‘Moana’ Review: Best Disney Musical Since ‘Hercules’

An emotionally engaging coming-of-age adventure brimming with color and life, Moana features 15-year-old Hawaii-born singer Auli’i Cravalho as Moana, New Zealand actor Rachel House as her grandmother Tala, and Dwayne Johnson as Moana’s sometime friend, the demi-god Maui.

What Johnson said he found particularly relevant and empowering was having a young girl drive the story. He told ABC News’ Nick Watt that he loves this new version of a female hero.

There’s thankfully no love interest – a cliché of kid’s flicks so apparently tantalizing that no one, not even Pixar, will leave it alone – and the only sidekick for Moana and Maui is a mute, accident-prone chicken.

“Moana” tells the story of a teenager who is drawn to the open ocean despite her father’s admonition that no one from their island village venture beyond the reef. Along the way, she fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she always sought: her own identity. Be prepared for Moana’s soaring inspirational anthem “How Far I’ll Go” to replace “Let It Go” from “Frozen” imminently.

Despite “The Rock’s” uncanny resemblance to his animated on-screen character, with bulging muscles and tribal tattoos, his tough exterior couldn’t shield him from getting emotional.

“Here’s a little fun fact: the shape of Maui and his look, a lot of it was based on my grandfather”, Dwayne explained on USA breakfast show Good Morning America.

“It could be like, ‘Look at me now, ‘ ” says Johnson.

The on-screen star said this film challenged him to project a character relying exclusively on his voice. The movie has fun with the visual contrast between its two leads, but if anything their difference in temperament – he mocks her youthful inexperience, she scorns his arrogance and selfishness – is even greater, providing the primary source of tension in a fairy tale without an Ursula-caliber villain. The animation overall is dazzling, a ideal blend of photorealism and cartoon idealization.

The first part of the movie introduces viewers to Maui and Moana’s background stories. Still, it’s not merely the animation that makes Moana an excellent film; the musical numbers are also on par with the classics of the ’80s and ’90s (I’m especially speaking of Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast).

This image released by Disney shows characters Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, right, and Moana, voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, in a scene from the animated film, “Moana”.

Moana is a heroine with real agency and a terrific role model for all, not just young girls – though there are sure to be innumerable young ladies in Polynesian garb belting out “I am Moana!” for many Halloweens to come, and probably even sooner. Pacific Islander Moana is less spindly than the alabaster-skinned Frozen ladies, and as voiced by newcomer Cravalho, she’s an immediately likable figure of headstrong, occasionally bumbling determination. She may be the chief’s daughter, but she’s clearly no princess. The three best are “How Far I’ll Go”, Moana’s dreaming of a life beyond; “We Know the Way”, a paean to their tribe’s voyager past; and “You’re Welcome”, Maui’s signature introduction. “It’s the best line in the movie”.