MOOOMMM, I’M BORED!

The latest blockbuster for kids is Moana, a fun-filled flick with a Polynesian heroine and an ocean with attitude

Hands up if you’ve already heard this a few times now the holidays are starting. Fortunately caregivers around the country can get some respite by heading to the cinema to see Disney’s latest gem of a movie – a feel-good tale complete with a feisty heroine, a sage message and breathtaking animation.

Moana has been making major waves overseas, raking in big bucks and earning mostly rave reviews. And if you don’t have a kid to take, treat yourself. There’s nothing like a good dollop of Disney to recharge your batteries and send you back into the madness of the mall with a spring in your step. mate anti-princess. Here’s a young woman who has no need for romance or rescue by a brave prince – a clear sign Disney has well and truly moved with the times and abandoned helpless female characters waiting for men to provide their salvation.

Damsels in distress were dropped in the ’90s when Pocahontas (1995) and Mulan (1998) came along, flipping gender roles and steering away from the lily-white heroine stereotype.

Since then Disney has added more headstrong heroines to its stable. In 2012 we met Merida, the dapper Scottish princess-turned-archer who had no intention of getting married.

Then came the megahit Frozen in 2013. The heroine, Elsa, doesn’t end up marrying either – instead, her love for her sister, Anna, breaks the curse on their kingdom.

Now we have the fierce and courageous Moana.