Review of Moana (2016) by Spangle — 01 Jan 2017

The last film I saw in 2016 and the first film I have reviewed in 2017, Moana is a great finale for the year. Yet another kinetic and truly magical animated experience from Disney, Moana is a great combination of emotion, music, and mythology. With brilliantly composed music, infectious songs, great comedy, and lovely characterization, Moana is a showcase for the level of storytelling that Disney is able to churn out in its animated works. Between this, Zootopia, and Finding Dory, it was truly a banner year for the studio giant, both with its films and its box office receipts.

Featuring all the Disney trademarks with a princess, a goofy and boisterous sidekick, animal sidekicks, restrictive parents, and dead relatives, Moana is a journey of self-discovery. With Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti in order to life the darkness that consumes her homeland, she must take demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) - who stole the heart - with her in order to complete the mission. A long and arduous journey, it is through this journey that the film reveals its ultimate moral: you must know who you are to know where you are going. While following your heart and inner compass are certainly other elements of Moana, none feature nearly as prominently as the portion that stands as the ultimate moral in my eyes. There are repeated references to this moral throughout and the song, "How Far I'll Go" - also the most prominent song on the soundtrack and the one that begins to play during the credits - is very much about this moral as well. The mythology of Moana's people supports this as well, as they were once voyagers. As shown in a flashback song, the voyagers kept a sharp eye out for where they were going, largely based upon where they had been and where home was located. This can be adjusted for everybody in the audience by simply stating: follow your dreams by knowing where you were and using it to help you get where you want to be. As is typical, this is a great message for children and adults alike.

Using magical-looking blues and purples throughout, the film is incredibly vibrant. With large and impeccably animated musical set pieces alongside these gorgeous visuals (especially those with the sting ray), Moana is a feast for the sense. Your eyes will love it and so will your ears. The visuals and the music are constantly in great harmony. The visuals are certainly bolstered by the excellent animation that, on one watch, had no noticeable flaws. At all times, the film utilized its animation to create fun and interesting visuals that will undoubtedly keep kids engaged and not annoy parents, even with its incredible vibrancy. The music, with great melodies and tunes influenced by its location, is tremendous. Though not the best music of the year (La La Land), Moana is a film that certainly packs a punch with emotional, compelling, and wonderfully composed/written music. Some have said that the music is forgettable, but I found it to be anything but with songs such as "How Far I'll Go" certain to find a home in my Spotify.

The story, if simplistic, is still packed with emotion and comedy. From the great stupid chicken to provide comic relief to the dead relatives to deliver the pathos, Moana is a film that plays with your emotions. It is capable of making you laugh one second and hold back tears the next. This is a balance that the very best Disney animated movies can create and it is one that Moana excels in harnessing. Though it is obviously manipulative at times, the sight of the stingray never made me not well up, so clearly it was incredibly effective with the manipulation. The film is also incredibly adept at balancing the music, the comedy, and plot. Though the plot is, again, simplistic, it is still engaging. Serious moments of adventure or mythology are never interrupted by comedy from the chicken or out of place musical moments. Each element has its place and Moana is able to balance the trio. Given the inclinations of another Disney property (Marvel) to inject humor in all serious moments, I feared this one would fall into the same traps, but it never took the bait. Instead, it waited for the serious moments to play out and then it introduced the comedy. By picking its spots with the comedic relief, the comedy always feels fresh and, well, funny.

An incredible work by Disney Animation, Moana shows that the mega studio still has what it takes to create wonderful stories about Princesses, big brutes, and dead relatives. Though it sticks to the formula very closely, it is always engaging, moving, and funny, so that is more than enough for me. In 20 years, Moana will likely be cited alongside Frozen as the "classics" for the kids of today.