Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows exactly why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) meets the mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity. Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”), produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), and featuring music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa‘i.
Moana brings so much spark to the big screen. I love a story of a girl trying to find her self worth and watching her realize her potential. This is very inspiring for my kids to see, especially my young daughter. Of course she has a little help along the way from Maui the demi god. Dwayne Johnson is hilarious and moving as his character Maui. He nailed the comedic moments and gave Maui a lot of heart. Maui had the whole theater laughing many times! Seeing Moana and Maui meet, traveling together on this epic journey, and becoming friends is a delight. No spoilers, but this film has a triumphent ending and Moana truly does find herself and discovers how far she’ll go!
This story is set to original and magnificent music. I love the songs that Lin-Manuel Miranda created for this feature. Each song in the film really emphasizes the characters’ feelings and brings the moments to life. My two favorites are “You’re Welcome” and “How Far I’ll Go.” Check out a sneak peek below…