November 23, 2016
Moana is a 2016 American animated musical fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Hall, and produced by Osnat Shurer, from a screenplay written by Jared Bush, and based on a story conceived by Clements, Musker, Williams, Hall, Pamela Ribon, and the writing team of Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell.
The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Auliʻi Cravalho in her film debut as the voice of the eponymous character and also features the voices of Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk. It features original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina, and an original musical orchestral score also composed by Mancina. The film is set in ancient Polynesia and tells the story of Moana, the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a coastal village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti. When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui, a legendary demigod, in hopes of returning the relic to Te Fiti and saving her people. The screenplay takes inspiration from Polynesian myths.
Moana premiered during the AFI Fest at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 14, 2016, and was released theatrically in the United States on November 23. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its animation, music, and vocal performances. The film went on to gross over $687 million worldwide. Along with Zootopia, it marked the first time since 2002 that Walt Disney Animation Studios released two feature films in the same year, after Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet. At the 89th Academy Awards, the film received two nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song("How Far I'll Go"). A sequel, Moana 2, was released on November 27, 2024, while a live-action remake is scheduled for release on July 10, 2026, with Johnson reprising his role as Maui in both.
Storyline[]
On the Polynesian island of Motunui, the inhabitants worship the goddess of nature, Te Fiti; a living island who, long ago, brought life to the ocean using a pounamu stone as her heart and the source of her power. One day, Maui, the shape-shifting demigod of the wind and sea and master of wayfinding, stole Te Fiti's heart to give humanity the power of creation. This caused Te Fiti to disintegrate, and Maui was attacked by Te Kā, a volcanic demon. Maui lost both the heart and his magic fish hook to the depths of the sea.
A thousand years later, the ocean chooses Moana, the daughter of Motunui's chief Tui, to return the heart to Te Fiti. Tui and Sina, Moana's parents, try to keep her away from the ocean to prepare her to become the island's chief. Sixteen years later, blight strikes the island, killing vegetation and shrinking the fish catch. Moana suggests going beyond the island's reef with her pet pig, Pua, to find more fish and discover what is happening, but Tui forbids it. Moana tries conquering the reef, but is overpowered by the tides and shipwrecked. That afternoon, Moana's grandmother Tala shows her a secret cavern of ships and reveals Motunui's people were voyagers until Maui stole Te Fiti's heart; the ocean was no longer safe without it. Tala explains Te Kā's darkness is destroying the island, but can be cured if Moana finds Maui and has him restore the heart of Te Fiti. Having been given the heart by the ocean, Tala gives it to Moana. Tala later becomes gravelly ill and tells Moana to find Maui.
Moana sets sail on a camakau from the cavern along with her dimwitted pet rooster, Heihei, who stowed away on it. They are caught in a typhoon and shipwrecked on an island, where she finds Maui, who boasts about his achievements. She demands Maui return the heart, but he refuses and traps her in a cave before leaving on her boat. She escapes and confronts Maui, who reluctantly lets her on the camakau. They are attacked by Kakamora, coconut pirates who seek the heart, but Moana and Maui outwit them. Moana realizes Maui is no longer a hero since he stole the heart and cursed the world, and convinces him to redeem himself by returning the heart. However, Maui first needs to retrieve his fishhook in Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters, from Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab. While Moana distracts Tamatoa, Maui retrieves his hook, only to find himself unable to control his shape-shifting. He is overpowered by Tamatoa, but Moana's quick thinking allows them to escape with the hook. Maui reveals his first tattoo was earned when his human parents abandoned him as an infant, and the gods, taking pity on him, granted him his powers. After reassurance from Moana, Maui teaches her the art of way-finding, regaining control of his powers, and the two grow closer.
They arrive at Te Fiti's island, only to be attacked by Te Kā. Moana refuses to turn back, resulting in Maui's hook being badly damaged. Unwilling to lose his hook again, Maui abandons Moana, who tearfully asks the ocean to find someone else to restore the heart and loses hope. The ocean obliges and takes the heart, but Tala's spirit appears, inspiring Moana to find her true calling.
Moana retrieves the heart and sails back to confront Te Kā. Maui returns, having had a change of heart, and buys Moana time to reach Te Fiti by fighting Te Kā, destroying his hook in the process. Upon being unable to find Te Fiti, Moana realizes Te Kā is Te Fiti, but corrupted without her heart. The ocean clears a path for Moana, allowing her to return the heart to Te Fiti, who heals the ocean and islands of blight. Maui apologizes to Te Fiti, who fixes his hook as well as Moana's boat before falling into a deep sleep and becoming an island. Moana bids farewell to Maui and Te Fiti, returning home and reuniting with her parents.
After placing a shell on top of the stack of stones placed by all previous chiefs, she takes up her role as chiefess and wayfinder, leading her people as they resume voyaging, accompanied by Maui.
Also See[]
Movie Trailer[]
Sound Effects Used[]
- Hollywoodedge, Bird Hawk Single Scre PE020801/Hollywoodedge, Hawk Screech Single AT082901
- Hollywoodedge, Bottle Rocket 2 Picco PE098501
- Hollywoodedge, Chickens Cluck Typic AT084501 (Heard once in a low pitch.)
- Hollywoodedge, Funny Sgl Chicken CRT011007
- Hollywoodedge, Gusts Heavy Cold Wind PE031601/Hollywoodedge, Whistling Wind Stead PE033301
- Hollywoodedge, Heavy Face Punch FS040301
- Hollywoodedge, Lightning 08 CloseG SIG012601
- Hollywoodedge, Sky Rocket Loud High TE021701
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - BIG VARIOUS SPARKINGS
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - LIGHTNING BOLT POWER 03
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, FLAMINGOES - VARIOUS: CALLS, ANIMAL (Edited; used once for Hei-Hei.)
- Sound Ideas, BLINK, CARTOON - XYLO EYE BLINKS (Heard once when Tamatoa blinks his eye during "Shiny".)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, AIRPLANE - PROP PLANE POWER DIVE SCREAM, TWO TIMES
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, CHICKEN - LOUD SINGLE SQUAWK (Used thrice for Heihei; first heard once in a normal pitch, but slowed down, and then in two higher pitches.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, WHISTLE - FALL WHISTLE, LONG
- Sound Ideas, Crying Small Child - Small, female child crying and screaming, "I don't want it" (Crying only; heard at the very beginning, used once for a male toddler when he cries.)
- Wilhelm Scream