Moana
Director: John Muskar, Ron Clements
Screenplay: Jared Bush
Cast: Dwayne Johnson,Auli'l Cravalho
Strength: Characterization
Weakness: Predictability
Duration: 107min
Rating: 7/10
Plot: The movie is based on a Polynesian mythology. The mother island Te Fiti's heart held great power of creation. A shape shifter, the Demigod of wind and sea, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), took her heart. Without her heart she began to crumble, giving birth to a terrible darkness. Moana (Auli'l Cravalho) is a sea voyage enthusiast and the only daughter of the chief of her tribe. She learns that Demigod Maui caused the blight by stealing the heart of the Goddess. Her grandmother tells her that she has been chosen to restore the heart by the ocean. So Moana sets off on an epic journey with her chicken across the Pacific.
Review: Being the 56th movie of the Disney animation series, one would think that "Moana" is just another princess story. But they would be sadly mistaken since this movie follows a specific current trend of Disney: having a strong female lead. Unlike the
Disney princesses of old and more like the Disney princesses of new, the character Moana is adventurous, smart and brave. If not for anything else then surely the movie can be recommended for its dazzling visuals, catchy tunes, enjoyable performances, clever running gags and an overall sense of fun. The voice acting cast features an astonishingly assured, auspicious debut from Auli'I Cravalho, a Hawaiian teenager, and the immensely talented Dwayne Johnson who voices Maui and also performs his own musical number in this movie. Also, each and every song of the movie is worth listening to from start to finish. Most notably the film's soundtrack includes contributions from Lin-Manual Miranda, the Tony and Grammy-winning creator of the popular stage musical Hamilton. "Moana" deserves a lot of praise but it does have some flaws. Its main weakness is that it falls somewhat short of providing enough twists but that didn't hold it back from receiving two Oscar Nominations, including one for the Best Animated Feature Film. Overall, it's a must watch for every animated movie lover and a full package that has a bit of everything.
Reviewed by Saqiba Nawshin Junnurine
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