Moana (2016)

Alright I've been meaning to see this movie for a while, just happen to have enough free time before going to work, and now that I finally see and it's how was it? I would say it's pretty good. What I say it says good on par with Zootopia? No, but for what it was I had a good time.

First off the story itself is interesting. The legend that's told in the beginning was a good backstory and it let me wanting more. But what drives the movie the most is Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho as Maui and Moana. There are aspects to the development of their other relationship that I thought were mediocre, but they still work because at the same time you can tell it's done with a sense of heart. Johnson I thought was maybe a little too cocky for my taste as Maui, but he had a few good jokes, some pretty cool powers and a backstory that I'll admit I kind of liked. His origin isn't black and white, you can understand why he did what he did and it was kind of nice. Moana was also an interesting character. She's not entirely your typical Disney princess, she wants to go out there and be her own thing, but she is also a quick thinking leader for her village. I also like how there are a couple of moments where they make fun of some of the stereotype of Disney princesses in a way that's kind of too obvious but is backed up with Moana being so passionate of what she wants, is very strong-willed and because of the journey that she goes through. If there any of the characters that I like to bring up I would say the Ocean as a character was surprisingly likeable. Even though it's supposed to be some mythical spirit, they also gave it an interesting and fun personality that led to some cute jokes.

The animation is movie is beautiful. I know that's to be expected from Disney, but it's a marvel here. There are so many moments in the film where I find myself being blown away at how beautiful everything looks. There are so many great shots that lead to a lot of breathtaking colorful imagery and some impressive effects

 The music in this movie is great. There are a couple that I am not too big on namely Johnson's song You're Welcome even though it is catchy and the crab song Shiny which I also thought was the weakest part of the film. But some of the other songs I found myself enjoying so much that I bought online. The Village song, Where You Are had some fun moments, We Know The Way was a lot of fun, and I really love Moana's song How Far I'll Go. I wouldn't say it's as big as Let It Go, but as far as a Disney princess song goes I really enjoyed it. It was deep, it was powerful, it was exciting - just the chorus alone made me feel watery eyes it was so powerful. And it really plays of to an emotional and fulfilling end of the second half.

If I had any other problems apart from the scene with the crab, it would have the be the climax. On the one hand it has some amazing visuals, the villain looked cool and the twist was unexpected, but I think there could have been a better build up for how they handle the twist. They settle the twist with a moral that is good but feels a little out of nowhere and doesn't really connect to what the twist is. Maybe it's something that makes sense the more you watch the film, but as well meaning as the ending is, it felt a little forced to me.

And that's my review for Moana. The main characters are fun to watch, the side characters are likable, the music is a delight to listen to for any Disney fan and the animation is some of their best work yet with 3D animation. If they handled things like the moral at the end a little better, and maybe cut out the giant crab, it could be a little more solid, but it's still a great addition to Disney's collection of animated films. I think Zootopia is the stronger film because of the subject it was talking and had a lot more jokes, but this is still an enjoyable Disney film to check out.

Rating: 85%