Arts & Life

‘Moana’ misses the mark

The new Disney film “Moana” has been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, so I realize it’s an unpopular opinion to print a negative review, but here we go.

I’m afraid of coming off ignorant by saying anything negative about the film, considering it is embedded with Polynesian culture. For me, that is one of the elements that make this film enjoyable, even though I know nothing about the culture.

Unfortunately I still don’t think it was on par with some of the other animated flicks that have come out in recent years like “Zootopia,” “Frozen” and “How to Train your Dragon.”

“Moana” has a few good qualities. The protagonist Moana is the first Polynesian Disney princess – sorry, Lilo doesn’t count as a princess. Moana is the heiress to her tribe; she was raised to take over for her father as chief. Lilo is just a girl with an alien.

The writers are commendable for ignoring the urge to incorporate a romantic element. Moana and the demigod Maui create a buddy cop type dynamic. The two have drastically different personalities and goals, but forced to work together.

But, other than its display of spirited Polynesian culture, “Moana” had very little else going for it.

Occasionally, for no good reason, a random Disney movie song can get stuck in my head. Just today I was singing a song from “Hercules.” That will never happen with “Moana.” The songs just weren’t all that catchy, and I couldn’t understand half the lyrics.

The underlying message of “Moana,” as far as I can tell, is “be who you are.” It’s not a particularly unique lesson for the youth audience or even very prevalent. It doesn’t compare to the obvious duality in “Zootopia” to civil rights and race relations. It’s not as clever as the alternate point-of-view story in “Frozen,” empathizing with the character that in a traditional fairy tail would be seen as the evil, ice witch.

In the film, Moana is chosen by the ocean — the ocean has sentience by the way — to return the heart (a glowing stone) of Te Fiti back to her.

Moana is yet another character like Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker; she’s the chosen one, the only one who can restore balance to the universe. She didn’t work hard to become chief, she was born into it as per cultural tradition. She didn’t have to find Te Fiti’s heart, the ocean literally handed it to her, and the ships she needs are all conveniently built already and just hiding in the cave.

Nearly every step of the way, when she hits an obstacle, the ocean bails her out. Call me skeptical, but I think we should stop telling our children, “You are inherently the best, you are the chosen one.”

We should teach kids that hard work is necessary to be the best, and your destiny isn’t just going to create itself, essentially the opposite of Moana.

In “How to Train your Dragon,” Hiccup climbs the social viking ladder by reading books, and getting first hand experience with his dragon — which he caught only after he had failed enough times to become the town liability. That is the type of hero that should be in children movies, ones who had to work, and even fail to accomplish their goals.

“Moana” is a pleasant enough movie, I mean Dwayne Johnson sings so you know you’re in for some quality entertainment. But Disney can do better.

The 4 percent of Rotten Tomatoes critics that voted it rotten probably thought the same.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Daily 49er newsletter

Instagram