Review of Moana

“Moana” has a couple big-name voice actors: Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and Lin Manuel Miranda. Moana’s voice actress, Auli’i Cravalho, caught her big break in this movie, and has since starred in the TV show “Rise.” The costumes, hair, and makeup for the human characters are very traditional to Samoan culture, which is important because there has never been a traditional Samoan Disney princess for children to identify with. For example, Maui and his voice actor Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson both have traditional Polynesian tattoos called pe’a. The name Moana even translates to “ocean” in Samoan.
The writing in “Moana” is pretty unique. The plot is almost entirely centered around the history of colonizing Polynesia, and of its traditional fables. A few thousand years ago, Polynesians built boats and voyaged almost the entire Pacific ocean, finding many islands to inhabit by wayfinding (using the stars as navigational guides). Then, for another few hundred years, there was a break from traditional voyaging and wayfinding, until it started back up again around a thousand years ago. In “Moana,” after she restores the Heart of Te Fiti, her people find the courage to start voyaging again. Wayfinding and voyaging are the focus of “Moana”’s most popular songs, “We Know the Way,” and “How Far I’ll Go.” The character Maui is a demigod in Polynesian mythology, who helped shape and create the Polynesian islands, which is represented in the song “You’re Welcome.” Although some of the culture is altered to fit the plot, most of it rings true to tradition. The structure of the writing is chronological so it’s easy for the audience, including children, to follow along. Most noticeably, unlike most Disney princess movies, the main character does not have a love interest; she simply follows her own heart instead of some man. The writing, from the Samoan culture and the lack of a love interest, is both refreshing and impressive coming from Disney.
“Moana” is a story that anyone with an undying passion can relate to. Moana is a determined, confident young lady who follows her instincts and does what she thinks is best. She doesn’t take no for an answer, but still stays loyal to her culture and duties to her community. She even overcomes weakness and overwhelming doubt, which is very human side of her animated character. Overall, “Moana” has raised the bar for cultural representation and emotionally moving movies. All ages can gain knowledge and inspiration from this Disney masterpiece.