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REVIEW: ‘Moana’ worthy of recent box office record

By Abby Kent and Claire Gearhart

The new movie Moana is popular not only among kids, but many adults and teenagers too. Notorious for the beautiful character design, the intelligent wit and the walls it breaks down by going against the stereotypical Disney movie, this show’s most impressive qualities are the groundbreaking music and the refreshing plot-line.

The music for this movie was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina & Opetaia Foa’i. Miranda, the musical supervisor, wrote most of the music. The songs were not the typical cheesy, all happy and pleasant tones, as per usual. Miranda’s style, which is most popular through his hit Broadway show Hamilton, is apparent throughout, and he even sings lead in one of the songs. The music, for once, has a completely new and invigorating feel to it. The instrumentals still have the typical Disney feel to them, but complemented by the exploring vocals and tunes: an entire new type of feeling and sound comes out. This is definitely a must see movie, if not for the plot line, then for the music.

In addition to the wonderful music, the movie Moana has a unique and inspiring story. The characters in the movie are very entertaining and relatable. With a wide array ranging from a “special chicken to a protective father, everyone is sure to find one they can relate to. They keep the movie whimsical, while teaching a lesson on forgiveness and owning up to your mistakes. Moana convinced one of the main characters Maui to correct a mistake he made and in the end all was forgiven. He had a change of heart that shows how people and their intentions can change over time as they grow and mature. It was also refreshing to see a heroine that went on a journey to find her true self – rather than most Disney movies where characters go on a journey to find love. Moana tended to get a bit repetitive at times, but not so much that it ruined the experience.  

The combination of the fantastic music, the inspiring messages, and the relatable characters added up to rating the movie Moana four out of five stars.

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