Disneys Moana does the impossible by beating Frozen at the Box Office

With Moana destined to grace lunchboxes and theme parks for many years to come, her namesake movie illustrates that there was no need to throw out the concept of Disney princesses. From the smallest blade of grass to a mountain of lava, it had to be right.

“Moana” faced an uphill battle before its release, with some commentators calling Maui’s bulky physique a racist stereotype, and a Halloween costume based on his character getting pulled, after accusations of cultural appropriation.

Moana is a solid addition to the Disney princess lineup, and she manages to get through the movie without having to hitch herself to a love interest, so that’s a sort of progress. Things in Moana go from sad to exciting and back again in an instant but it never feels like it’s too much. I hope this entertaining and inventive movie, in which not only the protagonist but also her mentor and a key opponent are female, can prove that wrong. Created by a small team at Walt Disney Animation Studios in a unique, fast-paced style that blends CG and traditional hand-drawn animation, the short explores the importance of finding balance in daily life.

For centuries, the greatest sailors in the world masterfully navigated the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. The script, by an eight-person committee including the directors, draws from Polynesian mythology – the filmmakers travelled to Samoa, Fiji and Tonga on what must have been the sweetest research trip ever – and is set at least a couple of thousand years ago.

Featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson and Auli’I Cravalho, “Moana” follows a little girl from Motunui Island, who goes on a quest to reunite the Heart of Te Fiti. Along the way, she befriends demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson). Moana, however, is an excellent character with spirit, doubts, drive and a heck of a voice.

Moana’s discovery of her past is the audience’s as well, so we learn her customs, legends, friends and foes in a very snappy and enlightening first act.

Interview: Auli’i Cravalho Knows the Way!

“I’m 15 going on 16”. Does that still keep me Polynesian? “I’m really old”, she says, laughing.

These questions are the kind Cravalho wants those who see the movie to ask about themselves. This isn’t the first Disney heroine not to have a love interest – Merida from fearless didn’t have one either – but Brave’s plot involved Merida being required to find a husband despite her lack of interest, whereas romantic obligations are simply and refreshingly not a plot point at all in Moana.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the lyricist behind most of Moana’s original songs is Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”). They understood the importance of being part of the creation of the next major figure in the Disney universe.

This Disney princess has no prince and the film is all the better because of it. The theft, we are told, plunged the world into darkness – it’s why the oceans are now so often treacherous. But even with that said, the ensuing adventures and characters she meets, particularly Maui, are worth the slow start.