There have been so many animated Disney movies over the last 10 years , from hits such as Frozen (which is going to be turning ten in 2023), to Big Hero 6, but the one movie that I genuinely can never get enough of is Moana. The movie, which was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, is a Disney film from the last ten years that I could re-watch over and over and over again.
I happened to watch it again on Disney+ this year – and still loved it just as much as the last time I re-watched it. Thoughts kept popping up in my head as I watched, and I knew I just needed to share.
God, Baby Moana Is So Cute
The start of this film is great, but I have to say this first – baby Moana has to be the cutest baby in all of Disney, and I mean that with my heart. I don’t even like children often in these movies because half the time, they feel like plot devices, but baby Moana is the perfect little serving of cuteness to start this movie off just right.
I mean, that giggle. She’s just so darn cute. That scene alone would give anyone baby fever.
The Animation Is The Best Disney Has Ever Done, Including In Recent Years
Let’s get into the actual praise that I have for this movie – because wow, the animation in Moana is hands down the best animation that Disney has ever done. I love Encanto, but Moana is just better. It’s better than Strange World, Frozen II – everything.
I know that animation has evolved so much over the last ten years, but the animation in Moana is on another level of beautiful. Not only are the landscapes utterly perfect, showing off the beautiful nature of the Polynesian islands, but the ocean is amazing. I mean, if you didn’t see little Moana at the beginning, you might not even think this was an animated movie.
My favorite part about the animation isn’t just how the ocean looks – it’s how it interacts with its environment. I never thought that the ocean could ever be given a personality, but it’s done so well in this movie. From the sassy way it speaks to Moana to how it deals with Maui, it’s just an all-around fun time. You can’t not love the ocean.
These Songs Are Freaking Amazing And So Catchy
While Lin-Manuel Miranda wasn’t the only person responsible for the killer music in Moana, he did help write the lyrics – and you can tell from the moment this movie starts that his musical footprint is all over this soundtrack.
From the way the songs flow, to the stories they tell, they're just done so well. I really do love a lot of Miranda's work, even in Encanto, because his songs are really good there, as well, but Moana was just outstanding in every way. Every song really felt like it told a story and nothing felt like filler.
Listen to “How Far I’ll Go” and try not to sing to it – it’s impossible. The lyrics have so much meaning that you just know it’s a Lin-Manuel Miranda song. He’s just that great.
Dwayne Johnson Is A National Treasure
He really is. Dwayne Johnson is probably one of the most charismatic men in Hollywood, but there’s something about him voicing Maui that makes him even more of a national treasure.
His charm leaks through the character even if Maui is honestly pretty unlikable through the first half of the film, before he starts to grow on Moana and the audience, as well. He has some funny one-liners, heartfelt moments, and everything you could want in a Disney character – all delivered expertly in Johnson’s memorable performance.
And I mean, how can you not sing along to “You’re Welcome”? The song is a bop and I’ll stand by that. It’s funny how his daughter still doesn't believe he voices Maui.
I Still Love Tamatoa – Even If He’s Barely In The Movie
There are so many different forms of villains in Disney movies, but in Moana, there’s two – one that’s barely in the movie, and the other that’s not really a villain but an obstacle. The first villain is Tamatoa. And he’s just iconic.
Jemaine Clement is able to bring in that sass and personality to Tamatoa, this giant crab in the realm of monsters that loves shiny things, and his song, “Shiny,” is surprisingly catchy but also quite villainous at the same time – filled to the brim with quips. But, his time in the movie only lasts, like, seven minutes and it’s honestly really sad. He could have been such a fun villain – almost reminiscent of one of my other favorite sassy Disney villains, Hades from the underrated hit, Hercules.
But, I understand that would have taken away from the essential plot of the movie – I’ll just deal with singing “Shiny” over and over again.
Taka Is Still Just As Terrifying
Taka is technically the real villain of the movie, since Moana and Maui have to get past this flaming lava monster to get to Te Fiti, but she’s really not a villain because it’s just Te Fiti underneath all that rock who is missing her heart. It’s honestly quite nice to have a movie without a truly evil monster as the antagonist.
But I will say, even if Taka isn’t super evil, she is still terrifying. Think about it. You’re literally out on a sailboat in the middle of the ocean, and all you see are these giant flaming rocks of lava getting hurled at you by a powerful fire monster. Yeah, I’m shaking just thinking about it.
“I Am Moana” Is Such A Powerful Scene/Song
When Moana came out, it was 2016 and I was just starting college, and “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” was a song I listened to constantly, because this scene is just perfect.
It’s right after Moana and Maui fail the first time in getting to Te Fiti, and Maui leaves Moana on her own. She is visited by her late grandmother’s spirit, who encourages her to keep going despite the doubts about herself, telling Moana to remind herself about who she really is, and that no matter what the world throws at her, she can do anything.
The ancestors emerge, and Moana finds the confidence in her to continue on her journey, with or without Maui.
The song itself is wonderful, even without the scene, because it’s all about self-perseverance in the face of adversity, and refusing to give up even when you feel that the world has been putting you down. But, with the added visuals of the scene, and the meaning behind the ancestors and their wayfinding, it’s even better.
This Ending Is Beautiful
I just love the ending of Moana. Her walking across the literal ocean floor to put the heart of Te Fiti back into Taka, only to reveal that it is indeed Te Fiti. Maui is redeemed and given a new hook, and Moana returns home to her family and tribe in order to begin wayfinding again.
It’s a beautiful way to end the movie, with her leaving that shell on top of the column of stones, signaling her start as the ruler, but also signaling the end of the wayfinders staying on an island, and going out onto the ocean. It’s a beautiful full-circle moment and shows just how far Moana really did go – and I think that’s a beautiful lesson to teach to kids.
Don’t be afraid to do what is scary – because you never truly know how far you will go. Ugh, just writing that makes me want to cry.
Truly, I don’t think there is ever going to be another movie like Moana that will make me feel the same way this does. In the future, maybe I’ll be able to pass this movie down to my kids, and show them just how amazing it is.
