I had a hard time coming to terms with just how bad this movie is. The setting is "original" if you like, but both story and plot are filled to the brim with Disney tropes. Why does the main character look exactly like the girls from Frozen but with a different hair color? Disney don't even care about animating new characters anymore!
Really disappointing, so unoriginal, it was like a mix up from The Croods, Pocahontas, the colours and scenes from El Dorado. The characters weren't that much charming either.
Typical Disney movie, with an abundance of catchy songs. As usual, the Heroine wins, with the help of a humourous sidekick, and an animal comedy act. The villain gets vanquished and life goes on better and more meaningful than before. Same old, same old, but the Polynesian myths add some interesting sparkle, and Duane Johnson is about as perfect as it's possible to be. I give it a 9/10.
A predictable Disney film packed with cliches and forgettable songs. The ocean's presence as a safety net in the film seemed to take away a lot of the tension of any given scene; the protagonists never seemed to be in genuine danger. Attempts at pop culture and self-aware humour were largely unfunny and take you out of the film, especially that tweeting joke. The biggest redeemer was the animation style. The vibrant colours and attention to detail of the landscape were quite nice to see.
Boiler plate Hero's Journey, but a good execution of that. Young hero whose secretly the chosen one leaves home and defies parents to find some magical macguffin that will save the world. Encounter's a magical helper along the way who reluctantly helps her realize her true potential. They fight a monster or two before going up agains the Big Bad. The evil power defeated, hero returns home with newfound knowledge that benefits her people. A story as old as dirt, but we'll never stop telling it. This is a pretty good telling of that story.
Absolutely wonderful. The animation made my jaw drop at times. Excellent Polynesian-inspired music, memorable characters, deeply meaningful story.
My only "but" might be that Disney heroines are starting to blend into each other in terms of personality (not unlike the classic ones did), but it took such enormous steps on creating a story about human relationships that the experience is ultimately refreshing nonetheless. For my money's worth, better than Zootopia, and that movie was already incredible.
Moana brings the Polynesian culture and myths to life in one of Disney's musical spectaculars, and on the basis of that feature's originality alone, the film would be a winner. It's gorgeous, and presents a world Western audiences know little about, whether real or magical. But then it's also full of memorable songs and a strong theme of following your inner voice despite parental and social expectations (so not original in that sense, but it works). The casting is on point, every character played by someone from the Oceanic region, including a certain New Zealander who represents half of the country's fourth most popular folk parody duo ;-). I wasn't always sure the movie ought to be so self-aware, but the sidekick fake-outs and some of the jokes did work on that score. I think I just resented anything that pulled me out of what was otherwise a lovely immersive experience, beautiful enough to make me weep openly.
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Comments 1 - 14 of 14
chunkylefunga
Pretty average movie, honestly if it wasn't for the fact tha moana isn't white this movie would have disappeared from the public conscience by now.Nuked
I had a hard time coming to terms with just how bad this movie is. The setting is "original" if you like, but both story and plot are filled to the brim with Disney tropes. Why does the main character look exactly like the girls from Frozen but with a different hair color? Disney don't even care about animating new characters anymore!_scylla
Really disappointing, so unoriginal, it was like a mix up from The Croods, Pocahontas, the colours and scenes from El Dorado. The characters weren't that much charming either.Tiago Costa
4 /5TheOnlyRogueAngel
Typical Disney movie, with an abundance of catchy songs. As usual, the Heroine wins, with the help of a humourous sidekick, and an animal comedy act. The villain gets vanquished and life goes on better and more meaningful than before. Same old, same old, but the Polynesian myths add some interesting sparkle, and Duane Johnson is about as perfect as it's possible to be. I give it a 9/10.boulderman
Ok, I would be ruining it to mention much that I think lets it down. Its a weak, shallow plot with INCREDIBLE animation and I was disappointedAdenoid Hynkel
A predictable Disney film packed with cliches and forgettable songs. The ocean's presence as a safety net in the film seemed to take away a lot of the tension of any given scene; the protagonists never seemed to be in genuine danger. Attempts at pop culture and self-aware humour were largely unfunny and take you out of the film, especially that tweeting joke. The biggest redeemer was the animation style. The vibrant colours and attention to detail of the landscape were quite nice to see.danisanna
Wonderful!Emiam
8/10Great music (main song by Swedish Sara Larsson), exciting story & great CGI. Better than expected.
MissGoldenweek
Marvelous movie! I simply fall in love. <3Paravail
Boiler plate Hero's Journey, but a good execution of that. Young hero whose secretly the chosen one leaves home and defies parents to find some magical macguffin that will save the world. Encounter's a magical helper along the way who reluctantly helps her realize her true potential. They fight a monster or two before going up agains the Big Bad. The evil power defeated, hero returns home with newfound knowledge that benefits her people. A story as old as dirt, but we'll never stop telling it. This is a pretty good telling of that story.frankqb
Doesn't stray far from typical children's movie territory, but it's a fun ride with some decent songs.3.5 stars out of 5
Surskit
Absolutely wonderful. The animation made my jaw drop at times. Excellent Polynesian-inspired music, memorable characters, deeply meaningful story.My only "but" might be that Disney heroines are starting to blend into each other in terms of personality (not unlike the classic ones did), but it took such enormous steps on creating a story about human relationships that the experience is ultimately refreshing nonetheless. For my money's worth, better than Zootopia, and that movie was already incredible.
Siskoid
Moana brings the Polynesian culture and myths to life in one of Disney's musical spectaculars, and on the basis of that feature's originality alone, the film would be a winner. It's gorgeous, and presents a world Western audiences know little about, whether real or magical. But then it's also full of memorable songs and a strong theme of following your inner voice despite parental and social expectations (so not original in that sense, but it works). The casting is on point, every character played by someone from the Oceanic region, including a certain New Zealander who represents half of the country's fourth most popular folk parody duo ;-). I wasn't always sure the movie ought to be so self-aware, but the sidekick fake-outs and some of the jokes did work on that score. I think I just resented anything that pulled me out of what was otherwise a lovely immersive experience, beautiful enough to make me weep openly.