Disney's New Hercules: A Review of Moana

By Emmanuel Gundran
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     Last week saw the release of Disney’s newest animated film Moana (Musker and Clements 2016), another great addition to Disney’s non-Pixar animated films alongside Zootopia (Howard and Moore 2016) and Frozen (Buck and Lee 2013).
    The titular character Moana (Auli’i Carvalho) is the daughter of a chief of a Polynesian tribe, who is being prepared to become the tribe’s next leader. However, she has always had a taste for adventure and wants to explore beyond the island’s shore. Then, when the island is being eaten away by a mysterious, shadowed force that is depleting their resources, Moana takes her chance to travel beyond her island to seek the help of Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a mighty demigod. Together, they go on a journey to bring the heart of Te Fiti, a green gem capable of creating life, back to its owner to restore the islands’ prosperity.

Maui messing with Moana while she is trying to convince him to go on a journey with her.

Earlier sketches of Maui that featured a shorter version of the character with short hair

     Polynesian culture and mythology is an unusual but original topic for a kids’ film, and it is a way to introduce younger audiences to another culture. For research purposes, the directors John Musker and Ron Clements took a trip in 2011 to the Pacific Islands (Robinson 2016). They would consult with a group of experts such as anthropologists, linguists, and choreographers on the Polynesian culture known as the Oceanic trust. One of the most significant changes that the writing team had to make was to Maui’s design. Originally, Maui was shorter and bald, but one of the Trust members, Hinano Murphy, pushed against this design saying, “The mana is in the hair, the power of the demigod. It looks just like he was naked. For us, it was really important” (Robinson 2016). Thus, the Maui shown in the film is much taller and has a head of long curly hair that, while it was difficult to animate, received a positive even humorous reaction from the Trust.

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     Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer and former star of Hamilton: An American Musical (2015), wrote and performed many of the songs that make Moana an enjoyable ride. Like Hercules (1997) which Musker and Clements also directed, Moana uses musical-style songs to retell a mythological story. Auli’i Carvalho, the voice of Moana, makes her musical debut in the film with “Where You Are” alongside Hamilton veterans Christopher Jackson and Philippa Soo and proves that she can become Disney and Hollywood’s newest star. Hamilton fans may recognize the upbeat tune and quick rhymes of “Washington On Your Side” in Maui’s opening theme “You’re Welcome” from Moana. Miranda’s fast-paced lyrics and Dwayne Johnson’s cocky performance combine to show the demigod Maui’s arrogance and power.

Lin-Manuel Miranda with Moana stars Auli'i Carvalho and Dwayne Johnson

     The film's main protagonists have a substantial character arc that shows that the filmmakers put care into writing them. Moana and Maui are both trying to find their respective purpose in the world. Moana’s parents chose her to be the village’s next chieftain while Maui was chosen by the gods to have immense power. Through their adventures, they both learn to use the talents and abilities to save Moana’s village and the rest of the world from the consuming shadows. In the end, they learn that who they are lies in their infallible purpose and not their limited abilities. Moana is an original and enjoyable Disney film with plenty of love and care put into it, and it is a highlight of Disney animation for 2016.

Sources Cited:

Robinson, Joanna. “How Pacific Islanders Helped Disney’s Moana Find Its Way.” Vanity Fair, 16 Nov. 2016. Date Accessed 29 Nov. 2016. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/moana-oceanic-trust-disney-controversy-pacific-islanders-polynesia