Hi everyone!
I've always been a fan of Disney movies, since I was a kid. And like me, my wife is too. So, inevitably, we also passed on this passion to our son.
Now that he is discovering many masterpieces that have made the history of animated films, I am taking the opportunity to see some of them and to discover new ones, since I have not been so updated on new releases in recent years.
And these days we are reviewing the movie Moana on a loop, as everyone liked it, not only the children. 😁
Moana is a 2016 film, set in the islands and seas of Polynesia, whose protagonist is Moana Waialiki, a sixteen-year-old girl, daughter of the head of the island of Motunui.
Let's start immediately with a clarification. The film's title is not the same in all countries, as in some states, the name Moana has been recognized as a registered trademark. So, in some versions, the name of the protagonist has been changed to Vaiana.
Even in Italy it has been changed, but Oceania has been chosen as title. Here the reason could be related to the homonymy of the protagonist with the famous pornstar Moana Pozzi. In short, not really a stuff for children. 😇
The story begins with a background: a thousand years earlier, the precious heart (a stone that gave it the power to create life) was stolen from the mother island Te Fiti.
To steal it was Maui, a shape-shifting and deceiving demigod who, thanks to his magic hook, could accomplish the greatest achievements. His goal was to give humans the stone so that they too would have the supreme power to create life.
During the escape, however, Maui collided with Te Kā, demon of earth and fire and both the hook and the heart of Te Fiti, were dispersed in the ocean.
From that moment, the darkness began to take over the earth and the ocean and one day it would cover and destroy everything forever.
Moana will be entrusted with the task of finding Maui and bringing the heart back to Te Fiti, so that the darkness can cease and the populations can resume sailing as they had always done in the past.
Moana Waialiki
Moana is a determined, courageous and stubborn girl, always in love with the ocean and with the dream of sailing over the reef, which her father prevents from doing to protect her. But as supplies around the island start to run low as darkness approaches, things will change.
Moana will be chosen by the Ocean to carry out this mission and thanks to her paternal grandmother Tala, who will give you the heart of Te Fiti before dying, will find the strength to face the ocean in search of the legendary Maui.
Maui
The character of Maui is certainly the most interesting and histrionic of the whole film.
His story is inspired by mythology, according to which with his hook he would have taken the islands of Hawaii from the sea.
It would also slow down the sun, lengthening the summer days, bring the sky up and create land and sea.
He is represented as a vain and exhibitionist and his relationship with Moana is initially not at all idyllic, as the demigod does not seem to have any interest in helping the girl.
His sole purpose is to recover his precious magic hook, without which he has lost many of his powers, such as that of changing into other forms.
Expert navigator, he will face the journey with Moana through the Ocean and together they will live extraordinary adventures, accompanied by HeiHei, a fledgling domestic chicken, who ended up by chance on the boat.
The movie was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and this is their first fully computer animated work.
The film offers animation effects that reproduce wonderful settings, with islands and maritime panoramas treated in the smallest details and extremely faithful to reality.
Also the soundtrack is of the highest level, as often happens in Disney movies.
The song How Far I'll Go has in fact received the nomination for the best original song for both the Oscars and the Golden Globes of 2017.
In conclusion, it's a film that I absolutely recommend you to watch.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, even if you are not a child, you will not be bored for sure.
In fact, you will laugh a lot, you will be passionate about the adventures of Maui and Moana, and probably the songs will remain in your mind for a few days.
