Moana (2016)

[Kromm]

Always tempted to title threads for Disney's movies in a format like "Disney's Moana" but that's just their branding, not the actual name.

The animation certainly looks impressive and they're supposedly again leaning away from traditional Princess plots.

Meet all the characters from Disney's Moana - including Nicole Scherzinger as Moana's mum

 

I actually think what the Japanese trailer shows is far more interesting than what the English one does.

[Jazzy24]

Baby Moana is soooooooooooooooooo............cute!!! And that water is amazing!!! I'm ready for this. 

[MsNewsradio]

I showed the international trailer to a group of friends last weekend and they went from not knowing that Moana even existed on the film slate to demanding to see it opening weekend. The US trailer doesn't have nearly the same impact. 

[GaT]

Does anybody else keep pronouncing this as "Mo-na" instead of Mo-on-a"? I think they should have come up with a better name, it reminds me of the "Oneders".

[JessePinkman]

But there's an "a" there? I pronounce it "Moe-ah-na" in my head. Though I've heard it pronounced "Moe-wa-na", with very soft "w".

[BatmanBeatles]

It's 'Moe-ah-na". It's the name of my neighbor's daughter, who is Samoan.

Edited July 29, 2016 by BatmanBeatles

[Shannon L.]

The first time I saw it, I thought "Moan-a", but the kids corrected me.  "Mo-ah-na" makes sense because it's Samoan, but my brain went to the word "moan". 

[BatmanBeatles]

What I like about the international trailer is that it focuses on the main character.

[GaT]

58 minutes ago, Shannon L. said:

The first time I saw it, I thought "Moan-a", but the kids corrected me.  "Mo-ah-na" makes sense because it's Samoan, but my brain went to the word "moan". 

Exactly, even though I know it's not "Mona" my brain keeps processing it like it is, & I keep thinking of Moaning Myrtle.

[Demented Daisy]

"Moana" is Samoan?  When I lived in Hawaii, I was taught it was the Hawaiian word for "ocean".  (Ala Moana shopping center on Oahu, for example.)

Baby Moana is ridiculously adorable.  Boo might finally have some competition.  ;-)

[Kromm]

16 hours ago, Demented Daisy said:

"Moana" is Samoan?  When I lived in Hawaii, I was taught it was the Hawaiian word for "ocean".

I don't doubt it. The name clearly aligns with a mythological approach which has the girl have some direct power over the ocean.  The Baby Moana trailer certainly implies it's her doing what we see.

[Athena]

Bumping this up as the movie premieres November 23.

[SnoGirl]

I am so excited for this movie, especially since Lin-Manuel Miranda was one of the song writers for the movie. I am in love with his zeal for life. Combined with Mark Mancina who worked on one of my favorite soundtracks of Tarzen, and Opetaia Tavita Foa‘i, who seemed very protective and wanted to put the Polynesian culture at the forefront of Moana, I feel this might be one of the best soundtracks Disney has put forth in a long time (I was horribly disappointed in Brave, but Bear McCready has remedied it with Outlander).

I'm hoping to take my Cousin's kids to it over Thanksgiving break, it looks just fantastic.

[dkb]

On 11/13/2016 at 10:04 PM, SnoGirl said:

I'm hoping to take my Cousin's kids to it over Thanksgiving break, it looks just fantastic.

It IS fantastic!

Just want to be careful, no plot stuff but I know some people don't want to know anything soo .....

Spoiler

It's utterly beautiful to look at, can't take your eyes off the screen gorgeous. I entered a contest to win passes to an advanced screening even though it wasn't one of my more anticipated movies, but wow just wow.  This is a Disney movie with all that entails. Funny, emotional, strong female lead. The songs are a part of the movie for the most part, especially How Far I'll Go, Where You Are, and We Know the Way; Shiny and Your Welcome are songs to be seen more than heard I think. I've never bought original songs from a movie, but I think I will have to for How Far I'll Go, its soo good.

I cried, man Disney gets me every time. The animation is superb, Hay Hay? the chicken is perfect and Pua the pig is adorable, and Moana is the best part of it, this is her movie all the way. I think she's going to be tied with Jasmine as my favorite Disney princess (since they are marketing her as a princess). Maui is great too, but Moana is the heart of this movie as it should be.

 

I went with my male cousin who is 15, and doesn't care one way or the other for Disney movies, but he loved it as well.

 

Perfect just perfect. Captain America: Civil War has been my favorite movie of the year but I think it's been knocked down to Number 2, this movie is just so good.

[SnoGirl]

Thanks @dkb! Without revealing too much, are there any super scary parts? My cousin's kid is five, I just want to be prepared (he's whip smart but if a part is too scary, like the end of Tarzan or when the Jaguar attacks in Zootopia, he hides his face).

I can't wait to see it!

[dkb]

5 minutes ago, SnoGirl said:

Thanks @dkb! Without revealing too much, are there any super scary parts? My cousin's kid is five, I just want to be prepared (he's whip smart but if a part is too scary, like the end of Tarzan or when the Jaguar attacks in Zootopia, he hides his face).

I can't wait to see it!

I don't think there's anything too scary. There were alot of kids at the screening today and they all seemed fine. No scared crying or screams. The orange lava witch that's in the trailers is the only thing I would say that might be iffy for some younger kids. 

[Bill1978]

Just listened to the album and my favourite song is You're Welcome. I want to like How Far I'll Go but at the moment it just leaves me feeling 'meh' Maybe the visuals and the plot will help me appreciate it more. But at the moment, if Disney think How Far I'll Go is going to get Lin-Manuel a little Golden Man they need to rethink. I assume they will only push one song because since the 'disaster' of Princess and the Frog and Enchanted not winning with multiple noms they've only picked 1 song to push. Sadly I think everyone linked to the movie think How Far I'll Go will be this movie's Let It Go but I wouldn't be surprised if that honour goes to You're Welcome. Well more thinking that You're Welcome is this movie's Hakuna Matata.

Overall I feel the songs are on the same par as the songs from The Princess and the Frog. Servicable but not totally memorable.

Edited November 18, 2016 by Bill1978

[Babalu]

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both You're Welcome or How Far I'll Go, so will complete his EGOT if either wins Best Song. I don't think either he or Dwayne Johnson has the strongest singing voice, but they're both so likable that I don't mind at all.

[dkb]

Any posters in Canada? Disney Studios Canada is offering tickets for screenings of Moana tonight in different cities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2016 by dkb

[Matt K]

Apparently in Italy it's called Oceania (just got back from vacation there).  I looked around an it's apparently because of a well known porn star Moana Pozzi (although she passed in the 90's).  http://www.avclub.com/article/disney-spares-italian-porn-fans-some-embarrassment-245929

[GaT]

2 hours ago, Matt K said:

Apparently in Italy it's called Oceania (just got back from vacation there).  I looked around an it's apparently because of a well known porn star Moana Pozzi (although she passed in the 90's).  http://www.avclub.com/article/disney-spares-italian-porn-fans-some-embarrassment-245929

Just curious, but do you know if the porn star's name was actually pronounced Mo-ana, or was it Moan-a? Every time I look at this word, my brain thinks "Mona", in fact, the first time I saw it I thought it was going to be some kind of ghost movie.

[Aliconehead]

On 11/20/2016 at 2:41 PM, Babalu said:

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both You're Welcome or How Far I'll Go, so will complete his EGOT if either wins Best Song. I don't think either he or Dwayne Johnson has the strongest singing voice, but they're both so likable that I don't mind at all.

Actually he will complete something that has only been done twice before, PEGOT. He has a Pulitzer for Hamilton also. 

[Spartan Girl]

Just saw it tonight. Loved it! Lin Manuel's music was lovely, and Maui was the funniest shape shifting character since Genie.

Love this quote: "If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you're a princess." Ha!

[SeanC]

Having seen the film last night, I would overall say this is a very fun adventure film, though in the comparison game I'd probably put it below Zootopia for Disney's animated output this year.

First, purely in terms of animation, the whole film is gorgeous. This isn't terribly surprising, perhaps, given the caliber of recent Disney CGI animation, but this film is lush even by those standards. This definitely warrants being seen in theatres and even with 3D (a format that is far better-served by animation than live-action). I especially like the way that a few sequences incorporate quasi-2D textures, which lends it a very different look. The mythological subject-matter also really lends itself to vivid, striking imagery.

Musically, I will say, I was slightly underwhelmed, but I think that's mainly because with Lin-Manuel Miranda involved the obvious comparison point is Hamilton -- and this isn't Hamilton. The heroine's songs all feel to me like they stop right when they're just getting going (and making them all effectively reprises means they're a bit lacking in variety). The obvious standout is "You're Welcome", which I think is genius, both as a song and as a sequence. The film doesn't have a single villain, so the villain song is already, by nature, more isolated than others. "Shiny" is LMM operating much like he did with King George III's numbers in Hamilton, doing a goofy retro riff; quirky, rather than intimidating.

I really like the resolution of the story, which doubles down on the idea that Maui really did cause all these problems (albeit in a well-intentioned manner), and it's solved via reconciliation rather than defeating the supposed monster.

[Browncoat]

I saw this last night, and really enjoyed it!  The animation was spectacular, and I also loved the resolution to the story.

But the chicken.  OMG, the chicken.  The chicken slayed me every time it was on screen.  No matter what it was doing (or not doing), I had to laugh.  Perhaps it's because I owned and worked with poultry in a past life, but damn, the chicken.  I'm still laughing about that stupid-ass chicken.

[phalange]

I thought it was great. I was crying throughout most of the movie, especially the scenes with Moana and her grandmother. The scene at the end when the stingray swam by the boat was beautiful.

I also love HeiHei. That stupid chicken had me rolling. I cracked up every time it would walk into a wall or peck the ground next to the food.

The music was amazing, and definitely contributed to making me tear up multiple times. I've been listening to How Far I'll Go and We Know the Way on repeat.

[Zuleikha]

I just want to know what Alan Tudyk's script looked like. 

[thuganomics85]

I thought it was excellent!  The story followed a lot of the similar "Old School" Disney/Disney Princesses paths, but the characters, the setting, the scenery, and music just made it so much more.  From a technical standpoint, it might be one of the most beautiful animated films of all time.  The ocean in particular was a marvel to watch and came close to making me forget that it was animated at times.  And it was just so vibrant and colorful too.  And, again, while the storyline had some common themes and tropes, I thought it had enough differences to make it work.  I especially like the end when the bad guy was actually not a bad guy, but had been corrupted/turned into a monster due to Maui's earlier actions.

High quality voice work, too.  Gold star to whoever it was that noticed Auli'i Cravalho out of was apparently 1000 or more girls who auditioned. She was the perfect choice and a natural at it.  I loved how she made Moana a strong, independent young woman, but also someone who needed guidance and support, and could be both funny and serious when the time came for it.  Easily one of my favorite leads this year.  She's also got a great singing voice, if that was her doing the singing.  Dwayne Johnson was great as well.  As a fan, I'll be the first to admit he has limits in his acting ability, but I think he has a natural charisma and likability that can benefit him in the right role (certainly why he excels compared to the rest of his pro-wrestling turn actor companions), and he was pretty much born to play an arrogant, but lovable demigod.  I'm not sure how they did the voice recording for this (separate or together), but I thought both of them had great chemistry and rapport.

While it was mainly those two's show, I did recognize Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett!) as Moana's dad, which was cool.  Knew Alan Tudyk was in this, but I didn't know he was Heihei!  And I couldn't place Tamatoa at first, but when he started singing, I was like "Oh, that is totally Jemaine Clement!"  Hey, if you need someone to play a sinister, monstrous crab, with an unhealthy obsession for gold, you can't go wrong with him!

Part of me felt bad for finding Heihei as hilarious as I did, but I just love that stupid freaking chicken!  As I read somewhere else, the only reason he didn't die, because is too stupid to be capable of doing that.  But I kind of like that he was so useless and yet Moana still went out of her way to save his dumb chicken ass, because it show that Moana is someone who will try and save anyone: even if they are the dumbest being in the world!

Runner-up goes to Maui's living tattoo and his reactions anytime something important happened.  Especially whenever Maui said or did something wrong, and it kept trying to prevent him.

The scene where Moana and Maui were being chased by those coconuts really reminded me of Mad Max: Fury Road, which, according to Dwayne, was actually on purpose, so that delights me more then it should.

Finally, the music.  It was a perfect combination of old-school Disney-style songs, but with enough new flavor to make it feel special.  How Far I'll Go reminded me of a lot of the other Disney Princess big ballads, Your Welcome gave me a You Will Never Have a Friend Like Me vibe from Aladdin, and We Know the Way reminded me a lot of Circle of Life from The Lion King, but it was all done in a way that it didn't feel like pale imitations, but a new spin on a classic sound.  And then there was Shiny, which I didn't know what was going on at first, but I came around to it at the end.  I read elsewhere that it was Jemaine Clement doing David Bowie, and that's an accurate description!  But I think the combination of an old Disney pro like Mark Mancina and first timers like Opetaia Foa'i and, of course, Lin-Manuel Miranda, made it all come together perfectly.  Normally I would say they have the Oscar in the bag, but La La Land could end up being a major contender too.

Nothing much else to say.  Loved it and thought it was both funny and emotional.  If I was forced to pick, I might still give Zootopia the edge since the storyline was different and that world was amazing to explore, but this is truly right behind it, and if I was grading it on a number scale, it still would be probably only one or two points behind it.  I know they get some grief a lot of times, but it's films and years like this why I welcome our Disney Overlords!

Edited December 2, 2016 by thuganomics85

[Padma]

Has anyone seen this in 3D?  I normally don't like 3D movies but this looks as if, so gorgeous, it may be an exception.

[ZootSuitWyatt]

I haven't but I believe I've seen a few reviews saying the 3D was well-used.

[MsNewsradio]

1 hour ago, Padma said:

Has anyone seen this in 3D?  I normally don't like 3D movies but this looks as if, so gorgeous, it may be an exception.

I saw it in 3D. There wasn't a noticeable difference in quality the way I've had for other animated films, so I wouldn't say it's necessary for viewing. Either way, the film is gorgeous. 

[Padma]

1 hour ago, MsNewsradio said:

I saw it in 3D. There wasn't a noticeable difference in quality the way I've had for other animated films, so I wouldn't say it's necessary for viewing. Either way, the film is gorgeous. 

 

2 hours ago, ZootSuitWyatt said:

I haven't but I believe I've seen a few reviews saying the 3D was well-used.

Thanks!  I think I'll try it!

[Spartan Girl]

The one song I really loved (other than "You're Welcome") was the "I Am Moana" reprise. I haven't gotten goosebumps like that since the finale of The Lion King.

[metaphor]

Saw this yesterday and really enjoyed it. The music isn't on the same level as Hamilton, of course, but I think the songs are super catchy anyway. I was humming "How Far I'll Go" hours after I'd left the theater, and now all soundtrack is on repeat on my laptop. 

Moana and her grandma made me cry a couple of times. Maui was a lot of fun. And I enjoyed the "twist" at the end. Auli'i Cravalho and the rest of the cast did a great job at both the voice acting and the singing, and the animation (character and location) was gorgeous.

I think I might try to catch this one again before it leaves theaters with a different group of friends. Nicely done, Disney.

[SnoGirl]

I saw the movie, and I absolutely loved it. The music, the beautiful scenery, and the storyline was great. 

I loved that Moana was still the hero of the story at the end. I started to panic when Maui came back because I didn't want Maui to take away Moana's agency since she choose to go and fight on her own. But thankfully, she figured it out.

Loved the twist at the end, and I loved that Moana didn't waste anytime when she got home to start exploring with her village. I know Moana's grandmother passed, but BOTH her parents made it through the movie. That does not happen her often in Disney movies.

[snickers]

Saw this tonight while everyone else was seeing Rouge One....I am in agreement with the other comments that saw Zootopia still tops as the best movie, but this is a close second....this was way better than Finding Dory.

Visually it was just stunning. Hawaii is one of my favorite places so I really appreciated how beautiful they made it look.  HeiHei was great but I also loved the little pig...so cute!

 

I hope it wins some awards for music/animation, totally deserving.

[Unusual Suspect]

This was an enchanting movie. Loved it. 

[nicepebbles]

I loved it! I was so excited to take my son to see it. He was born in Hawaii. He misses the beaches. As do his father and I. He loved it.

Visually it was stunning. My favorite part was the transformation of the "bad guy" at the end. Just beautiful. I can't remember at what point I realized who the bad guy was. I do remember liking that "twist". And Baby Moana was the cutest thing ever! OMG! Just absolutely

From what I know about Polynesian culture from my time in HI, I thought the story was pretty accurate. I was nervous going in about that.

The acting was great as well. Agreed that Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho were the perfect choices to play Maui.

[Silver Raven]

I finally got a chance to see this, and I have to agree that this is a beautiful movie.

I was hoping Lin Manuel Miranda could get his PEGOT from this, but I have to admit that "You're Welcome" is kind of a weak song.  Not as good as "City of Stars".

Auli'i Cravalho is a really pretty girl.  I hope she comes out from under the animation anonymity to become a real star.

[snickers]

yeah, "you're welcome" is okay...but "how far I'll go" and "we know the way" are really, really good songs I think

[Bill1978]

This entertained me far more than it probably should have.

[SherriAnt]

I really liked this movie, it had an interesting story, good characters and Dwayne Johnson did a great job as Maui. The one issue I do have is the giant crabs song, Shiny. It doesn't seem to fit with the Polynesian style of the art and the other music. Jemaine Clement is good, but I really got a Tim Curry impersonator vibe from this performance, way more than Bowie-esque.

[Hybridcookie]

10 hours ago, SherriAnt said:

I really liked this movie, it had an interesting story, good characters and Dwayne Johnson did a great job as Maui. The one issue I do have is the giant crabs song, Shiny. It doesn't seem to fit with the Polynesian style of the art and the other music. Jemaine Clement is good, but I really got a Tim Curry impersonator vibe from this performance, way more than Bowie-esque.

YES!

I was definitely thinking Tim Curry when I heard him

[frenchtoast]

10 hours ago, SherriAnt said:

I really liked this movie, it had an interesting story, good characters and Dwayne Johnson did a great job as Maui. The one issue I do have is the giant crabs song, Shiny. It doesn't seem to fit with the Polynesian style of the art and the other music. Jemaine Clement is good, but I really got a Tim Curry impersonator vibe from this performance, way more than Bowie-esque.

Yeah, it did feel out of place but it didn't bother me as much as the stupid rock trolls from Frozen. I haaaated that part, song, everything. I actually enjoyed Shiny for what it was even if it was an odd fit.

[BetterButter]

[Morrigan2575]

I watched Moana this weekend and adored it. Loved all of the music, the humor and the story. 

[ChelseaNH]

I watched this four times in the course of a three-day rental.  The songs are insanely catchy, but the wordiness makes it hard to sing along.  My favorite scene was the first view of the voyagers sailing the ocean.  I am smitten by baby Moana, especially her delight at the scary story.  It took me a bit to notice that, what with the screaming kid hogging the spotlight.

On 11/22/2016 at 3:31 PM, GaT said:

do you know if the porn star's name was actually pronounced Mo-ana, or was it Moan-a?

In Italian, it's Mo-ana.

[DisneyBoy]

I am very late to the party. I so wanted to love this film. Even in the days after watching it I kept asking myself why I didn't feel like it was wonderful and great. I think at the end of the day I really appreciate its focus on Polynesian mythology and I love the setting and the song that Moana sings as she sets out with the spirit of her grandmother behind her. All of that is good stuff. It's just that the film is kind of a mess otherwise.

I didn't like any of the other songs and I especially felt the whole crab scene went wildly over-the-top to the point where I can't even say that I hated it or liked it as much as I just felt completely thrown by it. I think they just threw too much at the audience with that sequence.

I also found Moana ridiculously passive throughout the whole film, but I guess that's to be expected when the freaking ocean is jumping up every two seconds to get you where you need to go and protect you and guide you and give you everything you need to win. All Moana had to do was show up and the day was saved. Didn't like that.

The animal sidekicks were so useless I actually felt badly that the studio felt obligated to include them. I liked the rooster and he got a lot of laughs from me but aside from temporarily swallowing the gem what purpose did he serve? The pig was obviously written out of the film before it was released and they just kept him around for marketing purposes.

Like Brave, I feel like they had the potential to set up a really epic mythological action story for a female protagonist people could get invested in, but instead they just dropped the ball. I really don't know much about Polynesian mythology and the film didn't bother to tell me very much either. Hercules isn't much better with Greek mythology, but at least you get a sense of what the hierarchy is with those gods and how they interact with the mortals. Maui was entertaining, but I kind of expected that he and Moana would go up against various gods or god-like challenges and instead it only amounted to the crab scene and those ridiculous coconut people, who are basically like plushies that I can already imagine are being sold at the theme parks. Do they have any significance in Polynesian culture? Even if they do, I found them tacky.

In short I guess the film didn't use its time very well and seemed to focus on things that didn't matter all that much to me as an audience member. I liked the ending and the reveal of the villain's motivation made a lot of sense and was clearly well planned out from the start, but a lot of the rest of it felt like it was heavily debated in the writers room and they just finally released whatever it was that they had.

Do people really love this film? I almost feel like Pocahontas did a better job of explaining First Nations culture then this did with Polynesian myths and history.

And even in spite of all of that, I still want to like it. It's not impossible to watch and the character designs are pretty good and the film holds together structurally even if I found myself disappointed in so much of it. I didn't go into it with any specific expectations other than the hope that it would succeed where Brave seemed to fail.

[paramitch]

I always meant to post about "Moana," and since I just showed it to a friend of mine, I wanted to chime in -- better late than ever!

While I was slightly disappointed in the story for its predictability (seriously, several major story beats and elements are right out of "The Little Mermaid"), I absolutely loved everything else about it -- the characters, the songs, visuals, and performances were all just superb. Overall, I'd put it slightly below "Zootopia" in terms of quality for that reason, but I still adored both.

What most delighted me about "Moana" was the design of Moana as a character -- I love that she (and the entire cast) is a person of color. I also love that she's not a typical toothpick -- physically, she is a fit and beautiful girl, but she doesn't have that ridiculous breakable-Barbie look that so many Disney heroines do. (Now I just hope Disney keeps this approach for ALL its heroines regardless of race as as healthier example for kids.) And I was delighted that there was zero romance in the film. Not even a breath of a prince on any horizon, no love songs, and I loved that.

For me, Moana as a character is everything I wanted Merida to be -- but wasn't. And the film is everything I wanted "Brave" to be (but wasn't).

I thought the songs were terrific, although I did feel that not one, but TWO reprises of "How Far I'll Go" were a little much (turning it into an earworm that I started out loving but within a day or two of seeing the film, I was like, GET OUT OF MY BRAIN). I also found "Where I'll Go" to be both visually and aurally reminiscent of "Part of Your World" both in how they were staged and used dramatically. My actual favorite songs were "You're Welcome" and "We Know the Way."

Visually, meanwhile, I thought this was one of the most beautiful films Disney has ever created. Just a gorgeous movie, and when the manta ray leaps from the water in a spray of phosphorescence under a starry sky? One of the most stunning moments I've ever seen on film.

On 11/13/2016 at 7:04 PM, SnoGirl said:

I am so excited for this movie, especially since Lin-Manuel Miranda was one of the song writers for the movie. I am in love with his zeal for life. Combined with Mark Mancina who worked on one of my favorite soundtracks of Tarzen, and Opetaia Tavita Foa‘i, who seemed very protective and wanted to put the Polynesian culture at the forefront of Moana, I feel this might be one of the best soundtracks Disney has put forth in a long time (I was horribly disappointed in Brave, but Bear McCready has remedied it with Outlander).

My understanding is that the filmmakers were incredibly thoughtful toward the Polynesian culture and did extensive research both in person and in general. I know most of the stories about Maui and Te Fiti are directly pulled from Polynesian mythology. And I'm with you on "Brave." (Not a fan.)

On 11/17/2016 at 11:55 PM, Bill1978 said:

Just listened to the album and my favourite song is You're Welcome. I want to like How Far I'll Go but at the moment it just leaves me feeling 'meh' Maybe the visuals and the plot will help me appreciate it more. But at the moment, if Disney think How Far I'll Go is going to get Lin-Manuel a little Golden Man they need to rethink.

I do think they pushed "How Far I'll Go" a bit much. Yes, it's very powerful and pretty, but like I said above, by the third time they played it in the film, I was still enjoying it (the dramatic moment is effective and powerful with that ending in "I AM MOANA!") but I also never wanted to hear it again.

I felt the "La La Land" win was actually the right choice. Although I do think LMM is assured of his PEGOT at some point.

On 11/24/2016 at 9:26 AM, SeanC said:

The film doesn't have a single villain, so the villain song is already, by nature, more isolated than others. "Shiny" is LMM operating much like he did with King George III's numbers in Hamilton, doing a goofy retro riff; quirky, rather than intimidating.

I loved "Shiny," especially as a Bowie homage, and thought it also had some of the coolest visuals in the film.

On 11/30/2016 at 7:02 PM, Zuleikha said:

I just want to know what Alan Tudyk's script looked like. 

My take:

HEI HEI: Confused chicken noises
HEI HEI: Startled chicken noises
HEI HEI: Oblivious chicken noises
HEI HEI: Contented chicken noises
HEI HEI: Drowning/sputtering chicken noises

(Speaking of which -- I love the moment when even the ocean has had enough of Hei Hei going overboard, and dumps him in a basket, in the hold, and then slams the lid down on both repeatedly.)

On 12/1/2016 at 10:51 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Dwayne Johnson was great as well.  As a fan, I'll be the first to admit he has limits in his acting ability, but I think he has a natural charisma and likability that can benefit him in the right role (certainly why he excels compared to the rest of his pro-wrestling turn actor companions), and he was pretty much born to play an arrogant, but lovable demigod.

Beyond the fact that he's a ridiculously gorgeous and charismatic guy, I really like Johnson as a performer, and have been interested in each of his choices, because I think he has the ability to do more than he's shown, but he's not always interested in demonstrating that -- he seems very comfortable just doing action movies. So when he steps out of that realm ("The Rundown," "Southland Tales," "Be Cool," and "Central Intelligence") I find him interesting, because I think he can truly be a subtle and interesting actor. Which is why I'd actually argue that his wonderful voice work here shows the reverse -- that he's a legitimate actor who goes beyond the beefcake.

On 12/31/2016 at 5:22 PM, nicepebbles said:

Visually it was stunning. My favorite part was the transformation of the "bad guy" at the end. Just beautiful. I can't remember at what point I realized who the bad guy was. I do remember liking that "twist". And Baby Moana was the cutest thing ever! OMG! Just absolutely

I thought that final confrontation and realization by Moana were really powerful, and that the lava goddess was terrifying in that crawl to Moana. Then there's that gorgeous moment when Moana just stares her down and says, "Who you really are" and she cooled, and touched her forehead to Moana's. The entire final Te Fiki sequence was stunning.

On 3/22/2017 at 10:28 AM, DisneyBoy said:

I also found Moana ridiculously passive throughout the whole film, but I guess that's to be expected when the freaking ocean is jumping up every two seconds to get you where you need to go and protect you and guide you and give you everything you need to win. All Moana had to do was show up and the day was saved. Didn't like that.

The animal sidekicks were so useless I actually felt badly that the studio felt obligated to include them. I liked the rooster and he got a lot of laughs from me but aside from temporarily swallowing the gem what purpose did he serve? The pig was obviously written out of the film before it was released and they just kept him around for marketing purposes.

My mileage definitely varies here. I really have to argue against the idea that Moana is passive in any way. She is constantly, actively, engaged in her own destiny. The ocean helps her to win her battle of wills against Maui, but the ocean does not give Moana free passage through any of her trials -- Moana herself goes to sea alone, braves the reef, challenges (and escapes) Maui, helps to fight the crab, and goes on to confront the lava goddess at the end by herself, with only her will and her ingenuity and the memory of her grandmother to guide her. The sea does very little beyond returning the Heart to Moana (and Moana to the boat when Maui fights her). The most notable action involving the sea as a character in the entire movie, I would argue, is when Moana asks the seas to part for the lava goddess, to allow her to approach, setting herself directly in more, not less, danger.

I agree that the animal sidekicks were useless, but I liked that. They actually acted like animals for the most part, and didn't talk to her or act like animal-humans. They were just dorky little animals, and Hei Hei, for instance, is actually just as dumb as he appears and never evolves into being any kind of secret asset (which was a relief to me storywise).

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Like Brave, I feel like they had the potential to set up a really epic mythological action story for a female protagonist people could get invested in, but instead they just dropped the ball. I really don't know much about Polynesian mythology and the film didn't bother to tell me very much either. Hercules isn't much better with Greek mythology, but at least you get a sense of what the hierarchy is with those gods and how they interact with the mortals. Maui was entertaining, but I kind of expected that he and Moana would go up against various gods or god-like challenges and instead it only amounted to the crab scene and those ridiculous coconut people, who are basically like plushies that I can already imagine are being sold at the theme parks. Do they have any significance in Polynesian culture? Even if they do, I found them tacky.

I'm kind of with you on the little coconut pirates, simply because they seemed less plausible to me than any other element in the movie and kind of took me out of the film. They were almost too cute and too silly.

However, as someone who, like you, was disappointed "Brave," I felt that "Moana" was ultimately far more successful in showing a genuinely heroic and courageous heroine whose actions both honor the past and herald a positive future.

To argue with your analogy on the story's handling of Pacific Island mythologies -- I think the film's approach is different because the culture's approaches to its own stories is different from those elsewhere. So it's less about meeting a lot of different gods and goddesses, and more an exploration of the heart of those beliefs.

To ensure validity and respectful handling of Pacific Islander stories, the moviemakers of "Moana" actually created an "Oceanic Trust" of researchers, anthropologists, historians, choreographers, and more, and they used that input in creating the main storyline of Moana -- from her quest to restore Te Fiki, to Maui's exploits as a demigod, to the everyday life of Moana's village, etc.

This article in Vanity Fair gives a terrific overview of what was involved.

Thanks for the discussion!
 

[Silver Raven]

Jordan Fisher, who played Doody in the recent "Grease Live" and a voice and face characterization in the video game "Until Dawn", has an official video of "You're Welcome" with Lin Manuel Miranda.