Disney has much depth
at its finest.
The songs fall a little flat too, only coming to life when Hawaiian newcomer Cravalho’s soaring vocals fill the air.
Pre-release, a lot was made of Moana being a princess without a love interest and it does wonders for the titular heroine; Moana is independent, determined and brave, and instead of batting her eyelids at Maui, she trades witty banter with him.
Cravalho and Johnson are a delight, the latter voicing an egotistical demigod with “silky hair” and knowing putdowns (“if you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you are a princess”).
The aforementioned animal sidekick – a dumb, big-eyed chicken called Hei Hei – is an endearing creation and comic actor Jemaine Clement lends his familiar tones to droll evil crab Tamatoa.
The effects team are also on top form with pristine water, sunsets and moonlight framing the luscious landscapes, tattoos coming to vibrant life and a colourful “realm of monsters” reminiscent of the trippy domains frequented by Doctor Strange.
With its giant eagle, lavaspouting adversary and mission to take a small, shiny object to its final destination, the climax is strikingly similar to Lord of the Rings, but ends in a clever visual pay-off.
There’s no denying Moana’s laudable threedimensional heroine and rich visuals.
It just feels like an inferior re-run of better Disney tales, that’s missing a sprinkling of heartstringpulling magic.