Brilliantly formed characters and music make Moana a film that lives up to its monumental hype, writes Matthew Wilson.
With 2016 bringing two Disney films expectations were high for Moana to deliver, and it absolutely did. Moana takes Disney across the world to one of its most empowering movies yet and easily the best sea-faring adventure the studio has produced
Set on the small Polynesian Island of Motunui, the film follows Moana (newcomer Auli’l Cravalho), daughter of Cheif Tui (Temuera Morrison) who is trying to teach her about leadership and staying safe on their island while she wishes to explore the oceans, a trait encouraged by her grandmother Tala (Rachel House). When Motunui is beset by rot, Tala explains that millenniums ago, the demi-god Maui (Dwanye Johnson) stole the heart of Te Fiti, an island goddess and creator of all life, only to lose it in battle against lava-demon Te Ka. Without the heart all life of earth has started to rot and now that rot has reached Motunui. Having found the heart as a child, Moana is the only one capable of finding Maui and making him return it, so with no sailing experience and nothing but the world’s most idiotic chicken for company, Moana sets off on her journey
Eventually Moana finds Maui but he turns out to be an egotistical ass, only agreeing to help for his own benefit. Together the two of them face off against pygmy pirates, singing crabs, lava monsters and their own personal issues in order to save the world.
While the story might be a simple Point A to Point B with some diversions it works in that regard, we’re given the chance to see our two leads progress and grow through their journey. It’s not perfect, the third act does seem a little rushed, one character has a very sudden change of heart, but the ending twist and how things play out are worth it nonetheless.
While we spend most of our time with the two leads the supporting characters have their roles to play, Moana’s parents aren’t bad people for wanting to keep her off the water, they’re just misguided and cautious, Tui has his own traumatic reasons why he wants to keep her safe. You understand where they’re coming from, helping define them before Moana leaves.
Thinking about it there’s not really a villain, there are a few bad guy obstacles along the way, the coconut resembling Kakamora were a fun, Mad Max inspired pirate gang and gold-encrusted Crab Tamatoa (Jermaine Clement) had a nice sequence in the second act where his song Shiny, playing like a cross between David Bowie and Flight Of The Concords, inhabited the theme of vanity, the antithesis of the film’s message. The only real villain of the film was Te Ka and even then they played more as a representation of corruption.
Almost right away Moana proves herself as one of Disney’s best princesses, you can see that she doesn’t hate her life, she loves her island, her family and she’s more than happy to be leader. She’s one of the few Disney heroines happy with her life but her inquisitive mind wants to see what’s out there. Of course once she’s out on the water she has absolutely no idea what she’s doing but she learns through trial-and-error, there’s a reality to her that stands out among the more fantastical elements and it makes Moana an incredible character to follow. The wit and imperfections of a teenager mixed with the adventurous spirit of a Disney heroine making Moana one of their best.
Accompanying her on the journey is Maui who uses Johnson’s natural charisma to turn an arrogant character into someone fun, but still quite arrogant. Right from his opening song of You’re Welcome we can see that he’s not a nice guy, in fact the only reason he agrees to stay with Moana is to get back his magic fish-hook. But as with all great Disney assholes there’s more than what appears and once you find out why Maui has been doing all his heroic deeds it does serve as an embrace of the film’s message that who you are to yourself is all that counts. And joining them both is Heihei the chicken, noted for being voiced by Disney’s new go-to guy Alan Tudyk and for being the dumbest character is Disney history.
Naturally the animation is outstanding, while most of the film takes place on water they never skimp on the look, the water is always gorgeous during the calm, sunny days and a beast when the storms hit. That same technical brilliance extends tenfold into the set-pieces, the Mad Max comparison wasn’t by accident, the whole Kakamora sequence plays right out of Fury Road. The final act includes a battle against Te Ka which is as frightening as you’d expected from a fight against a Lava Demon and Tamatoa’s musical number turns from glitterball dance into a surprisingly psychedelic piece.
Speaking of which, while Shiny sounds like Tim Curry singing glam-rock and You’re Welcome is a slightly jazzy number, the rest of the songs fit in with the film’s Polynesian roots. Where You Are highlighted the prosperity of home but held the undertones of Moana’s wish for adventure. How Far I’ll Go took those undertones and showed Moana struggling to choose between her home and heart. We Know The Way brought the spirit that comes from adventuring into a lands unknown. And I Am Moana took hold of the film’s central theme of self-identity to carry the rest of the film
Self-Identity has been done in other Disney movies but they’ve always been about defying the status quo to be yourself. Moana is herself but she knows she’s more than that. That drive towards the ocean has been pushing her all her life but it isn’t until she’s pushed to the edge that she starts questioning why she has this love for the open ocean when she doesn’t understand it. Moana’s journey as a teenage girl, a leader and an adventurer and trying to be all three carries the film and the powerful message that comes with it.
To put it simply, Moana is an incredible journey, both epic and personal, with some of Disney’s most exotic locales yet and two brilliantly realised and well-defined characters. Out of the two Disney films this year I’d say Zootopia is better thanks to its more socially conscious storyline, but as a visual spectacle and empowerment piece, Moana stands with the best of them.
Moana is out now in cinemas.
