Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
Strength of the Sea, Beauty of the Islands
Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/08/2017
Disney has had no trouble in the past providing plenty of princesses on the big screen but it's often the lead characters who need saving. In the past few years, however, it has been the princesses turn to do the saving - with films like Tangled, Brave and Frozen giving the lead females a chance to shine. Moana is a continuation of this trend and may be one of the strongest roles yet.
Unlike many previous Disney films, Moana is not based on any previous source material. It does gather much of its story from Polynesian tradition and legends, but its very much its own story. In this case, Moana grows up on an isolated island community where everyone is happy but everyone also has their place. As the daughter of the chieftain, Moana is expected to lead her people one day, despite the …
Rating of
3/4
Moana - Shiny but a little shallow...
Indyfreak - wrote on 11/29/2016
MOANA is Disney's latest princess movie and it's pretty good. The story beats are predictable but the characters are likable and interesting. The title protagonist Moana is a positive role model and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) is entertaining as the conceited but kindhearted demigod Maui.
MOANA does not feature a romance or a traditional cackling villain like FROZEN or TANGLED;how refreshing for a change. It's a coming of age seafaring tale which might once be considered a boys own adventure except this time it's a girl. The animation is the most fascinating thing about MOANA since it's so beautifully done. The water effects and the characters' body movement carries on the fluidity achieved in TANGLED and FROZEN.
The musical numbers are well done but sometimes the transition seems expected …
