This year has been notably strong for animated movies. _Kubo and the Two Strings_ was visually magnetic. _The Secret Life of Pets_ was cute and funny. _Finding Dory_ was a sentimental adventure. _Zootopia_ somehow managed to be all of the above. Surely no other film could surpass the rest.
Over Thanksgiving break, Walt Disney Animation Studios did just that with _Moana_.
Directed by Ron Clements and Don Hall, _Moana_ is funny, stunning and emotionally effective. Its characters are more fully developed than that of any live-action film this year, the journey is captivating, and the musical numbers are intoxicatingly beautiful. _Moana_ will grab your heart early and never let go.
When life on an ancient Polynesian island is endangered by an absence of food, the chief’s daughter Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) embarks on a journey to save their village, directly defying her father’s wishes by voyaging beyond the reef. To do so, she must find a legendary demigod known as Maui (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) to return a mystical rock to its rightful place and restore order to the islands.
Although most of _Moana_’s fun lies in the titular character’s adventure, the short time spent in her village is equally enjoyable and sentimentally effective. Laying important character development and plot groundwork, these early scenes thrust viewers into all aspects of Moana’s life. Discussions of how relatable Moana is are rendered insignificant through how well her experiences, feelings and desires are established, with much credit due to 16-year-old voice actress Cravalho.
Where the rest of the characters could easily be reduced into caricatures, they are shaped into unique individuals with distinct worldviews. Maui, for example, is layered with complexities under his jockish arrogance.
Together, Moana and Maui’s experiences perfectly sync to produce a beautiful and thematically cohesive exploration of finding one’s own identity.
Though the joys of _Moana_ may begin with its characters, they are continuously perpetuated through every other aspect of the movie. The dialogue is consistently amusing with few, if any, jokes falling flat. Between jokes and conversations, the songs written by _Hamilton_’s Lin-Manuel Miranda are remarkably fun and enrapturing.
All the while, the animation perfectly enhances the story. Moana and her fellow villagers are crafted into believably real humans. The depicted threats are awe-inspiring and fear-inducing. Although Moana and Maui are animated characters, the dangers they encounter feel truly authentic.
Like other animated films, _Moana_ teaches children some important lessons while reminding adults of those they may have forgotten. In a great year for this genre, Disney’s latest might just be the best.
But _Moana_ is more than just a good kid’s film. It’s a great movie, period. Perhaps it’s one of the best of 2016. After all, not many movies this year have been as consistently captivating, funny and emotionally evocative as _Moana_.
**MOVE gives _Moana_ 4.5 out of 5 stars.**
