Review of Moana

Moana Dazzles the Senses

by Mel Dawn

Moana has been playing for weeks in Vancouver's movie theatres—unlike Monster Trucks, which seems to have bombed—so last weekend we finally decided to see it. I wasn't certain what to expect. Even though I'm a pet lover, The Secret Life of Pets was missing the magic. Finding Dory was fun and awesome, though I wasn't certain I wanted to see it again.

And then, occassionally, we see film in the animated category that truly wows the senses. This was Moana! From the start, the story captured my interest. I'll try not to give away too many spoilers, but Moana is a young girl who wants to solve the problems of her tribe. Soon, she will be Chief, and be expected to solve problems such as the lack of fish in the reef, the plague surrounding the coconut trees, and even her determination to defy her parents.

Positives of the Film

Not only did this film have an engaging storyline, but the main character is not only female, but she's also destined to be Chief of the tribe on the island of Motunui. What's not to like about that?

The graphics and action were astounding! Many parts of the film made you go "wow"! There were even pirates along the way.

I also enjoyed how the film took place in the Polynesian Islands, and not the USA yet again! It's fantastic to see diversity in film!

Another highlight of the film is that there was no romance! Hooray! Men and women can just be friends, without "ending up together" at the end.

Negatives of the Film

I was surprised to find that this film is a musical, however, the songs didn't overwhelm it. But right now, I can't recall any of the songs as being memorable, such as they were in Frozen. I do know the soundtrack did well on the charts, and I did love the tribal music. Still, I'm glad that the singing didn't overwhelm the film.

Also, I was annoyed that Maui was such a big focus in the trailers for the film. The story is about a young girl, yet the trailers made it seem like the story would be all about Maui. And while Maui is an awesome character, I wish that they had focused on Moana for the trailers.

Final Thoughts

This is one animated film that I would love to watch again. I'm sure that I missed many details throughout the action, so viewing it again will bring more of the plot to life for me. And perhaps, I may just enjoy the songs a bit more for round two!

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