Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 2 ratings
In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.
Moana is a visually stunning Disney animated film with some of the most breathtaking ocean and water rendering in animation history, earning a top mark for cinematography. The voice performances and songs (by Lin-Manuel Miranda et al.) are solid and charming, though not transformative. The plot follows a fairly familiar hero's journey structure — chosen one, reluctant mentor, quest to save the world — hitting expected beats without much subversion. Novelty gets a modest score: the Polynesian setting and mythology are genuinely fresh for Disney, but the overall story architecture is conventional. The ending, while emotionally satisfying on the surface, resolves too neatly and predictably, with Maui's redemption arc and the final confrontation with Te Kā feeling rushed and telegraphed well in advance.