Support NeoGAF

[kingocfs]

"Where You Are" is a god tier Disney song.

 

[Tremis]

This is the best CG Disney movie. Move over Tangled. Obviously Frozen doesn't need to be mentioned.

Edit: also everytime Maui did that dance/chant shit was amazing. The animation on his face..... good god. Intimidating shit.

 

[ColdPizza]

Saw it today. I thought it was incredible.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I think it's fair to say, without insulting you, that your opinion is in the minority. I realize that some people didn't like it, but take a look at Rottentomatoes for an example. If 89% of the audience had a positive opinion, that means 11% didn't, and it's okay to be part of that 11%. But I think it's also fair to say that doesn't mean the movie is objectively bad.

I thought it was funny, the Hawaiians I know liked it, the Samoans posting above in the thread liked it, and I'm pretty sure all of those people are adults. The movie has care and thought put into the symbolism. The cultural research is sound. The movie, unusually, doesn't have a standard "villain" and actually reaches resolution without violence and without requiring a man to save the princess.

It wasn't just the humor -- the soundtrack was amazing. My girlfriend was obsessed with listening to it for weeks after we saw the movie.

I'd definitely say it's above the level of Dreamworks movies or Tangled. I liked Zootopia but it's hard for me to pick a favorite between the two.

Classy response. We are bros for life.

 

[QuantumZebra]

This is the best CG Disney movie. Move over Tangled. Obviously Frozen doesn't need to be mentioned.

Edit: also everytime Maui did that dance/chant shit was amazing. The animation on his face..... good god. Intimidating shit.

I'm not on the anti Frozen train but this is my favorite Disney animation film. Easily. Then Lion King and TS 3.

 

[Arkeband]

Watched this the other day because I haven't seen any recent Disney CGI movies and was really shocked (in a good way) at the quality. The humor was a little extra-juvenile (how many "peeing in water" jokes do they need to make) and a lot of the plot points seemed very flimsy, as if the movie was strung together by a bunch of barely related plot points.

I guess there's not much room for plot development when upwards of 50% of the movie is on the open sea, but the coconut things were random as fuck, Jemaine the Crab was random as fuck, and even the ending felt very abrupt and didn't really have enough "clues" leading up to it - it just kind of happened and that was it.

But "where you are" is a great song and the CGI was very impressive, especially the water and sand. Some of the other songs like "you're welcome" weren't.

I did wonder about a third of the way through (when it showed her ancestors) if they were properly portraying the culture(s) present but that feeling wore off eventually. The beginning and her relationship with her dad also felt a little too close to The Little Mermaid's.

 

[Eye for an Eye]

Do any of you pay attention to the tale from the opening scene? Like the whole plot points are balled up in opening scenes in Disney movies. They've been doing it for a long time.

Tomatoa is explained. Maui is explained. Tafiti is explain. Takha is explained. The whole reason for the movie is set at the beginning of the movie before you even see Moana on the screen.

 

[Jimrpg]

Finally finished this last night. Had to divide it up into a couple of nights for the kids.

I think its the best Disney animated movie yet. The story is fun and really feels like an adventure, there's just the right amount of story setup and the songs are fantastic. And when most movies feel like a bit of a lull in the middle, Moana gives you Shiny. Just brilliant.

Need to see Tangled now.

Ah wait: Wreck it Ralph is right up there though - that was great.

 

[Jimrpg]

This was kind of a weird movie to watch as it seemingly was just a mish mash of a whole lot of different Polynesian cultures - it's like white people just picking and choosing what they like.

When I was growing up, we learnt all about the legend of Māui (I'm from New Zealand) - so it was kinda fun seeing that on screen, though under the banner of 'random Polynesian thing' instead. Strange that Hina wasn't included.

It was also kind of strange that the Kakamora were depicted as 'coconuts' - as that is the most common racial slur used towards Polynesian people

I think the amulet/heart of Te Fiti was supposed to be greenstone/Pounamu?

Ah, It's just hard to shake the feeling that this was just white peoples view of Polynesia and that it is kind of degrading to just have it all be thrown in a blender.


I still think it's a good movie, mind you; just with some cultural cringe.

I'm Australian (Chinese) and I'm not really familiar with Polynesian culture and myths but I definitely felt this. I guess Hollywood does it all the time. Even just the way they were dancing felt kinda forced.

But they did make a really good movie as long as you can forgive them for borrowing parts of other people's cultures.

 

[mrkgoo]

I'm Australian (Chinese) and I'm not really familiar with Polynesian culture and myths but I definitely felt this. I guess Hollywood does it all the time. Even just the way they were dancing felt kinda forced.

But they did make a really good movie as long as you can forgive them for borrowing parts of other people's cultures.

I'm from New Zealand, and I thought it was fine. it's a wish mash, because it's trying to pay tribute to multiple polynesian cultures, not just one.

As for coconuts, I didn't even think about it. Is it like they can't use coconuts in a movie about polynesians?

 

[firehawk12]

Watched this the other day because I haven't seen any recent Disney CGI movies and was really shocked (in a good way) at the quality. The humor was a little extra-juvenile (how many "peeing in water" jokes do they need to make) and a lot of the plot points seemed very flimsy, as if the movie was strung together by a bunch of barely related plot points.

I guess there's not much room for plot development when upwards of 50% of the movie is on the open sea, but the coconut things were random as fuck, Jemaine the Crab was random as fuck, and even the ending felt very abrupt and didn't really have enough "clues" leading up to it - it just kind of happened and that was it.

But "where you are" is a great song and the CGI was very impressive, especially the water and sand. Some of the other songs like "you're welcome" weren't.

I did wonder about a third of the way through (when it showed her ancestors) if they were properly portraying the culture(s) present but that feeling wore off eventually. The beginning and her relationship with her dad also felt a little too close to The Little Mermaid's.

If you look at the credits, you see that there was a panel of people from the various islands in the region that they used as consultants. They probably tried to find some similarities between the various different mythologies to try to craft one that would do some justice to the region as a whole.

 

[Chuckie]

Absolutely adored this movie! It was gorgeous, the songs were stuck in my head for days, Moana was a great 'princess'.

I loved it more than Zootropolis, Frozen and Tangled (which I also love btw)

 

[Randolph Freelander]

I watched this movie yesterday for the first time and then watched it again today. I'm concerned that I might actually be an 8 year old girl.

I've also watched Frozen like 4 times this year.

Please help.

 

[Cheerilee]

I watched this movie yesterday for the first time and then watched it again today. I'm concerned that I might actually be an 8 year old girl.

I've also watched Frozen like 4 times this year.

Please help.

Watch Tangled.

 

[Capitan]

I'm from New Zealand, and I thought it was fine. it's a wish mash, because it's trying to pay tribute to multiple polynesian cultures, not just one.

As for coconuts, I didn't even think about it. Is it like they can't use coconuts in a movie about polynesians?

i'm from hawaii, and maui's in the hawaiian mythology as well, we were told he fished the islands out of the sea, etc.

personally i don't understand when people get upset that disney messes with the mythology of some culture or another - i think they just draw inspiration from it and take some artistic license - i mean if hercules was accurate to greek mythology it couldn't be a kids' movie.

and they draw from multiple polynesian cultures, i think, because they're all sort of related to each other, similar to the movie, they were explorers back in the day, navigating by the stars, finding and settling on new islands, and so a lot of the places in that region have cultural and linguistic similarities.

i really liked the movie, great animation, great music.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Watch Tangled.

Already did.

 

[NewGame]

Not sure if this has been posted yet.

 

[Future]

Watched Moana, Zootopia, and Jungle Book back to back to back this weekend as I had almost a full day stuck inside with the kids

All fantastic. Zootopia felt like the "smartest" and most adult of the three. Moana had some beautiful animation though and had those emotional highs that Disney has perfected with their character moments in movies like this. Jungle book felt just like a quality remake of the cartoon with some mindblowingly realistic cg.

Moana made the tears somehow try to flow. Fucking Disney man.

 

[excowboy]

Sorry for the bump - watched this a couple of days ago and have introduced the kids to it.
Its simply superb. I have been listening to the soundtrack at work the past two days, its so brilliant.

I think the thing this film (and the soundtrack) nails is the part of growing up where you begin to understand that your parents and what you've been taught are not always reliable. At the same time it exposes the tension and anxiety in moving away from that. This is shot through the personal story of Moana and the wider story of her people.

Plus, it looks amazing. Its such a positive film, I really loved it. If you can listen to Logo Te Pate without wanting to move your feet, you possibly aren't human!

 

[tha_devil]

a little LTTP.

Watched it with a female friend, who loves disney as much as me (we often watch these movies together).

We both thought the movie was OK, but not great.

I only find it hard to put my finger on it.

Visuals were great, some songs were pretty good (especially Dwayne Johnson). But the story and the living ocean just did not really click (why the hell did she even need a boat, as the ocean could lift her and split apart...).

I don't think it's as memorable as any of the real classics (my favorites, lion king and beauty and the beast). If i am looking at the latest disney movies, i would put it behind Tangled, Frozen and Zootropolis.


7/10 (i was actually surprised by the raving reviews on neogaf and imdb)

 

[theBmZ]

Just watched this for the first time myself a couple days ago. Fucking amazing. Great songs. Great characters. Fun adventure. Beautiful animation.