Moana Review: How Far I’ll Go

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 Well, we have reached the film that inspired me to do this series for the website.   We have arrived in the 2010s a decade of dominance once more for Disney animation. With hits such as Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and of course, Frozen, the success of Disney’s Moana should not have come as a surprise.

Obviously, the whole reason I started reviewing these random Disney films was to find connective tissue between all the decades of Disney and try to find out how the studio has evolved in the lead-up to Moana 2. The first Moana is still very vivid in my brain, and I remember seeing it in theatres back when I was in high school.  Since then I have watched it quite a few times and it has cemented itself as one of my favourite Disney movies.

The first reason that this movie is one that I like so much is just how much I love the Polynesian aesthetic and the way the animators were able to bring the beauty of that part of the world to life.  I am from Canada but I have always been enamoured by the tropical side of the earth and have even had the desire to live somewhere that looks like that! 

So watching this film makes me feel that I am on a beach somewhere which makes me feel great, especially in winter. The animation in this film is gorgeous. The character design is similar to the other Disney films since Tangled, which I know is a great connection for all those who theorize that all the Disney films take place in the same world. 

The thing that I was very impressed by with the characters is how the tattoos look so detailed and intricate. The animators did a fantastic job creating that style of tattoo on the character models.  The environment is stunning which has been a truth for Disney since Bambi.  The islands feel alive with the way you can even see plants moving in the background with the wind.  I love how vibrant the colours are.  The ocean has never looked bluer. This ocean looks better than Finding Nemo which I consider the gold standard of animated oceans. It makes you want to dive in and swim.

 Now I do love other parts of the film besides just the animation.  Firstly, the pairing of Moana and Maui works so well in this film, and I love the way they play off of each other. Obviously, the duo of a more sarcastic and weary character paired with a naïve youth with lots of energy is not a new concept. However, I just think that these two characters really do work well. Even though I have seen this multiple times I still get a chuckle out of many of their exchanges. 

Auli’I Cravalho was a great find for this role. Her voice fits perfectly for the character. She gives such an energy and hopefulness that makes you root for her. The fact that this was her first role and she went through so many rounds of auditions makes this even better. Now Dwayne Johnson… a lot of people have a lot to say about him. Most of the time I think he is a fun addition in most films. 

He doesn’t act in dramas, and you usually know what you are going to get from him.  So I will say without sarcasm that I think this is one of his best roles. I think credit definitely goes to the writers as well but I don’t really see Dwayne Johnson when I watch this I see Maui. He doesn’t even change his voice or anything, but I still see him as a character and not just the Rock. He even does a good job with the emotional scenes.

The last thing I want to discuss is the music. The songs for this film were done by Lin-Manuel Miranda and let me say there are so many bangers on this album. Seriously I enjoy all of these songs to a degree. “ Where You Are” is a great introduction to the world and establishes so much of the story while being catchy.  “ We Know The Way” is a song that makes us feel the sense of adventure from our ancestors and how that inspires Moana. 

“Shiny” is a funny song that has a different vibe to it from the rest. It is a fun one even if it is not my favourite. “ I am Moana” is a song that shows the progress of our protagonist.  My two favourites, however, are  “You’re Welcome” and “How Far I’ll Go”. They are both fantastic and I remember immediately adding them to my Disney playlist.   

“ How Far I’ll Go”  is definitely your I want song and it is very similar to “ Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid.  It shows what Moana wants as a character and her feelings of longing.  “You’re Welcome” is the catchiest song of the whole movie.  Dwayne Johnson is giving his all and it is just so much fun to sing.  It perfectly encapsulates his character and while it is egotistical it is also hilarious and great.

All in all, this is a fantastic film.  One of my favourites from Disney especially of their recent films.  With breathtaking animation, engaging characters, and a stellar soundtrack. This movie is one of the reasons I love animation and will forever appreciate films from Disney.