Moana (2016)

I can hear it in my sleep. I mean that literally. My daughter was about three years old when Moana came out, and How Far I'll Go has been living rent-free in my head ever since. There are worse fates, honestly, because it's a genuinely great song. But after the four hundredth listen on a long car journey, you start to question your own sanity a little.

Here's the thing though: familiarity hasn't killed my affection for this film, and that tells you something. Disney has a very particular formula, and when it works, it really works. Gorgeous animation, songs you can't shake, a lead character with enough heart and grit that kids don't just like her, they want to be her. Moana ticks every one of those boxes and does it with a freshness that I wasn't entirely expecting.

The Polynesian setting is a big part of that freshness. The ocean, the islands, the mythology, it all gives the film a visual and cultural palette that Disney hadn't really explored before, and they've made the most of it. The water sequences in particular are just stunning to look at. There are moments where you forget you're watching animation and just get completely lost in it. It reminded me a little of the ambition in The Little Mermaid (1989), another film that used its aquatic world to do something genuinely spectacular on screen.

And then there's Dwayne Johnson as Maui. Now, I'll be honest, I'm usually fairly immune to The Rock's charms on screen. He tends to play some version of the same larger-than-life, self-aware action hero regardless of the project. But here? Something clicks. Whether it's the fact that he's a demigod and the self-deprecating swagger actually fits, or whether the animation just liberates him somehow, I don't know. But this is probably the only performance of his that doesn't feel like a Dwayne Johnson performance. The man deserves credit for it. His tattoos alone, animated and bickering with him throughout, get some of the biggest laughs in the film. My kids lose it every single time.

Where I'd push back a bit is on the story itself. It's a solid adventure, no question, but it follows a well-worn path pretty faithfully. Chosen hero, reluctant mentor, journey of self-discovery, moments of doubt, triumphant resolution. You can see the beats coming if you've watched enough of these, and I have watched enough of these, possibly more than any adult should. The charm and energy of the whole thing carry you through it, and the emotional moments land well enough, but I never felt like the script was taking any real risks. Compare it to some of Disney's more adventurous storytelling and it sits comfortably in the middle of the pack rather than at the top.

That said, comfortable and middle of the pack for Disney still means something pretty special in practice. My kids were completely gripped from start to finish, and they still are, every rewatch. They belt out the songs with total commitment. They narrate bits of the story before they happen. They have opinions about characters. That kind of engagement doesn't come from a film that's doing nothing right.

I've also since sat through Moana 2, so I have some perspective on how much goodwill this original film built up. It built up a lot.

Three and a half stars. It's a great family film, it's genuinely beautiful to look at, and it's got at least one song that will outlive us all. I just wish the story had been willing to take a few more chances along the way. But I'd be lying if I said I don't know every word of How Far I'll Go at this point. Every. Single. Word.

Rating: ★★★½  | Year: 2016  | Watched: 2018-02-01

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Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus · fuboTV
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

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