Is Moana a Disney Movie?

Yes, Moana is a Disney movie. It was released in 2016 and was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The movie tells the story of Moana, a young woman who sets out on a journey to save her people.

The history of Moana

The movie Moana is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 56thDisney animated feature film. The film introduces Auli‘i Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, and follows a young woman who, upon discovering that her ancestors were voyagers, sets sail on an adventure to find a fabled island.

The project was initially pitched by Ron Clements and John Musker in October 2013, who imagined it as a hand-drawn animated musical featuring Polynesian cultures and motifs similar to that of Hayao Miyazaki’s 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, but the project was scrapped due to technical difficulties. In late 2014, the project shifted to being computer-animated, inspired by Clements and Musker’s work on The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Treasure Planet (2002), and Princess and the Frog (2009).[7][8][9] Chris Williams and Don Hall replaced Clements and Musker as directors, while Osnat Shurer joined them as producer. The title character’s design was created by animator Glen Keane. A majority of the film’s effects were provided by Weta Digital, while Industrial Light & Magic assisted with visual effects in Maui’s tattoos.

The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on November 14, 2016,[10] and was released in the United States on November 23, 2016. Upon release, Moana grossed over $643 million worldwide against its $150 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of 2016; it is also currently the ninth highest-grossing animated film of all time worldwide. The movie received acclaim from critics; Rotten Tomatoes has a 93% rating based on 228 reviews with an average rating of 7.6/10;[11] according to Metacritic, which assigned a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 45 critics,[12] making it one of 2017’s most acclaimed movies so far;[13]and CinemaScore gave it an A+.

The characters of Moana

The main character of Moana is a young woman who goes on an adventurous journey across the pacific in order to find a new home for her people. Along the way, she meets many colorful characters, including a demigod named Maui, and learns about the power of working together. Moana is ultimately a story about finding one’s true identity, and it features strong female characters and themes of family and community. While it is technically a Disney movie, Moana breaks from many traditional Disney formulas, and it has been praised for its representation of indigenous cultures.

The setting of Moana

The film is set on the Polynesian island of Motunui. However, the creators looked to real-life research trips to inform the film’s setting, mythology, and culture.

The film is set 3,000 years ago and focuses on Moana, the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess.

While the filmmakers used Maui as their model for Moana’s island home, they ultimately decided to make the fictional island of Motunui more expansive. “We never want to feel like you’ve seen it all,” said co-director Ron Clements. “We wanted to give a sense of scope and scale to this place.”

The plot of Moana

Moana is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 55th Disney animated feature film, the film is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams. The film introduces Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana and features Dwayne Johnson as Maui.

The film’s title refers to the main character, Moana Waialiki, the daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean to return a sacred relic to a fabled island. When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui, an immortal demigod, in the hope of saving her people.

The music of Moana

Moana is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 56th Disney animated feature film, the film is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and produced by Osnat Shurer, with a screenplay written by Jared Bush.

The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Auliʻi Cravalho as the titular character, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House,Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk.

The music of Moana was composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina. Miranda had previously worked with Clements and Musker on the songs for their previous filmTangled.

The visuals of Moana

The visuals of Moana are commendable, with the film’s opening minutes in particular being absolutely gorgeous to look at. It’s a movie that’s full of breathtaking vistas and stunning color work, and Moana is one of the most beautiful-looking films that Disney has ever produced.

The reception of Moana

Disney’s Moana was released in 2016 to critical acclaim. The movie received positive reviews from critics, with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and an A on CinemaScore. The movie was also a commercial success, grossing over $651 million worldwide.

However, not everyone was happy with the movie. Some people felt that the film perpetuated negative stereotypes about Polynesian culture, and that it appropriated aspects of Polynesian culture without proper acknowledgement or respect. There was also some controversy over the casting of the lead character, with some people feeling that a non-Polynesian actress should not have been cast in the role.

Overall, though, the reception of Moana was mostly positive, with many people lauding it as a ground-breaking and progressive film for its representation of Polynesian culture.

The legacy of Moana

Is Moana a Disney movie? That’s a question that’s been asked by many people since the film was released in 2016.

On the surface, Moana may seem like just another Disney Princess movie. However, upon closer inspection, it’s clear that Moana is a departure from the traditional Disney formula in many ways.

For one thing, Moana is not a white princess. She is of Polynesian descent and her story is heavily influenced by Polynesian mythology and culture. This makes Moana one of the most culturally diverse Disney films ever made.

Additionally, Moana does not have a love interest. This is in stark contrast to most other Disney Princess films, which typically revolve around the princess’ search for true love. Instead, Moana’s story is focused on her journey of self-discovery and her quest to save her people from a terrible fate.

In many ways, Moana represents a new direction for Disney films. She is a strong and independent heroine who doesn’t need a Prince Charming to rescue her. She is proof that Disney films can be both entertaining and culturally sensitive at the same time.

Why Moana is a great Disney movie

Moana is a 2016 American computer-animated musical fantasy-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 56th Disney animated feature film, the film is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, written by Jared Bush, and produced by Osnat Shurer. The film stars Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana, a sea princess who sets out to find a fabled island, and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, a demigod who guides her in her journey.

Critical reception of Moana was overwhelmingly positive; the majority of whom praised the animation, music, and voice acting. The movie grossed $643 million worldwide against its $150 million budget, making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2016 and the 35th-highest-grossing animated film of all time. Moana was nominated for two Oscars at the 89th Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “How Far I’ll Go”. It won five Annie Awards (including Best Animated Feature), two BAFTAChildren’s Awards (Best Feature Film and Casting for an Animated Film), two Critics’ Choice Movie Awards (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song), a Golden Globe Award (Best Original Song), a Satellite Award (Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature), and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form.

On November 28, 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Moana on home video; DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray combo packs were released in most countries worldwide while digital downloads became available on February 21, 2017 in the United States. An exclusive steelbook Blu-ray set was also released in Target stores on March 7.

Is Moana a Disney Movie?