Moana

Disney's newest modern animated movies have been making a comeback ever since Tangled propelled them with using computer animation. Their formula almost every Disney fan can identify with still remains but has been adjusted with along the way. To those unfamiliar with it, it is an equation that's computed by adding a love interest for the main character (aka love at first sight), having a prince and/or princess involved, having a catchy song to draw the audience in, killing off a loved one (usually parents or other family member much like how it happens in Marvel and DC but kid friendly), some kind of magic/science used in the story, scenes that will make the audience cry, giving the main character a cute little animal buddy for comic relief, a villain to overcome, and a happy ending. Their recent movies have used most of the formula. However, it was challenged when Frozen happened and became self-aware drawing attention to the equations faults. As a result Disney profited from this more than they anticipated and hyped the movie even more through their marketing. Unfortunately, while the movie itself is great, this move ended up annoying a portion of Disney fans (including myself) feeling that it's overrated. The reason to bring this up is ever since Frozen, Disney has been progress in avoiding this mistake with its fans in their marketing for animated films such as Big Hero 6 and Zootopia. So when I saw the trailers for Moana, I noticed a beautiful open ocean kind of adventure and that songs involved. The latter of which got me nervous due to the fact that the last animated Disney movie that had songs was Frozen and the aforementioned explanation about it made me even more nervous about whether or not it would receive the same kind of treatment. After hearing good buzz from my sources, I went to the theater with enthusiasm for it and left the auditorium extremely cheerful.

Plot: The story of Moana revolves the titular character on a journey to find a demigod, who was involved with the mythos of their environment, and have him join her on a quest to fix a mistake he made. The plot does involve some of the Disney equation while adding new flavors with it in a fun self aware manner. Most of the story progress depends on the relationship between both the main characters. A big theme that emerges from beginning to end is identity, which does get hammered in occasionally but used wisely with the motivations of the characters. The environment Moana takes place in presents itself gorgeously and it sort of has some parallels to that of Lilo and Stitch's Hawaiian environment but is Polynesian. The story knows where to have the right amount of emotions and fun balance each other out wonderfully. Overall while the story can be predictable, its simplicity makes room for an enjoyable and satisfying experience. Oh and as a fun bonus when watching Moana, trying making funny Disney connections with the smallest details that show up from beginning to right after the end credits.

Characters: The two main characters embarking on this journey are Moana (voiced by Auli'i Cravalho) and Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). Moana is the daughter of the chief of her village struggling with what's to be expected of her upcoming responsibilities to her people and what she wants for herself throughout her quest. Auli'i does an amazing job portraying this high spirited strong female protagonist and blends herself very well into the role. She brings a fun relatable nature that a lot of people can identify with learning how to survive in new open environments. Maui is a demigod with his own compelling nature that shows his intentions hidden underneath an overconfident charismatic personality. Dwayne works powerful wonders as this character channeling his own charm and energy into his performance. Auli'i and Maui share great chemistry in all of their scenes together as both help each other through their own internal dilemmas as they push forward solving the external problem created by Maui. Honorable mentions go to a chicken and Moana's family (parents and grandmother). The former is nice comic relief throughout the movie and the latter has some development in the beginning in their interactions that humanize Moana that stand out a little more than that of families from most recent Disney animated films. Overall the characters and casting a expertly crafted in making the story worth watching

Songs: The songs are catchy and very fitting with the environment as well as the situations at hand. Two honorable mentions go one song spoken in a different language in a very upbeat cheerful mood and another being a solo performed by Moana that's performed a few times, which is another stand out for focusing on her internal issues.

Overall Consensus: Moana makes the most of its environment, likable characters supported by the main actors great performances, and gorgeous animation. ⭑⭑⭑⭑

Reasons to Watch it: You are interested in seeing another fun Disney short before the main movie. You want to see another great movie involving a strong female protagonist. You want to watch an animated movie that involves Polynesians characters and culture. You want to see a movie that still follows the Disney formula while doing its own thing. You want to see a cheerful and mellow movie follows two characters learning to get along while on a boat trip. You like Dwayne Johnson energetic charisma. You want to watch a family movie about characters going through identity issues during an adventure. You want to make funny Disney connections to what's going on right until after the end credits. You want to see something not as large as Frozen but enjoyable with the scope of the open ocean and islands. You like Disney movies that can break into great songs.

Reasons to Avoid it: You aren't interested in a Disney movie with a strong female protagonist. You are tired of the Disney formula. You don't like Dwayne Johnson. You aren't in the mood for a family friendly animated movie. You don't like movies that involved road trips or boat trips. You are looking for something more sophisticated like Frozen. You don't like Disney movies that have songs.