The sheltered daughter of a nation's leader wants more
A family figure gives support before their death
A monstrous entity ravages the world and must be stopped
A jerk party member is needed for success
A special item must be brought to a special place to save the world
These are all in Moana. We've all seen it, a lot of it in Disney, no less. But this film transcends those tired story elements and makes it work.
First off, the heroes. Moana isn't lacking for anything like Anna or Rapunzel- she just has an adventurous heart, and still loves her home and cares for her people. She pushes to leave one last time because her island is in danger, not to fulfill her fantasy. She eventually learns that she is the one who has to ultimately save the day, and grows in skill to do so. She actually stays the same throughout- she's selfless and determined from the beginning, and so the lessons she learns are that she can do it on her own, and how powerful empathy can be, not anything pertaining to her morals. That works for me. Maui, her companion/mentor is the lovably arrogant type we all know, but there's some good backstory for it, and he eventually gains hope when he sees what Moana is made of.
Gramma Tala may die fairly early, but she gains sympathy and attachment very quickly, and the Ocean and Mini-Maui are lots of fun.
Credit to Disney for subverting the classic animal sidekick- and rather blatantly, too. There's a normal option in Pua the pig, but instead we get stuck with Heihei the chicken, a total idiot of an animal who has no relatable aspects and is useful only once...because of his stupidity. Some hate it, but I think it's a clever way to isolate Moana emotionally while keeping her accompanied. He's funny, too.
Villains? Also great. The classic Disney villain has been subverted, too. What one would normally be the Big Bad under Disney logic is just a One-Scene Wonder, and the true enemy in the film is handled beautifully and poignantly without a word of dialogue, which keys into the power of Moana's empathy- much like her affection for Heihei, she manages to relate to a silent stranger and, doing so, ends their reign of terrror.
The music for the film is fantastic. The "I Want" Song is performed beautifully and is annoyingly catchy, "We Know The Way" is an epic piece, and "Shiny", the Villain Song, is delightfully out of tone.
The animation is gorgeous. 'Nuff said.
Negatives? While the parents survive the movie, I feel like more could have been done with them at the beginning or end. The Maui arc is messy- he gains faith in Moana and then does a complete 180 after one mishap and leaves only for him to come back minutes later in the film. It feels like sloppy pacing, like his abandonment of Moana was meant to come at another time.
But otherwise? I really liked the film. Sure, the pieces aren't all that new, but the whole has enough originality and freshness to be a great Disney film.
Sometimes, formula works
Sound familiar?
The sheltered daughter of a nation's leader wants more
A family figure gives support before their death
A monstrous entity ravages the world and must be stopped
A jerk party member is needed for success
A special item must be brought to a special place to save the world
These are all in Moana. We've all seen it, a lot of it in Disney, no less. But this film transcends those tired story elements and makes it work.
First off, the heroes. Moana isn't lacking for anything like Anna or Rapunzel- she just has an adventurous heart, and still loves her home and cares for her people. She pushes to leave one last time because her island is in danger, not to fulfill her fantasy. She eventually learns that she is the one who has to ultimately save the day, and grows in skill to do so. She actually stays the same throughout- she's selfless and determined from the beginning, and so the lessons she learns are that she can do it on her own, and how powerful empathy can be, not anything pertaining to her morals. That works for me. Maui, her companion/mentor is the lovably arrogant type we all know, but there's some good backstory for it, and he eventually gains hope when he sees what Moana is made of.
Gramma Tala may die fairly early, but she gains sympathy and attachment very quickly, and the Ocean and Mini-Maui are lots of fun.
Credit to Disney for subverting the classic animal sidekick- and rather blatantly, too. There's a normal option in Pua the pig, but instead we get stuck with Heihei the chicken, a total idiot of an animal who has no relatable aspects and is useful only once...because of his stupidity. Some hate it, but I think it's a clever way to isolate Moana emotionally while keeping her accompanied. He's funny, too.
Villains? Also great. The classic Disney villain has been subverted, too. What one would normally be the Big Bad under Disney logic is just a One-Scene Wonder, and the true enemy in the film is handled beautifully and poignantly without a word of dialogue, which keys into the power of Moana's empathy- much like her affection for Heihei, she manages to relate to a silent stranger and, doing so, ends their reign of terrror.
The music for the film is fantastic. The "I Want" Song is performed beautifully and is annoyingly catchy, "We Know The Way" is an epic piece, and "Shiny", the Villain Song, is delightfully out of tone.
The animation is gorgeous. 'Nuff said.
Negatives? While the parents survive the movie, I feel like more could have been done with them at the beginning or end. The Maui arc is messy- he gains faith in Moana and then does a complete 180 after one mishap and leaves only for him to come back minutes later in the film. It feels like sloppy pacing, like his abandonment of Moana was meant to come at another time.
But otherwise? I really liked the film. Sure, the pieces aren't all that new, but the whole has enough originality and freshness to be a great Disney film.