo and Stitch (a movie that I consider a must-see as well). For the most part, I wasn't disappointed, as the story does capture the feel of what seemed to be obligatory in a movie with this kind of premise. The characters aren't as complex as they are in Zootopia, but they do feel closer to what some people consider those from a true Disney musical. The characters present me with one of my main complaints of this movie: I am still not certain of what Maui's motivation was to rejoin Moana. It's not a surprise that the animation is Disney's finest yet, with more colors than I can count and effects that I have never seen before in a Disney film (the way it blends CGI with hand-drawn effects, such as Maui's tattoos). The songs are at worst tolerable, but at their best, they seem like ones from a Disney Renaissance film, even if there are so many of them. Speaking of the Disney Renaissance, this film has solidified the existence of the Neo-Renaissance that began, as many Disney buffs like to consider, 7 years ago. It doesn't have the ambition of Zootopia, however it is amazing in its own way and should please those who have a passion for Disney's musical formula. All I can sum this up with is go watch it.