Moana (2016)
I was practically raised on Disney animated films. I watched ones like Aladdin, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast growing up, and recently I've rediscovered how magical they can actually be thanks to my girlfriend and I watching them all the time. Their (mostly) timeless scores get stuck in my head so easily, and the stories, despite their target audience of children, seem to have a transcendent nature and punch way above their age bracket.
However, as of late Disney has had a little trouble finding its animated musical mojo. Yes, recent films like Tangled and Frozen have begun to turn this trend around, but forgettable films like Brother Bear and Home on the Range still are a large blemish in the Disney catalog. To some extent, the name "Disney" in front of a film lost some of its magnitude and power. Meanwhile, studios like Pixar and DreamWorks have come alongside (and in some cases, jumped ahead of) Disney in the race for kids' attention spans.
That's where Moana picks up. It continues some of Disney's trends from Frozen by hiring the latest Broadway talent in Hamilton and In the Heights creator Lin-Manuel Miranda while also making use of the latest advancements in animation to capture a part of nature in the ocean. The question remains, however, as to whether or not Moana can recapture the Disney magic that has eluded the studio since the late 90s.
Thankfully, the answer is a resounding yes. One of the biggest reasons for this is in the music. While there are technically three composers on this project, the composition oozes with Miranda's signature rhythmic composition. For fans of his work on Broadway, this will be incredibly easy to spot. In particular, "How Far I'll Go" showcases this in its verses with a very unique melodic and rhythmic structure that is through-and-through Miranda's. Things like this are present throughout the entire score and make it one of the most addictive soundtracks Disney has ever had. The Polynesian influences from Opetaia Foa'i are well-integrated and fit beautifully with Miranda's rhythmic stylings. Mark Mancina's orchestral elements are a lot more sparse than the last couple of Disney films which actually makes a lot of the clever composition stand out. Overall, Moana has some of the best music Disney has ever had, maybe even better than The Lion King (my personal favorite).
The voice acting does a lot of favors to Moana as well. Dwayne Johnson does an excellent job as Maui and fittingly carries a lot of his signature bravado and charisma even through an animated character. He is a perfect fit for this role in every way. Meanwhile, newcomer Auli'i Cravalho is absolutely stunning as Moana herself, both in her singing and in her voice acting. She does a wonderful job and brings a lot of necessary confidence to her character. The rest of the voice cast does solid work as well, especially Rachel House as Moana's grandmother Tala. Everyone does a great job singing Miranda's score as well, with some of the singing voices even being provided by Hamilton cast members Christopher Jackson (as Chief Tui, Moana's father) and Phillipa Soo. You better believe I was going crazy in my seat when I heard them (and so was Felicia).
The animation in Moana is absolutely gorgeous as well. The use of new technologies allows the ocean to look more beautiful than it ever has before in an animated film, as it develops a really cool depth and fluid motion that gives the whole film a wonderful aesthetic. Colors are vibrant and bright as you'd expect from an animated film, but the animation does have a lot of depth and richness beyond just the splashy pallette. This is one of the better-looking animated films of recent years from anyone, and it is by far Disney's (not including Pixar) highest-quality animation.
There is one slight problem I have with Moana, however. It does not have the best story in the world, as it hits somewhat predictable plot points for the whole "quest" storyline. However, some of this predictability is expected because of its family-friendly and relatively simple nature, so I can accept this flaw somewhat easily. What I found very interesting about Moana's story, though, is that it does center around a very strong female lead in a similar way to what Disney has been trying to do recently, yet the film didn't come across as shoving that down my throat. Instead, it was very natural to see Moana discover herself and come to a realization that she actually had a lot of power. This might have been enhanced by the fact that there is no romantic subplot whatsoever in the film. I really appreciated that, as it let Moana pick herself up by her own bootstraps and not latch onto a male's coattails for her fame.
Overall, Moana is the best Disney animated film in quite some time. It surpasses Frozen and Tangled in its musical prowess and comes close to reaching the cinematic heights of some of the studio's 90s classics. Granted, the plot is pretty predictable, but the characters are so well-written and have a lot of internal change that the movie still entertains and engages a lot. I cannot wait to see what Disney can come up with for their next animated musical.
My recommendation: see it, listen to the soundtrack, and realize that it will never be as annoying as Frozen.
My grade: 79
The voice acting does a lot of favors to Moana as well. Dwayne Johnson does an excellent job as Maui and fittingly carries a lot of his signature bravado and charisma even through an animated character. He is a perfect fit for this role in every way. Meanwhile, newcomer Auli'i Cravalho is absolutely stunning as Moana herself, both in her singing and in her voice acting. She does a wonderful job and brings a lot of necessary confidence to her character. The rest of the voice cast does solid work as well, especially Rachel House as Moana's grandmother Tala. Everyone does a great job singing Miranda's score as well, with some of the singing voices even being provided by Hamilton cast members Christopher Jackson (as Chief Tui, Moana's father) and Phillipa Soo. You better believe I was going crazy in my seat when I heard them (and so was Felicia).
The animation in Moana is absolutely gorgeous as well. The use of new technologies allows the ocean to look more beautiful than it ever has before in an animated film, as it develops a really cool depth and fluid motion that gives the whole film a wonderful aesthetic. Colors are vibrant and bright as you'd expect from an animated film, but the animation does have a lot of depth and richness beyond just the splashy pallette. This is one of the better-looking animated films of recent years from anyone, and it is by far Disney's (not including Pixar) highest-quality animation.
There is one slight problem I have with Moana, however. It does not have the best story in the world, as it hits somewhat predictable plot points for the whole "quest" storyline. However, some of this predictability is expected because of its family-friendly and relatively simple nature, so I can accept this flaw somewhat easily. What I found very interesting about Moana's story, though, is that it does center around a very strong female lead in a similar way to what Disney has been trying to do recently, yet the film didn't come across as shoving that down my throat. Instead, it was very natural to see Moana discover herself and come to a realization that she actually had a lot of power. This might have been enhanced by the fact that there is no romantic subplot whatsoever in the film. I really appreciated that, as it let Moana pick herself up by her own bootstraps and not latch onto a male's coattails for her fame.
Overall, Moana is the best Disney animated film in quite some time. It surpasses Frozen and Tangled in its musical prowess and comes close to reaching the cinematic heights of some of the studio's 90s classics. Granted, the plot is pretty predictable, but the characters are so well-written and have a lot of internal change that the movie still entertains and engages a lot. I cannot wait to see what Disney can come up with for their next animated musical.
My recommendation: see it, listen to the soundtrack, and realize that it will never be as annoying as Frozen.
My grade: 79
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