Moana is the story
about an Ancient Polynesian girl who must save her island from a curse. Moana
(voiced by Auli’I Cravalho) is the daughter of the chief and has felt the call
of the ocean. But her father, Chief Tui (voiced by Temuera Morrison) has
forbidden anyone to sail past the reef. Her grandmother, Gramma Tala (voiced by
Rachel House) tells her the story of Te Fiti, the mother island who created the
islands and life. One day, a demigod, Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) took the heart
of Te Fiti. With the heart gone, a demon of fire and earth, Te Ká, seeks the
heart and spreads death to island after island. Gramma Tala tells Moana that
one day someone will journey across the sea, find Maui and restore the heart of
Te Fiti. That day comes when Moana’s island suffers as the food supply dies.
Moana finds a boat and defies her father and sails past the reef. She finds
Maui who tries to trick her out of her boat but Moana is resourceful and finds
a way to compel Maui to help her. The two journey together and battle pirates
and mythical monsters. They finally reach Te Fiti, they must battle Te Ká to
restore the heart.
I enjoyed the movie. It was uplifting and adventurous as any
Disney film would be. I enjoyed seeing a tale which featured a people other
than the more commonly told stories. The music was good. The song “How Far I’ll
Go,” (written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, performed by Auli’i Cravalho) is a great
uplifting song. I loved the songs which featured the native language of the
Polynesian people. The only song I didn’t care for was “You’re Welcome” (written
by Lin-Manuel Miranda, performed by Dwayne Johnson) was a little awkward at
first but then develops into a fun song. Second, I enjoyed how nature and the
ocean is a character in the movie. The ocean helps Moana, guides her on each
step of her journey. It reminds me of Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas,
although the ocean doesn’t speak in Moana.
Third, I loved how the movie gives the message that its ok to have second
thoughts and doubts. When the journey proves too difficult and there seems no
nope to continue, Moana actually gives up and is ready to return home. She is
visited by a person who helps her overcome those doubts. She’s very relatable
this way. We’ve all had second thoughts and doubts and through Moana, audiences
can be encouraged to keep trying.
There are a few things I didn’t like. First, some of the
humor falls flat for me. There is a scene where Moana thinks the ocean has not
helped her find Maui and she’s on a desert island, she yells insults at the
ocean including a line about fish pee. Then another scene where Maui is
teaching Moana how to sail and he tells her to feel the current, if it’s warm
you are going in the right direction. She feels the water and it’s cold, then
suddenly warm. You see Moana react and you realize that Maui has peed in the
water. I know the main audience is children but why does the humor how to
usually center on bathroom jokes and gross humor. Second, Moana’s animal
sidesick, a chicken named Heihei, seems to be outplace. I know he’s supposed to
be the comedic relief during many scenes but sometimes the humor didn’t add to
the scene. It was just awkward.
There were a lot of criticisms surrounding Moana and its story. First, a group of
Polynesian people criticized Disney for making Maui overweight as an insult to
the people and to Maui who is revered as a hero in oral traditions. Osnat
Shurer, producer on the film, said they worked closely with different
Polynesian groups in the South Pacific and found that each group had a
different interpretation and image of Maui. So which one to depict in the film?
Overall, I do not see overweight or even obese. He is bigger than life,
muscular. There are many images of Polynesian people as fit and muscular. Second,
many have called Moana as “cultural
theft” which “inaccurately depicts Polynesian culture.” The problem is
Polynesia isn’t a singular group but has hundreds of different languages with
millions of people with different versions of these stories. So Disney took
different aspects of the stories and created a fantasy world. I understand
their concern and want the culture and stories accurately depicted.
Unfortunately, many stories which Disney has told in the past were changed for
the audience. For instance, Hercules (1997)
depicts the hero as the son of Zeus and Hera. According to Greek mythology,
he’s not the son of Hera. In fact, Hera tries to kill him as an infant. Many
Disney stories do not resemble the original story: Pinocchio (1940), Sleeping
Beauty (1959), and Cinderella (1950),
Mulan (1998), to name a few. Does
that mean these movies aren’t enjoyable? No, it doesn’t. If Moana encourages children to read about,
explore and experience the Polynesian culture through their stories, to be
introduced to the Polynesian people in the world today, what is the harm in
that?
Moana is a fun
adventure about a people that many do not much about. I enjoyed the music and
the look into Ancient Polynesian life and the people who bravely sailed across
the ocean and populated the South Pacific. A people who did it long before many
thought it was possible. Moana is a great character filled with a desire to
help her people that she will brave the open ocean. I loved the message of
continuing on your journey despite your second thoughts and doubts. I
understand the cultural concerns of a group in the Polynesian community;
however, with such a broad area that is Polynesia that even within the area
there is a diversity that no movie could accurately depict. Overall, I enjoyed Moana. It is a great addition to the
vast Disney movie library. If you haven’t already seen the film, I highly
recommend it. It’s available now on Blu-ray and DVD. Check it out.
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