ALL NEW TRAILER & TICKETS ON SALE FOR DISNEY’S “MOANA"

 

Tickets for Disney’s highly anticipated reimagining of “Moana,” in theaters July 10, are now on sale. An all-new trailer for the film – starring Catherine Lagaʻaia as the determined wayfinder Moana and Dwayne Johnson, who reprises his role as the trickster demigod Maui – is now available.

 

Joining the incredible cast of Pacific talent is Jemaine Clement, who reprises his role as the voice of the giant, glitz-obsessed crab Tamatoa – the same character he voiced in the animated version of “Moana.” Clement joins the previously announced ensemble which includes Lagaʻaia as Moana; Johnson as Maui; Rena Owen as Moana’s revered Gramma Tala; John Tui as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; and Frankie Adams as Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother, Sina.

 

In “Moana,” Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar®-nominated animated adventure, Moana answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Emmy® and Tony Award® winner Thomas Kail (“Hamilton”); produced by Dwayne Johnson, p.g.a., Beau Flynn, p.g.a., Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, p.g.a. and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and executive produced by Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth, Kail and Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated films “Moana” and “Moana 2.” “Moana” features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina, and an original score composed by Mancina. Audiences can experience the brilliant cinematic sights, sounds and songs of “Moana” exclusively in theaters July 10, 2026.

 

WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS’ “MOANA 2” SMASHES BOX OFFICE RECORDS

 

With a 5-day domestic debut of $221M, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana 2” is shattering numerous box office records including the biggest 5-day opening of all time, the biggest Thanksgiving debut and Thanksgiving weekend (3-day and 5-day), the biggest Thanksgiving day, and the biggest Black Friday ever. The film, which reunites Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage, opened in most markets around the world with $165M internationally, bringing its global cume to date to $386M, the second biggest global debut of 2024. 

 

“‘Moana 2’ has far surpassed our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that ‘Moana’ has become,” said Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman. “We’re fortunate to have an incredibly talented and hard-working creative team at Disney Animation who brought this new adventure to life, alongside our wonderful stars Auli’i and Dwayne and great new music. This is a moment to celebrate, and we’re thankful to all the moviegoers and fans who’ve helped make this a record-breaking debut.”

Domestic records include:

• Biggest 5-day opening of all-time (surpassing “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”/$204.6M)
• Biggest Thanksgiving weekend of all time by far ($221M 5-day, $135.5M 3-day, surpassing “Frozen 2”/$125M 5-day and $94M 3-day)
• Biggest Thanksgiving debut by far (more than doubling “Frozen”/$94M 5-day and $67M 3-day)
• Thanksgiving Day of $28M (nearly doubling “Frozen 2”/$15M) 
• Highest ever Black Friday at the box office with $54.5M (exceeding “Frozen 2”/$34.2M)
• Biggest Walt Disney Animation Studios debut of all time.
• Disney now holds the top 7 Thanksgiving debuts of all time and 9 of the top 10. 

 

This is Disney’s third film this year to surpass $150M domestically in its opening weekend, alongside Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($211M) and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” ($155M), marking the three biggest openings of 2024.

“Moana 2” is off to a strong start internationally as well, driven by No. 1 openings around the world. 

• Highest animated opening weekend of all time in France
• Second highest animated weekend of all time in Italy and Brazil
• Highest WDAS opening weekend of all time across the Latin American region and in nearly 30 individual markets worldwide, including France, Italy, Australia, Brazil and Mexico

 

It is now open in all markets except Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, releasing in all three in the coming week. 

Catherine Laga‘aia Cast as Moana in Disney’s Live-Action “Moana”

Catherine Laga‘aia will be voyaging to Motunui and beyond as the adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people in Disney’s upcoming live-action “Moana.” “I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” said the 17-year-old Sydney, Australia, native. “My grandfather comes from Fa‘aala, Palauli, in Savai‘i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”

 

The cast also includes Auckland, New Zealander John Tui as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; Samoan-New Zealand actress Frankie Adams portrays Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother, Sina; and Rena Owen, who hails from Bay of Islands, NZ, was cast as the revered Gramma Tala. Previously announced, Dwayne Johnson, who voiced larger-than-life demigod Maui in the 2016 animated version of the film, will reprise his role. 

 

Releasing in theaters on July 10, 2026, “Moana” is directed by Thomas Kail, who helmed “Hamilton” on Broadway and Disney+, “Grease Live” and the first and last episodes of Hulu’s lauded limited series “We Were the Lucky Ones.” Said Kail, “I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John through this casting process. I am humbled by this opportunity, and I cannot wait to all be on set together. And there’s no better pair to be in a canoe with than Catherine and Dwayne—actually, trio: Heihei is ready, too.” 

 

“Moana” will bring to life in a whole new way the story of a young woman eager to pave her own path. Celebrating the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders in a spectacular adventure, the production begins filming this summer. The new feature film is produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia via their Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn via FlynnPictureCo. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the original songs, will also serve as producer. Executive producers include Scott Sheldon of FlynnPictureCo., Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, and Charles Newirth. Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller have been tapped for the project. Bush, a veteran of Disney Animation, wrote the screenplay for 2016’s “Moana,” and Miller is a Samoan writer who created Netflix’s “Thai Cave Rescue” and co-founded the non-profit Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK). 

Blu-Ray Review: Disney's Moana

Over the last several years the Walt Disney Animation Studios has been on a roll. Call it the Third Golden Age of Animation for the company but Disney Animation is clearly re-inventing itself. With each film adding to its already rich legacy, Moana may be the one that shows the true confidence in the animation department.

While on the surface, Moana appears to be the simple princess who goes against what her parents want in order to save the day story, But as the story unfolds, there are deeply developed lead characters and powerful emotions.

Just like all the other Disney heroines, Moana is destined to do great things but she wants to choose a different path as the ocean calls to her. And without any spoilers, her father has very good reasons for her not venturing out to sea. But of course through situations and her grandmother's encouragement, we are off on our adventure.

The film opens with Maui and we see that he is the one that has set the ball in motion and may not be the hero that everyone thinks he is. He might not even be the person who you can trust when the chips are down. This adds an enormous amount of tension to the movie as the two begin the quest to make things right. But Moana can hold her own against Maui and she also has the ocean on her side.

The ocean is the force that calls to Moana. In an early scene we see her encounter with an ocean that behaves in a very unexpected way towards her. A scene that shows Moana and her destiny. Two powerful songs, the father play-it-safe "Where We Are," and Moana's I Want Song, "How Far I'll Go," at the beginning of the film will leave little doubt that Moana and the ocean are connected.  

The songs and music from Opetaia Foa'i, Mark Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda are some of the best ever created for a Disney animated movie. The songs were not about creating a hit single but instead fit the narrative and propel the story forward all the while establishing the setting and character. This makes the songs more akin to Beauty and The Beast instead of Frozen. I bought the soundtrack immediately after seeing the movie and you will too.

The animation is absolutely stunning. Bright and bold colors bring the Polynesian culture to life. The characters including Moana are more realistically proportioned. Breaking Moana free of the body image of past princesses allows Moana to take an almost 2D form when it comes to expressions. Yet at the same time the camera angles can sweep in and around characters and environments much like a live-action film. And the ocean, while we have seen in in such animated films like Finding Dory, the water itself has never looked better or had more personality.

Moana is a celebration of life, friendship and family. Moana takes control of her own destiny and creates one of the most remarkable Disney princesses yet.

Video Quality

The 1080p transfer, is of course, Disney perfection. Colors are vibrant with lush green jungles and crystal clear water. Every details from hair, to clothes, to other materials look natural and simply shine. Images are perhaps the finest example of animation and should be used as a reference piece for your home.

Audio Quality

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack is just as perfect as the video quality. Dialogue is sharp and clear, effects are properly positioned and the music is powerful. The surrounds envelope you in the movie and never let go.  

Bonus Material
There is a surprisingly vast amount of bonus material including two short films, some technical behind-the-scenes features, deleted scenes, a commentary track, and more. A DVD copy of the film and a Disney digital copy voucher are included. 

• Theatrical Short Film: Inner Workings (1080p, DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1): A great animated short that takes a poignant look at the daily routine of life.  
• Maui Mini-Movie: Gone Fishing (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:29): Created just for the home release, Maui finds that catching a meal isn't as easy as it seems, 
• Voice of the Islands (1080p, 31:13): A fantastic bonus piece showcasing the filmmakers visit to the Pacific Islands and how that influenced their take on the film. You will learn about the people, their culture, the geography, history, family life and more.  
• Things You Didn't Know About... (1080p): An all too short two-part feature.
• Ron, John, Auli'i & Dwayne (2:02): The directors and main vocal talent share some fun facts about themselves.
• Mark, Opetaia, & Lin-Manuel (1:57): The film's musicians answer some questions about themselves.
• Island Fashion (1080p, 5:13): Neysa Bové discusses clothing the characters.
• The Elements Of... (1080p): A four-part feature.
• Mini-Maui (3:34): Taking a look at how one of the smallest stars of the film was created.
• Water (4:38): Showcasing the work on creating more realistic digital water for the movie.
• Lava (2:56): Showcasing the difficulties in creating of one the more unique characters in the film. 
• Hair (3:05): Showcasing the complexity involved in creating the hair for the characters. 
• They Know the Way: Making the Music of Moana (1080p, 12:37): A way too short look at the creation of the amazing music in the film, 
• Deleted Song: "Warrior Face" with Introduction by Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda (1080p, 3:41): Take a look at this deleted song in rough animation. 
• Fishing for Easter Eggs (1080p, 2:52): Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson give us some insight on some of the easter eggs the animators left in this film. 
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 25:56 total runtime): Grandmother's Warning/Legend of Maui; Canoe Race; Father, Daughter, Boat; Education of Moana; Discussing Moana's Future; Race the Wind/Ties That Bind; and Under the Sea. Take a look at several deleted scenes with optional introductions by the directors of the film. 
• "How Far I'll Go" Performed by Alessia Cara (1080p, 3:04): The pop single version of the song and music video.
• "How Far I'll Go" Around the World (1080p, 2:44): Showcasing the song flawlessly moving from one language into another.
• Audio Commentary: The Directors John Musker and Ron Clements discuss their film from origin, to research, to music, characters, animation and more. I love audio commentaries and this is a very entertaining as well as informative one.

Moana is truly a masterpiece. A film that keeps children as well as adults entertained throughout. The blu-ray is one of Disney's finest with perfect audio and video and a surprisingly large amount of bonus material. This blu-ray needs to be added to your collection now! 

Disney's MOANA Sails Home on Digital HD Feb. 21 and Blu-ray March 7

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Epic Comedy-Adventure

Sails Home on Digital HD Feb. 21 and Blu-ray™ March 7

Continue the journey with hours of fun-filled extras showcasing an all-new mini-movie,

the charismatic cast, famed filmmakers, dynamic musical team, the beautiful people and cultures of the Pacific Islands, a deleted song, deleted scenes, and more!

BURBANK, Calif., Jan. 13, 2017 — Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana,” the sweeping story of a spirited teenager who sets sail on a daring adventure to save her people, starring newcomer Auli‘iCravalho as the voice of brave and tenacious Moana and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (HBO’s “Ballers,” “Central Intelligence”) as the  larger-than-life demigod Maui, has dazzled both critics and audiences. The film earned a 95% critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes and the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office opening weekend. Now, “Moana” sets a new course, arriving to homes on Digital HD/3D and Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) on Feb. 21, and on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on March 7.

Continuing the fun-filled adventure, families can continue their journey filled with hours of extensive and entertaining bonus offerings including: a new, hilarious mini-movie featuring Moana and Maui; an in-depth look at how the people, cultures and heritage of the Pacific Islands shaped the story of “Moana;” revealing Q&A with co-stars Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, and famed animation directors Ron Clements and John Musker; insider access to Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foaʻi, the trio behind the film’s moving music; four mini-documentaries highlighting the movie’s groundbreaking effects; deleted scenes; a deleted song; hidden Easter Eggs; music video; “Inner Workings,” the theatrical short film directed by Leo Matsuda that spotlights the internal struggle between a man’s Brain and Heart; and much, much more.

“Moana” stars Auli‘i Cravalho as the voice of Moana, Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Maui, Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Once Were Warriors,” “Six Days, Seven Nights”) as Moana’s no-nonsense father, Chief Tui; Rachel House (“Whale Rider,” “Hunt for Wilderpeople,” “Eagle vs Shark,” “Boy,” “White Lies”) as Moana’s trusted Gramma Tala; and Nicole Scherzinger (Grammy®-nominated singer, West End’s “Cats”) as Moana’s playful and strong-willed mother, Sina; Jemaine Clement (“The BFG,” “Despicable Me,” “Rio,” “Rio 2,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” Flight of the Conchords) voices Tamatoa, a self-absorbed, 50-foot crab; and Alan Tudyk (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Big Hero 6”) lends his voice to stowaway rooster Heihei.

According to directors Ron Clements and John Musker, the story of “Moana” was inspired by the great explorers who masterfully navigated the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. “Voyaging is a real source of pride for many Pacific Islanders, a part of their identity,” says Clements. Many experts believe that about 3,000 years ago, those deep-sea exploratory voyages halted for about a millennium before resuming. This rebirth of exploration sparked the filmmakers’ imaginations, and the heroine at the heart of the story. “The idea of a teenage girl who dreamed of becoming a navigator—considering the abilities of her ancestors—was so appealing,” explains Musker. Moana’s quest to become a wayfinder also serves as a journey of self-discovery, empowering her to find her own identity – a beautiful and powerful message for audiences of all ages and genders.

Bonus features include*:

Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray & Digital 3D/HD/SD:

• Theatrical Short Film: “Inner Workings” – With introduction by the filmmakers, is the story of the internal struggle between a man’s pragmatic, logical side and his free-spirited, adventurous half. Created by a small team at Walt Disney Animation Studios in a unique, fast-paced style that blends CG and traditional hand-drawn animation, the short explores the importance of finding balance in daily life. 
• Maui Mini-Movie: “Gone Fishing” – When Maui decides it’s time to take charge of the ocean and catch his next meal, Moana must show him the error of his ways … with a little help from her friends!
• Voice of the Islands – An in-depth look at how Pacific Island people and cultures inspired the filmmakers to create the story of “Moana.” 
• Things You Didn’t Know About …
• Meet the stars of “Moana” in this dynamic Q&A featuring Dwayne Johnson, newcomer Auli‘i Cravalho, and famed animation directors Ron and John. 
• Meet the musical team behind “Moana” in this fascinating Q&A featuring Opetaia Foa‘i, Mark Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda. 
• Island Fashion – Find out how costume designer Neysa Bové took on the unique challenge of creating costumes using materials and techniques native to the islands of Oceania.
• They Know the Way: Making the Music of “Moana” – Musicians Opetaia Foa‘I, Marc Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda take us on a personal journey through their involvement in the movie and how it changed their lives.
• Fishing for Easter Eggs – Dive deep into the ocean and fish for the Easter Eggs hidden by the animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
• The Elements of … – This series of four mini-docs explores the technical achievements behind some of the ground-breaking effects used in the film.
• Mini Maui – Meet “Mini Maui,” Maui’s tattoo sidekick. Animated by legendary hand-drawn animator Eric Goldberg, we explore how the 2D world collides with CG animation to bring the demigod’s tattoos to life.
• Water – In the movie, the ocean is a character. This piece explores how the water is given a personality, along with the technical feats of creating a believable ocean landscape farther than the eye can see.
• Lava – Te Kā is a creature made of lava, smoke and fire. This piece dives into the challenges of making an animated creature of massive scale brought to fiery life by character, technical and effects animators.
• Hair – One of the greatest technical achievements of the film was the animation of the beautiful, curly hair on Moana and Maui. Take a look at the hair-raising detail that goes into animating each strand, adding performance to the movie that has never been seen before. 
• Deleted Song: “Warrior Face” – With introduction by songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda.
• Deleted Scenes – Ron and John introduce the following deleted scenes:  Race the Wind/Ties that Bind; Discussing Moana’s Future; Under the Sea; Grandmother’s Warning/Legend of Maui; Education of Moana; Father, Daughter, Boat; and Canoe Race.
• Music Video: “How Far I’ll Go” – Performed by Alessia Cara.
• “How Far I’ll Go Around the World” – Multi-language reel of the song “How Far I’ll Go.”
• Audio Commentary – With directors Ron and John.

DVD:

• Theatrical Short Film: “Inner Workings,” Music Video: “How Far I’ll Go” and Audio Commentary

Helmed by Clements and Musker, the directing team behind “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “The Princess and the Frog,” and co-directed by Chris Williams & Don Hall (Oscar®-winning “Big Hero 6” -Best Animated Feature Film in 2015), “Moana” is produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), and executive produced by John Lasseter. Jared Bush (“Zootopia”) wrote the screenplay. “Moana” features original songs from a diverse and dynamic team that includes Tony®-, Emmy®- and Grammy®-winning lyricist/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and multiple Tony-winning “Hamilton,” Tony-winning “In the Heights”), Mark Mancina (“Speed,” “Tarzan” “The Lion King”) and Opetaia Foaʻi (founder and lead singer of the award-winning world music band Te Vaka). Mancina composed the original score.

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Product SKUs: Digital 3D/HD/SD, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Copy),

Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Copy),

Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand

Feature Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes

Rating: PG in U.S., PG in CE, and G in CF.

Bonus material not rated with exception of Inner Workings which is rated G.

Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray 3D Feature Film = 2.40:1; Blu-ray Feature Film = 2.40:1 &

DVD Feature Film = Widescreen 1.78:1

Audio: Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA & 2.0 Descriptive Audio,

Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks;

DVD = English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks,

English 2.0 Descriptive Audio

Languages/Subtitles: Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray = English SDH, Spanish and French;

DVD = English SDH and Spanish

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyMoana

Website: Movies.Disney.com/Moana

Twitter: Twitter.com/DisneyAnimation

Instagram: Instagram.com/DisneyAnimation

ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA):

Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it easy to buy Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere. Viewers can enjoy their digital movies from the comfort of their living room and across multiple mobile platforms by simply adding the free DMA app or channel to their devices, such as iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android mobile phones and tablets, Android TV, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Xbox 360, and connecting to their DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV and Fios by Verizon. DMA users can explore Disney’s library of over 450 digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, redeem Digital Movie codes found in eligible Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars product, and earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!

Disney's Moana - Shiny (Full Sequence)

Check out the full sequence from Disney’s MOANA featuring the song “SHINY” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by Jemaine Clement.

Disney's Moana - How Far I'll Go (full sequence)

Check out the full “How Far I’ll Go” sequence from Disney’s MOANA featuring the Golden Globe nominated song written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by Auli‘i Cravalho.

The Moana original motion picture soundtrack, the two-disc deluxe edition and the digital deluxe edition soundtrack are available wherever music is sold and streamed.



The Moana soundtrack is available now:
Download: http://disneymusic.co/MVOSndtrk 
Streaming: http://disneymusic.co/MVOSndtrkWS 
Sheet Music: http://mnot.es/2g25MAl

Follow Disney Music:
http://facebook.com/disneymusic 
http://twitter.com/disneymusic 
http://instagram.com/disneymusic 
http://snapchat.com/add/disneymusic 

Follow Moana:
http://disney.com/moana
http://facebook.com/disneymoana
http://twitter.com/disneymoana
http://instagram.com/disneyanimation

Disney's Moana - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i - We Know The Way

Check out the full “We Know The Way” sequence from Disney’s MOANA featuring the song written and performed by Opetaia Foa’I and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The Moana original motion picture soundtrack, the two-disc deluxe edition and the digital deluxe edition soundtrack are available wherever music is sold and streamed.

Disney’s MOANA is in U.S. theaters now! 

Disney's Moana Is A Masterpiece (Non-Spoiler Review)

Over the last several years the Walt Disney Animation Studios has been on a roll. Call it the Third Golden Age of Animation for the company but Disney Animation is clearly re-inventing itself. With each film adding to its already rich legacy, Moana may be the one that shows the true confidence in the animation department.

While on the surface, Moana appears to be the simple princess who goes against what her parents want in order to save the day story, But as the story unfolds, there are deeply developed lead characters and powerful emotions.

Just like all the other Disney heroines, Moana is destined to do great things but she wants to choose a different path as the ocean calls to her. And without any spoilers, her father has very good reasons for her not venturing out to sea. But of course through situations and her grandmother's encouragement, we are off on our adventure.

The film opens with Maui and we see that he is the one that has set the ball in motion and may not be the hero that everyone thinks he is. He might not even be the person who you can trust when the chips are down. This adds an enormous amount of tension to the movie as the two begin the quest to make things right. But Moana can hold her own against Maui and she also has the ocean on her side.

The ocean is the force that calls to Moana. In an early scene we see her encounter with an ocean that behaves in a very unexpected way towards her. A scene that shows Moana and her destiny. Two powerful songs, the father play-it-safe "Where We Are," and Moana's I Want Song, "How Far I'll Go," at the beginning of the film will leave little doubt that Moana and the ocean are connected.  

The songs and music from Opetaia Foa'i, Mark Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda are some of the best ever created for a Disney animated movie. The songs were not about creating a hit single but instead fit the narrative and propel the story forward all the while establishing the setting and character. This makes the songs more akin to Beauty and The Beast instead of Frozen. I bought the soundtrack immediately after seeing the movie and you will too.

The animation is absolutely stunning. Bright and bold colors bring the Polynesian culture to life. The characters including Moana are more realistically proportioned. Breaking Moana free of the body image of past princesses allows Moana to take an almost 2D form when it comes to expressions. Yet at the same time the camera angles can sweep in and around characters and environments much like a live-action film. And the ocean, while we have seen in in such animated films like Finding Dory, the water itself has never looked better or had more personality.

Moana is a celebration of life, friendship and family. Moana takes control of her own destiny and creates one of the most remarkable Disney princesses yet.