![]() |
Maui and Moana conquer the seas in this wonderfully fun Disney yarn |
Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Cast: Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Rachel
House (Tala), Temuera Morrison (Tui), Jermaine Clement (Tamatoa), Nichole
Scherzinger (Sina), Alan Tudyk (Hei-Hei)
Once upon a time, the demi-God Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole
the heart of the island goddess Te Fiti, in order to give it to humanity. But
he was attacked by the lava demon Te Kā and lost the heart and his magical
fishhook. A thousand years later, Moana (Auli’I Cravalho), the daughter of the
chief of her small island, grows to be a teenager who dreams of exploring
beyond the reef. When her island’s crops start to fail, the Ocean chooses her
to leave the island to find Maui and restore Te Fiti’s heart, in order to
restore health to the world.
Moana is a
charming, engaging and witty Disney movie, with strong, well-drawn characters,
that immerses itself in its Polynesian mythology setting. What works about it –
and what always puts Disney above its competitors – is that the film is
interested in telling a story about characters who have real concerns and
depth. Compare it to other, more stunted, “joke”-focused animations, produced
by companies like Dreamworks, to see how far above those films it is. There are
very few jokes here that will date (perhaps one about tweeting) – instead it’s
a film that recognises its content for the adults doesn’t need to be sly film
references or cheeky gags: a strong plot and engaging characters will entertain
all generations.
One of the reasons the movie works so well is because Moana
herself is a sympathetic, engaging heroine with dreams and aspirations, but who is still deeply respectful of her
background. She’s not a rebellious teen, but someone
who wants to improve the world around her, and is beautifully voiced by
Cravalho. As such, she’s not only a great role model (take note parents!), but someone you end up
totally rooting for. It also helps that she has a wonderful
chemistry with Maui (very well voiced by a charmingly sparkling Johnson) – the
film quietly subverts the expected Mentor/Pupil relationship between the two,
as each teaches the other lessons both practical and spiritual.
Moana learns many
of the lessons Disney picked up from Frozen.
Like that film, it follows a free-spirited, independent-minded young woman not
defined by a romantic interest. Its focus is on the lead overcoming a task to
save her world. And it is built around an extremely catchy, very good song. How Far I’ll Go, Moana’s signature song
(refrains of which are built into many of the other songs), is a sensational,
powerful and tear-prickling power ballad about being yourself and following
your own heart. It is remarkably easy to sing along with and carries a great message.
It’s also got a brilliant popular appeal – I was stunned to see the YouTube
video of it has over 141 million
hits (would that this site had so many). Many of the other songs are similarly excellent, especially the extremely
hummable You’re Welcome (the songs
are brilliantly composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’I and Mark
Mancina).
Its visuals are outstanding, the animation terrific. I also
really liked the way Clements and Musker embraced the strengths of silent
characters, and the expressiveness animation can bring to characters. The
Ocean, a clear character here who influences events, is nothing more than a
shaped concentrated wave with no features, but has an expressiveness that makes
it one of the wittiest characters in the film (memories of the carpet from Aladdin spring to mind). Similarly, the
silent, dim-witted chicken Hei-Hei supplies many of the film’s laugh-out-loud
moments. Maui’s body tattoos (wonderfully illustrated), moving and
communicating silently with Maui throughout the movie, are terrifically
innovative and feel unique.
Moana has a
looseness and coolness to it that makes it an enjoyable, perfect
viewing for a Saturday night. The storytelling is brilliantly done and the
final confrontations are shot with a daring vibrancy that betters many
action films. Clements and Musker have a mastery of the material that creates a
gripping and involving story and characters. In many ways, it doesn’t do anything
too unique or different from past Disney movies, but it tells the story with such
charm and imagination that you'll get totally wrapped up in it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.