What is it about?                                                                                                                     Moana is Disney’s latest flick after Zootopia, and it’s about Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), the daughter of a chief that sets out on an adventure. She has to find Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a powerful, but arrogant demigod, and bring an ancient relic to a goddess with him to end the darkness devouring their islands. Hei Hei the Rooster (Alan Tudyk) joins them as they face many obstacles on their journey.

How is it? 8.7/10

Moana is a terrific movie. There were a ton of things to love about it, and it’s one of my favorite animated movies of 2016.

The Ups

First off, the music is great. Composed by Lin Manuel Miranda, it’s super catchy and will have you humming it long after the movie.

The characters are also really cool. Moana herself is a fun twist on the typical “Disney princess,” and she actually is about to take on the role of chief, whereas in most Disney movies, she would be destined to awaken the chief from eternal sleep, or something like that. Also, her character is faced with a choice: to stay and be chief, or to go off on a voyage to find Maui. This dilemma for her character adds development and makes the movie even better. Demigod Maui is also really awesome. His character is shown as a likable and charismatic, but arrogant and selfish demigod that brings a bunch of laughs and fun scenes. Also, not-so-bright chicken Hei Hei produces a ton of laughs being one of the more…dim-witted characters in the movie. Great voice acting is displayed all around.

This movie is really funny, and has a fun, adventurous plot. It boasts some awesome set-pieces where Moana, Maui, and even Hei-Hei show off their unique powers.

This movie looks excellent. This movie meets the high standard of animation set by previous movies and passes it. Everything from the amazing CG shots of Moana and Maui battling coconut pirates to Maui’s hand-drawn tattoos is fantastic.

Most of all, Moana has heart, which is what we’ve come to expect, and it shows this moral well. It delivers a good message for both adult viewers and kids.

The Downs

I have very few problems with this movie, and overall, is a ton of fun. However, its only down is predictability. It falls into some Disney movie tropes, and while its hero is different, it has a predictable plot. A lot of Moana’s journey has been seen before in other movies, which, while it’s not a super bad thing, just makes it feel like it’s been seen before.

Overall, Moana is an excellent, well-animated, and funny movie that has heart, rich characters, and great music, although it’s a bit predictable.