As an avid fan of stories of all kinds, both visual and written, from time to time I offer spoiler-free reviews on my blog.
Oh, Disney, you’ve done it to me again. You captured the magic of storytelling imagination with the likes of Frozen and Big Hero 6, and now…THIS.
When I first heard they were doing Moana, I’d wondered whether it would be another Lilo and Stitch type flick. Set in Hawaii, check. Amazing island-influenced music, check. Based around a headstrong girl who bucks the norm and winds up with a wacky companion, check check. From there, the two movies are vastly different. And I love them both.
My spoiler-free review consists of this: put this on your must-see list for the big screen. If you’re reading this after Moana has left theaters, get it and put it on the biggest screen you can find. The animation is beautiful and some of the shots epic right from the beginning. I was spellbound at the stunning imagery. The ocean itself becomes a character that had me laughing, oohing, and aahing. Baby Moana was absolutely adorable, and I’m a sucker for cute babies. The story is moving and clever, the characters entertaining, and the end…well gee, I’m not going to tell you! Plus it’s got the Rock, Dwayne Johnson, as the god Maui. Nuff said.