One of the best Disney animated movies in years!

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2016)

Wow,this movie did not disappoint!
I didn't think Disney could top Zootopia this year, but I think they just might have.
So, it starts on somewhat familiar territory. I've heard a few critics say that it starts like a lot of the Disney fairytale movies - A girl who wants more in her life, and her parents who are far too protective. So what?! I don't care. As long as they can keep retelling this formula in new and creative ways, I have no problem with it. And we've never seen it told in this setting before.
The animation is spectacular. I would go as far to say that Moana is the best looking movie of 2016.
The characters are really good. Moana is a strong and very likable lead and Maui is at least as likable as the genie from Aladdin. Dwayne Johnson was the perfect choice for Maui. In fact, he literally is an animated Dwayne Johnson!
Alan Tudyck, the John Ratzenburger of the present day Disney movies, plays Hei Hei, a comic relief that is used just enough, and never gets annoying, or distracts from the movie's central plot.
I also congratulate Disney for not relying on star power, with Dwayne Johnson as an exception. Whereas Frozen, and even Zootopia to a certain degree had a lot of famous names, most of the cast aren't particularly very well known. This is Auli'i Cravalho's first ever movie, and she managed to play the part perfectly.
I can't recommend this movie enough. I absolutely loved both Zootopia and Kubo and the two Strings, and didn't think there'd be a better animated movie this year, but I was wrong!