Moana redefines a Disney classic
I am a sucker for Disney films. Sinbad. Aladdin. Cars 1. Cars 2. Cars 3. You get the point; Those childhood movies that remind you that you are still a kid at heart, no matter what your age is. With a lot of controversy surrounding the portrayal of demigods and polynesian culture, I decided to go see why there was so much hype around Moana. And safe to say, I was not disappointed.
Moana ranks up there with Zootopia as two of the most recent Disney films with amazing storylines that I feel will have a lasting impact for generations to come.
Starring the infamous Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, along with the breakout acting job of Auli’i Cravalho, the movie includes a star-studded cast even beyond the screen, including an original score by Hamilton creator himself, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Dual directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, Moana is created with an adventurous plot and underlying themes of friendship and loyalty that all ages can relate to.
The story follows a teenage girl eager to find out her own destiny, whether to be the new chief of her island handed down by her parents, or pursue her love for the waters beyond the island’s horizon ventured by her ancestors.
In the midst of a changing America with the increase of female leading roles in movies such as Wonder Woman, the idea of a coming of age story in the eyes of a teen girl really sold the story to the American republic.
The animation in the film was impeccable. The waterworks (not talking about the tears I shed) were amazing. You can really see the enhancement of CGI and how it transcended the landscape of animated storytelling.
The music. Now that was amazing. The artistry of the score by Miranda sometimes mirrored that of Hamilton. The soundtrack was phenomenal as the theme song was catchy, and even had me singing along to it.
And don’t even let me get started on the plot. The storyline was well-written, as so many elements that were introduced in the start of the film began to manifest later on in the movie.
Is it the best film disney film ever? I would put it in there for debate. The way it managed to keep me engaged with the plot and fall in love with the characters made me want to rewatch it a million times.
Moana is available to watch over Netflix and other streaming services and its run time is 107 minutes.
If you are a sucker for good Disney films like me, or just like movies in general, then I would HIGHLY recommend seeing this film.
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George McLaughlin • Nov 3, 2017 at 8:06 am
Hello, my name is George Mclaughlin from Ms. Hammit’s Writing Through Literary Genres Class. I will be honest with you, I have never seen this movie before but with all of the great pieces of the story you shared. It’s a must see! Although, when you said “Is it the best film disney film ever? I would put it in there for debate”, I think it would’ve been better if you shared other disney movies that you think are up for the best. Never the less, great article and Moana is now on my to watch list!
Hannah Suh • Nov 2, 2017 at 11:03 pm
Hello. My name is Hannah Suh and I am in Writing Through Literary Genres with Ms. Hammitt. I want to first start out by saying how I also believe that this is one of the best Disney movies created! I love how you mentioned that the plot is well thought out and it portrays coming of age. Our class actually started reading a book about coming of age and this not only helps me better understand the idea of coming of age but also draw a connection between this movie and the novel. Adding on, I agree that the soundtrack in this movie is amazing and I remember being so happy to sing some of them in choir last year. Your article is very persuading and if I hadn’t had watched it already, I would totally go see it right now!
Dani Pappal • Nov 2, 2017 at 10:02 pm
Hi there! I am also in Miss Hammitt’s writing class. I think you did a really good job of summarizing the movie and even dug deeper into explaining how Moana is a female role model for all ages and how this is a coming of age story. Disney is known for their music, and explaining who Lin Manuel Miranda is and how he is the mastermind behind Moana’s soundtrack makes the reader appreciate the music even more (especially if they are a Hamilton fan). You did a great job on this and I hope to read more reviews soon.
Abby Haney • Nov 2, 2017 at 8:27 pm
I thought this was a very well thought out review. I really liked your use of rhetorical questions. You made it seem like it was very personal and went into detail about how the movie made you feel and the affect that it had on you. I also really enjoyed that you added some humor into the writing, which made it more entertaining for the readers to read.
Angelina Curti • Nov 2, 2017 at 7:01 pm
Hi, my name is Angelina and I am in a Literary Genres class. This article was really enjoying for me to read because I also loved the movie Moana. I have always loved Disney movies, but this one in particular really stuck out to me for many of the reasons you mentioned. The music soundtrack was amazing and I agree with all of the positives you included about this movie. It’s also different compared to other Disney movies which makes it more unique. I think it is one of the best Disney movies and would also recommend it to anyone to watch who loves a good Disney movie.
Marley Huijgen • Nov 2, 2017 at 6:53 pm
Hi, my name is Marley and I’m from Ms. Hammitt’s writing through literary genres class. Your review on Moana was great. I like how you talked about the reasons you liked the movie and compared it to other disney movies that were popular and ones you enjoyed personally. You described the plot of the movie and how each character impacted the story, which gave clear reasons why you loved it. In all I liked how you summed up your thoughts on Moana and gave a general opinion saying you highly recommend the movie.
Skylar Goldstein • Nov 2, 2017 at 6:45 pm
I am glad to hear more great things about this movie! I have not seen it yet, but you did a quality job describing Moana. I appreciate that you addressed the plot because I honestly had no idea what this was even about. It isn’t even the plot I appreciate you addressing, but also things like the amazing music, because that is always something I look for in any kind of movie. Also, since I am also a Disney fan, we both know that it cannot disappoint. I’m glad that you also mentioned that it was on Netflix, that means it is more accessible for me since I have an account. You did a wonderful job explaining this movie and your opinion about it as well. You will be a big help to other people who have also not seen it yet.
Mackenzie Carter • Nov 2, 2017 at 8:00 am
Hi I’m Mackenzie and i’m in Ms. Hammitt’s writing through literary genres class. You did a wonderful job describing every aspect of the movie from the plot to behind the scenes information that not all people know. At the beginning when you were mentioning all the names i skipped reading that because it didn’t seem relevant to me but i see why you include that. Mentioning the lead voices of the characters make sense but the directors just confused me. Overall you did an amazing job and I like how which each new topic you gave your opinion.