Set in the beautiful islands of Oceania, the newest Walt Disney Animation Studios film, Moana, follows the epic journey of a brave teen girl to save her people. Moana (beautifully voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) is called upon by the ocean to team up with demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) to restore the heart of Te Fiti, the mother island. Battling against all odds during their action-packed adventure, Moana and Maui must put aside their differences and work together to accomplish Moana’s mission. Moana is able to fulfill her quest and find her own identity in the process.
The animation in Moana is breathtaking, and even better when viewed in 3D. Co-Head of Animation for Moana, Amy Lawson Smeed, recently spoke at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference that I attended at Disneyland. We learned that she was the first female to serve in this role on a Disney film, which was inspiring in and of itself. She took us on a behind the scenes tour of the creation of Moana and what went into animating each character, and it was amazing to see the process involved.
With music by Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame), Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa‘i, Moana will have you humming tunes from the movie for days to come. Auliʻi Cravalho does an absolutely wonderful job in her many musical numbers and Dwayne Johnson carries a note better than I ever realized he could. The songs in the movie evoke many emotions, ranging from despair to glee with plenty of comedic performances thrown in as well. There is a very authentic sound to the music, almost making you feel as if you’re really there on a Polynesian island.
Brought to you by the filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess & the Frog) and produced by Osnat Shurer (Lifted, One Man Band), Moana will make its debut in U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016. View the official movie trailer above and download this fun Activity Packet for your kids to enjoy before and after watching the movie. Moana is a great film for the entire family that will leave everyone feeling inspired and mesmerized. Are you planning on seeing Moana when it hits theaters next week?
My family was invited to attend a complimentary press screening of this film in order to facilitate this review. #Moana #DisneySMMC #ad #RWM
