Vaiana

Moana surprised me in several ways. Apart from the beautiful animation, it has a great story that will entertain even older viewers just fine. This despite the fact that the whole film is largely based on just two characters and a rooster, which served here more as a funny insert. It must be said, however, that the two main characters could have been entertaining even without him. Equally amazing are the songs, whose lyrics fit the plot so beautifully. And in general, I was touched by the whole thing. A strong 4 stars. (09.12.2016)

I have watched Walt Disney’s Pacific Moana right after Pixar’s Coco. I don’t want to create an impression that Moana was way worse by this review, but Coco’s story, surroundings and songs were simply closer to my heart. In my opinion it’s not exactly that kind of the fairytale which an adult could watch without falling into an intellectual coma. However, the best part of the story was the character of that idiotic little cock. (11.02.2019)

The beautiful turquoise blue and Hawaiian atmosphere make Moana one of the most beautiful new Disney movies. The story has usual plot twists enriched by the legends of the island states. And mainly there is Maui with the face, voice and muscles of Dwayne Johnson. A self-obsessed demigod who charmed even my little daughter. You're welcome! (02.07.2021)

The 55th feature-length Disney Polynesian Odyssey with a female protagonist? This is obviously a very good idea for a Disney movie. I didn't really believe it at first, but those classic attributes need to be updated all the time and if this trend has been going on since Ariel, there's no reason Moana/Vaiana shouldn't work. She too is a teenager without fear or reproach, she too has a pair of favorite animal friends, and she too is braver than many of the adults around her. She is agile, has a pure heart, and the most beautiful eyes. And, of course, she loves her grandmother. This makes her a good role model for little kids. As a result, it's another film that has a chance to be domesticated. (20.03.2020)

Let me try to get this straightened out a little bit. Was Moana better than Kubo and the Two Strings? I would not say it is. I think Kubo and the Two Strings had a much better vibe. Was Moana better than Zootopia? I would not say it was either because the adventure comedy had a much more sophisticated narrative. Was it better than Finding Dory? Yes, it was. So the result is obvious and now just a few words about what I have watched. There seem to be some interesting concepts behind the animation style and it is quite stunning. These include the combination of the animation with the illustrations during Maui's song "You're Welcome". There is a lot of singing, although the songs are good and suit the narrative. Also, they are simple and easy on the ears. The characters are also good, I quickly found Moana very endearing, and I thought Maui was quite charismatic. The comic relief was in the form of the "the village idiot" clueless rooster, and this worked quite well, I thought. Even though he is certainly no Scrat (of course, in truth, I am quite over that squirrel lately), he is quite hilarious. The main "bad guy" is formidable enough, although I was not as scared as I was by Kubo's wicked twin aunts. The setting is exotically gorgeous. The narrative is interesting enough, even though it is by no means original or unpredictable. So, in the end, this is the third-best experience I have had watching an American animated movie so far this year, and I am awarding a well-deserved and very strong four stars. 8.3/10. (05.12.2016)