Moana

I watched this with my grandson and this was such a cute movie. It also shows how you should trust your instincts and never give up. Also, it shows that friends come in all ways. Love this movie. I can't wait for the second one. Btw, He fell asleep but I watched it myself and then we watched it again the next day. He loved it.....we both did!

Ever since I was a kid, Disney has never failed to amaze with their films. The animation is always brilliant. The stories are always moving. And, if it's a musical, the songs are always ingenious. And now, they have created their best Disney Princess film ever: "Moana"! This film follows Disney's very first Polynesian princess (technically, not a princess though. Although, apparently, "if you wear a dress and you have an animal sidekick, you're a princess. ), voiced beautifully by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, who teams up with the larger-than-life demigod Maui, voiced by the larger-than-life Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, to resolve the mysterious rift between man and nature and revive the ancient art of wayfinding. Along the way, she also seeks the one thing she has sought out her whole life: her identity. Like how Maui could go on and on explaining every natural phenomenon, I could go on and on explaining how this film is nothing less than PERFECT. The story is incredibly moving and thought-provoking. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa'i team up to bring us a soundtrack that deserves at least 10 Oscars. The cast is not only brilliantly assembled; most of them come from Polynesian roots (Auli'i Cravalho is a native Hawaiian, Dwayne Johnson's ancestors are Samoan, Temuera Morrison hails from New Zealand); in fact, the only cast member who is not Polynesian is Alan Tudyk, but only because he voices Hei Hei the rooster. The animation and character design is some of the finest I have ever seen in a Disney computer-animated film... Honestly, if I went any more into detail about how this film is my absolute favorite of 2016, we'd be here all day. So, in short, Disney's 56th animated movie is an instant classic and will no doubt go down in history. This film is a must-see for all Disney fans, young and old. It's yet another brilliantly gleaming gem in the Disney Animation canon!

A great movie. Super funny. Probably the last really good movie Disney has made.

Moana is a true testament to the spirit of humanity. Focused on Moana and her people (Moana carries the Hawaiian meaning of water, deep ocean, or sea), this movie immerses you into the Pacific ocean and its many islands in the most intimate of ways. Often funny and even exceptionally emotional with songs that keep you singing long after leaving the theater or the switching off of your television or computer, Moana teaches the relevance of respect for nature and convinces you that we all may have been smarter centuries ago without the gadgets of the current day. It kinda made me feel regret that my child relies on a screen, sitting next to a classroom full of others looking at a screen, only hearing someone talk about the world, though never experiencing it himself. In other words, it's a cool movie!!! What I am even more thankful for is THE BONUS CONTENT!!! WOOHOO DISNEY for the hours of additional bonus features that teach us so much more about the people of the story and what is important to them!!! I cried several times while hearing Pacific Islanders speak with such pride and emotion about wanting their culture to be known and appreciated by others. Isn't that what we all want no matter where you come from? Learning how Islanders sailed the biggest ocean on the planet in FREAKIN' CANOES was AMAZING!!! And I never would have known that without watching the bonus features that explained the film's motivations. So I am grateful for Moana, the movie. This is one history lesson that I want to learn over and over and over and share with everyone I can find. I hope that centuries from now, when the tides just may have worked to bring us all together in spite of our vast physical, racial, and spiritual differences that are not so different after all, Moana (A MOVIE!) will be one of those things listed as a catalyst for such unity and understanding of cultures all across this great earth. To Amazon: Did I mention that LOVE THE BONUS CONTENT?!!! :) PLEASE give us videos on demand with BONUS CONTENT. That is the reason that I bought the video digitally and will buy the physical Blu-ray movie as well. If there was no bonus content I would never have purchased both the digital version AND the Blu-ray versions. Bonus content is just as important as the movie for me because it helps you to understand the movie better. And it's just fun to watch. More bonus features for all digital versions please!!! :)

Moana is the best animated film I have seen in a long, long time - I haven't enjoyed a Disney film this much since Mulan (which also features a seriously strong female protagonist), and this movie - with its animation, story, and heroine is in a while 'nother, stronger category than Mulan. My children love it so I have watched it about 50 times - good thing I love it too. It's refreshing to see a film where having a boyfriend or future husband is not a thing at all - not once is it ever mentioned that she might marry one day. Nothing wrong with relationships! - (and Moana is certainly old enough to be interested in boys), but it would have created an unnecessary side plot and been distracting from her task at hand. There is not even a hint of there being anything between Moana and Maui. Even though she certainly beautiful, Moana's looks are not important or even mentioned, and she is drawn truer to actual bodies than the wispy-waisted, unnaturally thin Disney women in other films. She is neither silly nor helpless, and my kids comment on her bravery every time we see it. The songs, written by the amazing Lin-Manuel Miranda, are fantastic; we sing them all the time. Animation is simply gorgeous (even if you are afraid of the ocean, like me, you will fall in love with the water; thank god there is also no unnecessary shark attacks). I love the idea that our loved ones are never truly gone, and can have a completely different (joyous) life beyond this one. I realize some religious folks may have a problem with that, but I hope they will accept that the ancient Polynesians had a completely different system when it came to gods/goddesses, and that without that belief the film itself wouldn't exist. The minor antagonists were just enough of a threat to be suspenseful but not too scary, and the scary main antagonist was majestic and formidable rather than full of sharp teeth or unnecessarily ugly and evil (just really, really justifiably angry!); therefore my 6 and 8-year olds were not too frightened by her. Even the "animal sidekick" is different from other films, in that he is not "cutesy" and preternaturally intelligent. And if you love the Rock (which I do, especially his ability to laugh at himself), you will be impressed that he did his own singing! I did not see the "twist" at the end coming, and was so glad it wasn't obvious. Just truly an outstanding film in every way. Now I want to go watch it again! (For the 51st time, lol)

It was a wonderful movie.

A fun movie for you or the kids. E A good story, great characters, and some amazing songs.

Someone who posted a negative review said the water could have restored the land without Moana .... It's so unfortunate that this person completely missed the point of this movie. Yes, the water could have restored the land without Moana, but Moana and Maui and the Polynesian people would have learned nothing from their problems being magically solved for them. The journey is just as important as the destination. I saw Moana in the theaters, and also purchased the digital download with Bonus Content (more about the bonus material in a moment). This movie is beautiful, and a true celebration of the Pacific Island cultures. Moana is a story about the rich Polynesian culture, and the relationship they have with the ocean and their islands, the preservation of their history, and most importantly about Moana's journey to save her island and remind her people of where they came from. The story is also about Maui's redemption. Even a demi god can make mistakes, and learn from them. There is much to be said about the amount of 'girl power' Disney has given Moana. As a mom to daughters, I appreciate that this story doesn't have a love interest for Moana, but instead focuses on her as a strong independent young woman who is in line to accept a leadership role in her tribe. As a teenager, she's young and impulsive, and doesn't see eye-to-eye with her father, the tribe's chief, but she also cares about the future of her people. Moana is fierce and determined, a bit headstrong and reckless, but with a big heart. Her determination in the face of adversity is amazing. Other characters: The very narcissistic Maui is just as funny and charming as his voice actor, Dwayne Johnson. HeiHei the chicken is completely pointless and worthless, but provides a lot of comic relief. He reminds me of Becky in Finding Dory. Pui the little pig was adorable and I wish he was in more of the movie. Grandma Tala's character reminds me of Rafiki in Lion King … loony and crazy, and deeply wise. The ocean is portrayed almost as another character to illustrate the importance of the ocean to these people, connecting them, surrounding them, taking care of them. I have only two complaints about this movie: Complaint #1: Moana's mother, Sina, has very few spoken lines, with only one brief scene of dialog between her and Moana. I would have liked to have known more about the relationship between mother and daughter. It's clear that Moana loves and respects her father, but disagrees with him on many things, and it's also clear that Moana's relationship with Grandma Tala (the village crazy lady) is key in building Moana's character. Moana's mother, though? I appreciate that she's there, as there are so many Disney Princesses without a mother, and I get the impresison that she was probably a neutral voice of reason and encouragement for Moana between her stubborn Father and crazy/wise Grandmother. However, I think Disney missed an opportunity to futhur develop that character. Complaint #2: Tamatoa. This opinion may be unpopular, but I don't care for Tamatoa at all, and I love a good villain. His character is gaudy and obnoxious, the scenes with Tamatoa are gaudy and obnoxious, and the song 'Shiny' is gaudy and obnoxious. Everything about Tamatoa is contrary to the mood of this movie, which may have been intentional, but mostly just makes me want to fast forward through this part of the movie. Disney Wiki lists David Bowie as an inspiration for Tamatoa. If that's true, they missed their mark. David Bowie was eccentric, for certain, but I would not describe him as gaudy or obnoxious. As a villain in Labyrinth, he was the perfect juxtaposition between good and evil, enigmatic and dangerous, sauve and mysterious. Tamatoa is simply annoying. He reminds me of the character Nigel in Rio. Music: With the exception of the song “Shiny” I loved all of the music in Moana. Would you expect anything less from Disney? Music for Moana is some of the best Disney has produced in years. In my opinion, better than Frozen (gasp!). Lin Miranda Manuel is a brilliant artist and composer, and an amazing choice to work on this movie, along with longtime Disney composer Mark Mancina (The Lion King, Tarzan) and the Samoan-born Opetaia Foa’i. Maui's song “You're Welcome” is a toe-tapping catchy tune (and a bit of an ear worm). Having heard Lin Manuel himself sing the song in the Bonus Features, I think Dwayne Johnson did a pretty good job with most of the song, aside from some very lyrically complicated parts that were clearly dumbed down him in the final movie recording. Moana's song “How far I'll go” is an uplifting song of adventure, and probably the top choice of most fans. My favorite song in the whole movie, however, is sung by Moana's Voyager ancestors, “We know the way.” This song is rich in the rhythm of Pacific Island musical culture. Half the song is in English, and the other half in an native Polynesian language … Tokelauan? Maori? I'm not certain, but it's beautiful. Bonus Content: I turned on the Bonus Content in my home office while I worked today. It's inspiring and moving. There is quite a lot of footage, so you may want to watch the Bonus Content a few segments at a time. Disney spent 5 years doing research for this film, traveling to the Pacific Islands over and over again to live alongside the people there, observe their way of life, learn their traditions, language, and culture. Through the entire process of creating Moana, Disney consulted with native Polynesian people along the way. Based on feedback from native Islanders, movie writers and animators made major changes to how characters looked and behaved, and completely rewrote a number of plot points to honor the culture and history of these people. It was fascinating to learn so much about these people, and I appreciate the lengths Disney took to get it right. With the exception of Alan Tudyk as the chicken HeiHei, Disney exclusively cast voice actors for Moana who were of Polynesian descent. Overall, great job Disney, this one is a family favorite.