Moana

I’ve seen “Moana” twice now. I liked it even better the second time around. In fact, I think it may be my favorite animated film of the year.

Moana (voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) feels the ocean calling to her. Literally. She’s been chosen by it to restore the heart of the island goddess Te Fiti and save the world. To do this, she must find the demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson), help him recover his magic fish hook, and face the lava demon Te Kā.

“Moana” excels at storytelling thanks to its sharp writing and splendid visuals. It’s true that nearly every modern animated film looks great, but this one stands above the rest thanks to unique art direction and Eric Goldberg’s brilliant use of 2D animation – nicely mixed in throughout the film. While it’d be a shame to put the film on mute, you could get a feel for the whole story just via what you see on-screen; the characters’ mannerisms & expressions, the details in the environments throughout, the way it all fits together is and foreshadowing done via Maui's tattoos is that good. One of the film's most impressive aspects is the way it handles multiple silent characters and still manages to give them all very distinct personalities.

The reason I am calling “Moana” my favorite animated film of the year is because of the tremendous re-watch value it holds. With each viewing, you’ll catch a new detail you missed before in both the characters’ actions and you’ll get to sit through the wonderful soundtrack again. Every tune here is catchy, memorable, sharply written and – as a special bonus – there’s no single one that is clearly better than all the rest. Like in the best musicals, I’d wager that audiences will be split on which number is their favorite.

“Moana” is original but also brings together what you like best about the Disney formula. It pokes fun at itself for being a Disney Princess Musical while embracing it wholeheartedly. From the art direction to the use of music, the mythology that’s being explored and the little details throughout, you can feel true passion emanating.

"Moana” is like a package you’ve been anxiously waiting for that’s just arrived in the mail. Before you even open it up, it's a delight. Don't be late to the show or you'll miss “Inner Workings”, an energetic and snappy short with many laughs. It just keeps getting better from there. There’s plenty of excitement, rich character development, memorable moments, characters you instantly fall in love fun, a whole lot of laughs and even a little treat at the end of the credits. “Moana” is the kind of film that you feel like watching again the instant it’s over. In the meantime, I'll settle for listening to the soundtrack on loop. (Theatrical version on the big screen, December 29, 2016)