If you haven’t seen Moana yet, I have to say: it is by far the best movie I have seen in a long time. The storyline is amazing and the animation is gorgeous. Below are some of the reasons why I think Moana may have just topped my list of favorite Disney films.
1. Auli’i Cravalho, who plays the title character, was just 14 years old when she sang the films feature song “How Far I’ll Go” and when she auditioned for the role. This girl has pipes; I’m insanely jealous of her voice and am still in disbelief at how young she is.
2. Lin-Manuel Miranda, of Hamilton fame, wrote many of the songs for the film. He even sings in one of them!
3. A majority of the cast is actually Polynesian, which adds so much depth to the story and the legends being portrayed.
4. “The Rock” sings. Need I say more?
5. The ocean is a character itself. Growing up never more than ten minutes from the water, I certainly know that the ocean has a personality, and I loved seeing it portrayed the way it is.
6. Moana’s hair is all kinds of perfect.
7. The comedic relief is a chicken that was probably dropped on his head more than once as a baby.
8. The movie emphasizes both the importance of family but also never giving up on your dreams. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice one for the other, but “the people you love will guide you” and you can always find your way home.
9. I cried. Not because it’s sad, but just because of all the raw emotions that I felt at the end. And crying in a movie usually makes it one of my favorite. Is that weird? Probably.
I could go on for pages, but it’s best that you just go watch and see for yourself. And maybe, along the way, you’ll find the answer to the question: Do you know who you are?