Moana. It’s the new Disney animated hit of the season in theatres now, and my kids’ new favorite movie. Last week my kids and I went to an advanced screening and since then, my kids have been talking about it constantly (and of course, asking for Moana toys for Christmas!).
Here’s the synopsis:
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
Moana is about family, strength, and like many movies lately, GIRL POWER. It’s heartwarming and exciting, with some cute, funny moments. Our favorite character was HeiHei, a not-so-intelligent rooster who ends up joining Moana on her journey.
HeiHei almost wasn’t in the movie – “In earlier versions of the film, Heihei used to be smart and sassy, but filmmakers felt that character was not unique. Several campaigned to remove the rooster from the film altogether, but a small group of story team members spent a couple days brainstorming ways to keep the character. Their solution? Lower his IQ. Their pitch earned so many laughs that Heihei was ultimately a keeper.”
Another favorite character of ours is Moana’s grandma, who has a close relationship with Moana throughout her life, and understands (and inspires) her sense of adventure. They share the same “spunk” and it’s nice to see how the generations respect and love one another in this movie.
There is a lot of magic in the movie – from how the ocean interacts with Moana to how Maui transforms into different animals when he has his magic fish hook.
This is a perfect movie for the whole family, though parents should note that there are some intense scenes that may frighten younger kids, which is why the movie is rated PG.
I previously posted FREE coloring and activity sheets – download them here:
FREE Printable MOANA Coloring Pages & Activity Sheets
FREE Printable MOANA Coloring Pages & Activity Sheets Part 2
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Visit the official MOANA website here: http://movies.disney.com/moana