Moana is Disney's latest animated musical. I suspected it would be over-hyped like Frozen but I really enjoy it.
Much like Frozen, Moana follows a girl on a musical journey with a travelling companion and an animal. Moana, as the daughter of the Cheiftain is meant to be the next village leader. She is not satisfied staying on her island and wants to travel the ocean beyond the reef that protects the island. Her Grandmother encourages her to be different and follow her heart because following her head is frustrating. Moana discovers that her ancestors used to voyage and explore but no longer do because the boats stopped coming back.The darkness that was beyond the reef finally reaches the island. Moana realizes that something needs to change for anything to get better, she decides to find the demi-god Maui to get him to stop the darkness that he started by returning what he stole. Of course this isn't simple and things happen on the way. Even as she lay dying, Moana's Grandmother tells her to go to the ocean and find Maui.
The music is very powerful. Similar to Frozen's "Let it Go", these songs feel like they belong in a Broadway musical; this make sense with Lin-Manuel Miranda writing a few of the songs. After watching the movie I had the music in my head until I bought the soundtrack and was able to listen to it again.
Upside
The short before the movie
The music
The unique locations - the realm of monsters was especially cool looking
Downside
This is yet another Disney movie where a character dies-this time to come back as an encouraging ghost.
The pet pig that was so often in the trailers didn't really have anything to do
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