While “Moana” mirrors the family-friendly warmth of classic Disney movies, its premise and plot are boring and too familiar. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker gave a modern spin in a film similar to their other works such as “Hercules” and “The Princess and the Frog,” which is interesting but a bit boring.
“Moana” begins with the story of Te Fiti, the creator of the world and all people. Te Fiti’s heart, a small green stone, has the power to create life; for this reason, everyone on Earth desires it. A demigod, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), successfully obtains Te Fiti’s heart but accidentally drops it in the ocean.
In the present, the young Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) hears this story from her grandmother (Rachel House). Moana is the daughter of chieftain Tui (Temuerra Morrison) and is expected instead to be a leader of their people, not a follower of myths. However, when their island’s crops begin to die, Moana decides to find Te Fiti’s heart to save her people. Against her father’s orders, she boards a boat and sets off across the ocean, encountering many obstacles and meeting new creatures along the way.
While “Moana” is unique in its characters, cultural aspect, and inspiring lesson, it is dull in the way that it resembles many other Disney films. Moana’s courageous, inspiring personality was charming at first, but as the movie progressed, she had no real character development. The quirky, brave teenage girl protagonist is very similar to Else of “Frozen” or Rapunzel of “Tangled,” but her character seemed flatter than other Disney heroines.
Another irritating aspect of “Moana” was how it includes the same sub-par traits as recent Disney movies, like funny, awkward sidekicks that are now more immature and obnoxious than they are amusing. Compared to a movie like “Mulan,” where the story provided enough humor to entertain an audience of children without bogging the plot down with jokes, “Moana” is only unsophisticated and childish. Subtle humor and coincidental situations are an aspect that seemed important to Disney movies until “Moana,” where the storyline mainly consists of punchlines and jokes that can only be described as trying too hard.
The film’s animation is impressive and exceeds expectations. The details of the characters’ features are amazing and lifelike, in their hair, eyes, stance and every movement. Much of the movie takes place in or on the water, which is also very realistic; the motions of the waves were incredible. However, some characters, such as the giant crab Tamatoa (Jermaine Clement) are so bizarre that the animation could not even be realistic. Such strange characters overshadow the incredible artwork of the rest of the movie in a very unnecessary way.
Overall, “Moana” is interesting because of its initially likable characters and its connections to Polynesian culture. However, it struggles to set itself apart from other animated films. It is easy to see how “Moana” appeals to younger children, but for people who wish to see a classic Disney movie, stick with “Frozen.”