Moana

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: November 23, 2016

7.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 822 Ratings

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TeoenLDec 27, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is pointless. The entire movie revolves around her beating Te Ka, aka a lava monster, in order to return the stone, but this goal could have been so easily achieved. Moana was loved by the ocean, and during the entire movie, all I was thinking was, "Couldn't the ocean just automatically take her to where they were suppose to go, since it was able to do that for her in Maui's case? Could't the ocean just defeat the lava monster, since it was unable to touch the water? If the ocean was able to make a pathway of water in the end scene, then why couldn't it help moana earlier?" I realize that it would defeat the purpose of the ending part with the volcano being the goddess, but throughout the entire movie I kept thinking that the movie's entire conflict could have been solved very very easily, so what was the point of prolonging it for so long?… Expand

9 of 17 users found this helpful98

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BarronOfDuneMay 31, 2017

GOOD
- The animation is competent, though none of the visuals are particularly groundbreaking or creative
- Disney learned long ago that if you give the main character ENORMOUS expressive eyes and make them charmingly klutzy it's easy to makeGOOD
- The animation is competent, though none of the visuals are particularly groundbreaking or creative
- Disney learned long ago that if you give the main character ENORMOUS expressive eyes and make them charmingly klutzy it's easy to make the audience like them. That more or less works here, but again, it's a very old formula by now and has become a crutch.
- The coconut pirates were amusing.

MEDIOCRE
- The songs are just meh. They're superficially catchy (not hard to achieve) but lack emotional engagement. Nothing comes remotely close to classic showstoppers like "Be Our Guest" or "A Whole New World".
- The Rock's performance as Maui is so-so, and I say that as a big fan of his. He's got a weird, offputting character design with beady little eyes, a caveman face, and no neck. Honestly he looked more like a villain than a hero.

AWFUL
- Moana is a huge Mary Sue and has no character arc (OK, she very briefly doubts herself, then instantly gets over it). She has no flaws to overcome and the only growth she experiences is learning to sail her boat. This is lazy, agenda-driven writing. You can't invest in a character if right out of the gate they're the smartest, bravest, free-spirited-est Chosen One of Prophecy and have no room to grow or lessons to learn. It's boring and reads like fanfiction.
- Meanwhile the main male characters, Moana's dad and Maui, are stupid, insecure, and pretty much useless. If a kids' movie did this to all its female characters people would be shrieking and gnashing their teeth.
- The themes are: 1) home and community and tradition are boring, so leave them all behind as soon as possible! 2) Kids should ignore their lame old parents and listen to their "inner voice" instead! Grown-ups just don't get it!
3) Men screw everything up, and only women can fix their mistakes! Grrrl power!
4) The source of all creation and life is actually a jolly green Gaia spirit! Screw Christianity, it doesn't have a soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda!
- There's something ugly about a multinational corporation like Disney employing a bunch of render-farm nerds in Burbank to make a movie that exploits indigenous peoples for the sake of commercialized faux-exoticism. Maybe Pacific Islanders don't need a bunch of American business executives to make movies about them and slap the IP on lunchboxes and t-shirts. Maybe doing that is just a little presumptuous, even if they let a few of them do some voice work as a fig leaf.… Expand

8 of 16 users found this helpful88

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SkulbMar 8, 2017

My review of this garbage while trying to be funny has been censored. Fine, I will do it again without being funny. Moana is 100% feminist brainwashing and indoctrination, explaining to small children how boys and men are useless while girlsMy review of this garbage while trying to be funny has been censored. Fine, I will do it again without being funny. Moana is 100% feminist brainwashing and indoctrination, explaining to small children how boys and men are useless while girls and women are perfect and wise. It is crammed full of the most disgusting and inappropriate sexual symbolism and vile, poisonous messages for small children. It is a complete travesty that something like this can get published. If any of the people who reported my original review accidentally develop a brain in the future, please go protest the evil people at Disney rather than my use of anatomical terms on Metacritic.

Seriously, some perspective please. Horrible, divisive, society-destroying brainwashing vs using funny words for private parts in a Metacritic comment. I know which one I would be more upset by. Protect your children from this toxic stew! Anyone who lets their kids watch this movie is a terrible, terrible parent.

Clean enough this time, or are you going to report the truth to the moderators again?… Expand

7 of 16 users found this helpful79

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FalconXNov 23, 2016

Coming off of Frozen and Big Hero Six this was a huge disappointment. The story feels like it was made by the direct-to-video C Team. Where is John Lasseter when you need him? It was better than Chicken Little I suppose. Wait for video, rentComing off of Frozen and Big Hero Six this was a huge disappointment. The story feels like it was made by the direct-to-video C Team. Where is John Lasseter when you need him? It was better than Chicken Little I suppose. Wait for video, rent it for $1 from red box or something. So sad about this, I wanted it to be great.… Expand

10 of 23 users found this helpful1013

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heloheDec 22, 2016

boring from beginning to end. idiotic singing without any artistic quality. pointless altogether. don't waste your time. if there were not all those songs all the time, maybe at least kids would enjoy it.

7 of 17 users found this helpful710

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ignore78Mar 21, 2018

OVERRATED! Great! animations with weak story! if you know Aladdin and Lion king this is nothing like that. This feels boring and not good at all. And the music is bad. except for 2 songs. the crab song and moanas song that they HAD to play 3OVERRATED! Great! animations with weak story! if you know Aladdin and Lion king this is nothing like that. This feels boring and not good at all. And the music is bad. except for 2 songs. the crab song and moanas song that they HAD to play 3 times to fill out with.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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MathildeNov 24, 2016

Loved Frozen and seeing the reviews on here, figured Moana was a worthy follow up. I thought Zootopia was a great step forward for Disney. One step forward, two steps back. Moana's storyline is perfunctory so the film is full of padding withLoved Frozen and seeing the reviews on here, figured Moana was a worthy follow up. I thought Zootopia was a great step forward for Disney. One step forward, two steps back. Moana's storyline is perfunctory so the film is full of padding with forgettable songs and repetitive action. It plays much more like a Disney straight to video than a theatrical release. The animation isn't even on par with recent Disney films. This is the first Disney film in a long time that isn't emotionally engaging. Dwight Johnson does his best with the jokey lines he's given, but nobody could save those jokes.… Expand

8 of 21 users found this helpful813

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weiguyDec 21, 2017

It's generic. Very very generic. It's a cheap knock off of a good princess movie. The characters have great charisma, but if you're the type of person who likes a meaningful story and something memorable, you won't find it here. At best,It's generic. Very very generic. It's a cheap knock off of a good princess movie. The characters have great charisma, but if you're the type of person who likes a meaningful story and something memorable, you won't find it here. At best, you'll enjoy the visuals and the the voice acting (despite the characters being painfully shallow). Then the next day you'll forget all about it.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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TribidenadaPakJul 20, 2017

Moana grabs from a culture ripe with unique stories and narratives to tell, but does completely nothing with it--which is frustrating. The film follows every device and mechanism layed out by every other movie prior to it and somehow playsMoana grabs from a culture ripe with unique stories and narratives to tell, but does completely nothing with it--which is frustrating. The film follows every device and mechanism layed out by every other movie prior to it and somehow plays with them with even more lethargy. It's painfully obvious and predictable. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it just to save the person from an hour and 53 minutes of unrewarding tedium… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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NealAmandusDec 3, 2016

Moana is rich, colorful, lively, and full of spark. It is a good film, though it is not the best, most groundbreaking animated film. It's storytelling is generic with some slightly new twists. The music is good, but not heart wrenchinglyMoana is rich, colorful, lively, and full of spark. It is a good film, though it is not the best, most groundbreaking animated film. It's storytelling is generic with some slightly new twists. The music is good, but not heart wrenchingly powerful nor emotionally stirring. The animation is amazing, as expected. Moana herself is an endearing character, yet her story seems quite small and downplayed. However, it is Disney. It is, overall, a quality movie experience.

P.S. I loved the chicken.… Expand

3 of 14 users found this helpful311

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TVJerryDec 6, 2016

Moana is the name of a teenager who lives on her South Pacific island with her family. When the ocean calls to her, she sets out for an adventure where she teams up with a plucky demi-god (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). The story is prettyMoana is the name of a teenager who lives on her South Pacific island with her family. When the ocean calls to her, she sets out for an adventure where she teams up with a plucky demi-god (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). The story is pretty standard: full of positive empowerment for girls and culturally-appropriate references, but the beautiful animation and wondrous character design boost it's visual appeal. The inevitable sidekicks (a chicken and some tattoos) don't fall for the typical tropes and add another layer of delight. Toss in some catchy songs with typically-clever lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (writer of "Hamilton") and the experience is even more enjoyable. The lively pace and spunky attitude combine with beautiful animation to make this movie fresh and fun. NOTE: Stay thru the credits for one final amusement.… Expand

1 of 14 users found this helpful113

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testmetaNov 28, 2016

dange(Nov 27, 2016
Oh my God. This movie is so damn good. It’s not just good, actually. It’s a masterpiece. The music is perfect - we're talking about the best Disney musical in the last 20 years. Stunning animation. Likeable characters.dange(Nov 27, 2016
Oh my God. This movie is so damn good. It’s not just good, actually. It’s a masterpiece. The music is perfect - we're talking about the best Disney musical in the last 20 years. Stunning animation. Likeable characters. Impressive voice acting. A fun and emotional story. That’s MoanaL… Expand

1 of 14 users found this helpful113

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SarossilliNov 26, 2016

Ten outta ten. Its not the typical Disney princess movie, but its still good. It also has a great soundtrack. Its gonna be like the new frozen soundtrack.

1 of 44 users found this helpful143

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Lennon-SDec 2, 2017

I still remember that day when Zootopia won the Academy Award and all the crying that happened afterwards! People saying Zootopia “stole” it from Moana... Really? How on earth did ANYONE find this special? It’s the same plot followed by anyI still remember that day when Zootopia won the Academy Award and all the crying that happened afterwards! People saying Zootopia “stole” it from Moana... Really? How on earth did ANYONE find this special? It’s the same plot followed by any number of other Disney princess films with lots of pretty CGI thrown in! And speaking from above take a look at how many awards Zootopia won (40+) compared to Moana (less than 20) and tell me again who deserves that Oscar and what really was the best Animated film of 2016!… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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