Moana

[davekay1971]

Just got back from seeing Moana with my wife and younger two daughters (ages 8 and 4) and we all absolutely loved the movie. It was a beautifully animated movie, had the usual blend of humor and action, and had a great deal of heart. The main character, Moana, is a fantastic character for young girls to enjoy, as she is brave, but motivated by a strong sense of duty to her people. And the story is really an ode to the adventurous spirit of the Maori people, celebrating their history as explorers and seafarers.

This is immediately one of my favorite recent Disney movies.

[moonpie23]

looking forward to taking the kids tomorrow...

[moonpie23]

loved it....i give it an 8 out of ten...

[duke4ever19]

Saw it at an IMax. I highly recommend it to both young and old.

Weird side note: I think the graphics (which were intense, but superb) combined with the Imax venue gave me slight nausea. Only other time that happened was watching UP in 3D.

[JasonEvans]

I hope all of you stayed to the end of the credits. I mentioned this in Top 5 thread but there is a really brief but really funny post-credit scene.

[moonpie23]

i hope all of you stayed to the end of the credits. I mentioned this in top 5 thread but there is a really brief but really funny post-credit scene.

damnit!!!!!!!

[JasonEvans]

damnit!!!!!!!

ARJR

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[Channing]

We have a 3 year old toddler, but she is just now getting into the characters and I would love to introduce this character. Is this movie age appropriate? Is it "scary" (as in the way the Little Mermaid was scary?)? Thanks.

[moonpie23]

there is a huge molten lava creature that could be a challenge...

[brevity]

We have a 3 year old toddler, but she is just now getting into the characters and I would love to introduce this character. Is this movie age appropriate? Is it "scary" (as in the way the Little Mermaid was scary?)? Thanks.

there is a huge molten lava creature that could be a challenge...

Saw it today. While kids have varying tolerances for scary things, I think MOANA is occasionally very scary in a way that is un-Disney-like. There are three adversarial creatures -- the lava figure, the giant crab, and the weird purple thing that briefly appears just before the crab -- that each look and move in an off-putting, psychedelic way. Even once you get used to looking at the lava figure, watching it come at you at variable speeds can still make you uneasy. The best way I can describe it is like Day-Glo versions of Samara from THE RING.

Disney doesn't do crazy-scary, except for maybe the DUMBO dream sequence.

I have mixed feelings about the film. My screening had a brief filmed intro from the directors, and they mentioned the other Disney films they did. This backfired for me because MOANA's weakest moments were when they reminded me of past Disney. The little responsive ocean wave was a lot like the magic carpet from ALADDIN. The mythological tattoos on Maui resembled something from HERCULES. The forest scenes with Moana and her grandmother could have been lifted from POCAHONTAS. And so on.

The film's strength was its music, which (aside from a LION KING tribal familiarity) was fairly unique. I mean, the lyrical content was standard Disney fare, but at least it sounded different. At my most cynical, I realize that MOANA will tie in with the corporation's Aulani resort and even the Tiki Village at the theme parks, but I still liked the look at Polynesian culture.

The rooster ended up being somewhat important, but I was hoping it would be more important.

The post-credits scene was nothing special. The one from FINDING DORY was far superior.