[yasr_overall_rating]
A young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.
An ode to classic Disney animation, “Moana” also happens to adhere – almost too insistently – to the current cultural “standards” set by Hollywood: a strong-willed central female protagonist fits in nicely into the current zeitgeist of female empowerment; the themes of man vs. Nature remind us of the looming environmental crisis (though Moana does destroy an entire coral eco-system in one scene with her foot – talk about human’s effect on Nature…) – and so on and so forth. There is nothing wrong with those commendable thematic elements – but nowadays, they do feel a bit forced, instead of just being, you know, like, the norm. I guess humanity still needs to be spoon-fed. Luckily, “Moana” never becomes finger-wagging or overly sentimental, its evident love for the staples of the Disney animation of yore – a dangerous quest, joyful musical numbers, stunning visuals, a goofy animal side-kick and a variety of weird and wonderful creatures – counter-balancing the “relevant” contemporary themes and propelling the story along. Though I refer to them as “staples,” those elements indeed feel fresh in this polluted ocean of product-placement, ice-cold computer animation; “Moana”’s like a lung-full of crystal-clear air.
“In the beginning,” Moana’s Gramma Tala (velvety voice of Rachel House) announces that at the start, “there was only ocean – until a Mother Island emerged.” When vain and powerful Demi-God Maui (not-so-velvety voice of Dwayne “No-Longer-The-Rock?” Johnson) steals the literal emerald heart of this mythical island during one of his quests to impress humankind, a Demon of Earth and Fire is unleashed upon the world, gradually destroying everything in its path. Even Maui’s magical fish hook, which gives him the power to transform into any animal he desires, cannot defeat the fire demon – and so he flees. Someone needs to “find Maui and restore the island’s heart”, Tala concludes, to an audiences of mesmerized children, Moana particularly entranced. Not long after Gramma Tala’s tale, little Moana is parting the ocean like a tiny Moses; a strikingly beautiful sequence that sets the vibrant visual tone of the film. Will she be the one to accomplish this challenging task?
Moana is drawn to water and she sings about it, arms spread wide, ready to embrace her uncertain (well, to her, not to us) future. “You are the future of our people, Moana,” her traumatized-by-past father, Chief Tui (voice of Temuera Morrison) insists, “and they’re not out there, they’re right here.” He briefly convinces her to “take the throne” – until the darkness reaches the island, killing the fish and turning the coconuts into ash. Prompted by her dying Grammy, Moana sets out to find Maui, get his hook back and return the heart of the island to its rightful place. Will they bond and accomplish their task?
Like in most classic fairytales, the conclusion is evident and it’s about the journey. This is quite a journey. Dazzling in its colors, exhilarating in its assured sense of pace and a knowing balance of danger and comic relief, “Moana” easily falls amongst the best the studio has offered (not including its affiliation with Pixar). Tiny coconut pirates that seem to have emerged out of a Miyazaki fable; a glittering hoarder crab, deep in an underwater world, surrounded by a wild variety of creepy and dazzling critters; the aforementioned Earth and Fire Demon, made out of lava that solidifies when struck against water – these are just some of the more memorable elements in this timeless story.
“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote several songs for the film, and while I am by no means a fan of musicals, I found myself tapping along to the exhilarating visuals and tunes that actually didn’t grate me as badly as they normally do. (There is one funny line in the film that reflected my attitude towards musicals, uttered by Maui: “If you start singing, I’m gonna throw up.”) The dialogue, warm and fuzzy, also defied my expectations, pleasantly wrapping me in its wholesomeness. Auli’i Cravalho’s debut voice-acting is a superb feat, Moana a fully-formed, fleshed out middle-finger to all the weak-spirited Disney princesses dependent on men to save the day. The Rock – sorry – Mr. Johnson does surprisingly well, even when belting it out about how awesome he is. Apart from one groan-inducing stinker that produced more chuckles in the theater than it should have – “Use a bird to write with, it’s called tweeting” – it’s evident that the film’s myriad of screenwriters paid attention to avoid the usual trappings of pop-culture references and lame slapstick.
Some questions did arise, the cranky ol’ critic that I am. Why didn’t Maui just carry Moana on his back, in his giant eagle form, to the destination, once he got his magical hook back? The ocean’s involvement in Moana’s adventures also seems randomly intermittent – she could have surely used more of its tremendous power, although it would have certainly diminished the themes of human perseverance against all odds. I also felt like Jemaine Clement’s Tamatoa turtle was a little underused, considering he’s gut-bustlingly hilarious and a total scene-stealer.
Forget my bitc… – sorry, kids’ review – moaning. “Moana” is a winner. Adults will be in awe of its visuals, appreciate its IMPORTANT themes and get all nostalgic about films like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” – oh, and enthused about the inclusion of a powerful female hero to set the standard for future generations of “voyagers.”
In theaters Wednesday, November 23rd
