First Take: Moana- Disney’s best since Frozen.

SYPNOSIS:

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

Disney have had an incredible run of films this year, with Zootropolis in March and Finding Dory in July, this film had a very high benchmark to live up to, and it certainly did deliver on every level.

The plot, while it may be another paint by numbers concept that we’ve seen thousands of times before, is very solid, with Jared Bush’s screenplay translating into a very tight 1 hour 43 minute piece of animated excellence that is directed with ease by Ron Clements and John Musker. Also, the script draws upon a variety of Polynesian influences, something which makes this film deeply rooted within a global culture- this stuff is always done well in a Disney film, and this one is no exception. Performance wise, Dwayne Johnson puts in some great work as Maui, with newcomer Auli'i Cravalho driving the film’s narrative forward as the very likable lead character Moana. There is also some good work from Nicole Scherzinger and Jemaine Clement.

The animation is first class, with some scenes having a sense of photorealism that hasn’t been seen in a Disney film until now, and as you’d expect, the construction of each shot is up to the high standards that we all know and love. Even though I was at a 2D screening, it is obvious that a lot of thought was put into the 3D version of the film, and that is a rare thing nowadays. The main highlight of the film though was the music- the original score from Mark Mancina blends incredibly with the songs written by

Opetaia Foa'i

and Lin-Manuel Miranda (the creator of Broadway’s biggest new show Hamilton) for the film, with some of these original tracks sticking in your mind about as much as Let It Go has done over the years.

THE VERDICT

Moana is one of the finest pieces of work that Disney Animation have put out since Frozen, and I actually reckon that it is slightly better than that seminal 2013 film. With great songs, a very relatable plot and an easy to follow narrative, this is a perfect film to take the younger ones to watch if Rogue One proves to be a little bit too much this Christmas.

RATING: 5/5