Ben Oliver

Now
Banner image for Moana
film

Moana

If you wear a dress, and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess.
19 March 2017

A girl in the pacific islands embarks on a quest to save the world.

Computer animation is getting better and better and there’s no doubt that Moana is at the top of its game on this front. The islands and the ocean look lush and tactile with the bright bold colours making for a beautiful film in every frame.

Much like Frozen however, Moana is bland beneath the surface. It’s ostensibly a film about independence and self-empowerment but these elements feel like they were written by a committee over at Disney, rather than being a true expression of human emotion. It’s paint by numbers film making.

While Moana sailed across the world in search of new lands I felt like I was drowning in an ocean of noise, wacky sidekicks and bland pop songs with pan pipes laid over the top.

Could have been so much better.