It’s only in recent years that Disney has made efforts to show more diversified leading characters in their animated productions. MULAN did okay in its initial release, but was more of a cult hit than a box office smash. LILO & STITCH made use of a Hawaiian setting, but arguably sold itself more off the wacky alien character than the human elements. But while both of those were modest successes, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG fared far worse in theaters, which of course makes it hard for the studio to justify changing up the ethnic qualities of their sometimes repetitive narratives. MOANA is an interesting and daring choice for Disney, utilizing a strong South Pacific theme and characters – there’s not a single white American in the leading vocal cast to speak of here… except for the voice of a chicken, but we’ll get to that later. While the film itself might not be anything terribly unexpected from a story perspective, it is a refreshing and highly entertaining entry in the studio’s impressive library.

Through the opening narration, we learn that South Pacific demi-god Maui (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) stole a precious stone that turned a large island into desolate blackness. On a nearby heavily-populated island, baby Moana is called to the ocean, and briefly glimpses the stolen stone. Her parents raise her to rule the island as they do, but as she ages, Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho), like her spiritual grandmother (Rachel House), is drawn to the desire to explore the secrets the ocean holds. Gramma Tala even shows her the island’s history, and Moana learns her people were once explorers of the sea… something abandoned because of a tragic experience her father is haunted by. When the health of her island is threatened, she must find the courage to hit the water and track down Maui, in the hopes of putting the stone back where it was taken from, and restoring safety to her home.

MOANA is helmed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the same guys that co-directed both THE LITTLE MERMAID and ALADDIN… that in and of itself is pretty awesome, and a big selling point. And like those films, there’s an engaging rhythm here that will keep audiences entertained even when not much is going on. The South Pacific influence allows for some gorgeous visuals and fascinating characters, and Maui and Moana have great chemistry together without falling into the trap of a romantic subplot. In fact, the lack of any sort of romance is one of the more refreshing aspects of the movie. Moana isn’t pining over some guy, or feeling the pressure of landing a husband… quite the opposite actually. She’s such a strong and competent character, there’s never even a hint of her being a damsel in distress, making her one of the strongest female characters ever delivered to the big screen by Disney. And Auli’i Cravalho really sells the role, capturing the youthful sense of whimsy when needed, and exuding confidence with a wonderful reading throughout the film. Dwayne Johnson is also quite fun and effectively funny as Maui, the energetic demi-god who is anything but humble. These are quite simply great characters, and because of that they make up for whatever shortcomings the film may have. I also appreciated the use of New Zealand’s Rachel House and Temuera Morrison as Gramma Tala and Moana’s father Chief Tui, respectively, and Jemaine Clement as a treasure-obsessed giant crab that has one of the movie’s standout scenes (with song). Alan Tudyk rather amusingly provides the sounds and squawks for Heihei, a somewhat ‘off’ chicken that accompanies our heroes on their journey.

The movie features music from HAMILTON creator and lead actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, who worked on the soundtrack with Opetaia Foa’i and masterful composer Mark Mancina. It’s safe to say the songs are some of the best aspects of the film, including one or two that have the potential to become the “Let It Go” of this piece. The only thing that feels like it’s missing is a solid villain or antagonist. There’s a lava monster the duo face toward the end, but it’s more of a task to overcome than an actual adversary. That said, the ending is still rather satisfying and wraps up the story nicely. While MOANA may not be Disney’s best animated film, it has a lot going for it and really nails the presentation aspect. More than anything, it’s just nice to see the South Pacific culture represented in a big family film that will likely have kids wanting to learn more about the real life influences. If you’re looking for a good Thanksgiving movie to see with family, this is definitely it.

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