By Tanima Ghosh
The film Moana was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Studios in 2016.
It is a quest type of film where the main plot shows the journey of the main character Moana, the daughter of the tribal chief of Motunui island. Her village prohibits people from going beyond the reef because they believe there is danger in the ocean.
However, in a turn of events, when the village seems to be dying, Moana sets out on an adventure of a lifetime by venturing out beyond the reef to seek for answers she is looking for, which makes you wonder how old is Moana.
Disney recognised the Polynesian community properly by casting most people, mainly of Polynesian descent.
Auli’i Cravalho and Nicole Scherzinger, who plays the roles of Moana(former) and Moana’s mother(later) respectively, are of Native Hawaiian heritage; Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Oscar Knightley (fisherman) and Troy Polamalu (villager no. 1) are all of Samoan Heritage; Rachel House (Moana’s Grandmother), Temuera Morrison (Moana’s father) and Jemaine Clement (Tamatoa) are each of Māori heritage.
Is Moana The Ideal Disney Princess?
The main character is named Moana, and rightly so because it means “vast body of water” in many Polynesian languages, including Māori and Hawaiian.
Her character is shown as someone who is strong-willed, headstrong and capable of overcoming obstacles.
She is an embodiment of women’s empowerment and shows that all of us are meant to do something more than what is dictated to us by pre-existing norms. I feel like she is the ideal character to look up to.
Wow!! For Gorgeous Animation!
It is entirely a computer-animated film. The filmmakers said that the environment, significantly the ocean benefitted much from using this form of animation as opposed to the traditional form of animation.
The water in this film in itself is a character. It possesses a soul and voice of its own and is an important part of the plot.
Moana’s physique in this film is something to talk about. She is lean but fit and does not have the regular slim physique we are used to seeing princesses have in Disney movies. Instead, Moana has got the most real proportions.
Now coming to the songs, they are very refreshing and motivating. However, while all the songs were greatly captivating, the one that stood out to me the most was “How Far I’ll Go” by Auli’i Cravalho.
Moana is seen singing this track while contemplating whether or not she should follow her own desires and go out into the water to venture beyond the reef against her father’s wishes to remain on the island of Motunui.
I often find myself belting out the lyrics of this song in situations when I feel tired and down because this song has that effect on me. It is very inspiring!
Society often looks down upon people who try to follow their desires and do something other than what the masses do. We all can majorly relate to Moana’s feelings here of hesitance to follow her own wants.
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…But How Old Is Moana?
If you are wondering how old is Moana, then let me say that she is 16 years old in the film.
Don’t undermine her because of her age, though, as she faces and overcomes all obstacles in the film due to her very daring nature.
Moana images and portrays as a very understanding and mature person for her age in the film, who goes out on a daring adventure to save her island.
So, Who Played Moana?
Chloe Auli’i Cravalho is the voice behind the character Moana in the Disney animated feature film released in 2016. This movie marked her debut, and she reprised the role in another Disney animated feature film, Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2023 and a short film, Once Upon a Studio.
There is a sequel of the movie Moana in 2024, Moana 2, where she is going to reprise her role. Furthermore, Auli’i also played Ariel, another animated leading character in the movie, The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!
In the series, Elena of Alavor, the episode “The Last Laugh” featured the voice of the character, Veronica. Furthermore, there are other characters that she has played such as Capri Donahue in the movie Darby and the Dead.
She also gave her voice to the character Hailey Banks in the series Hailey’s on It!
Are You Shocked That Auli Will Not Play Moana?
There is a live-action remake of the movie Moana in the works however, it is not Auli’i who will be featuring as Moana. It is shocking, I know, but she has been very graceful in informing us of this without any hint of malice.
Of course, she will be executive producer in the movie which is another big deal for her in terms of achievements! She informed us that she was quite happy to meet the next Moana, whoever it was. For her, it is important that another woman picks up the baton!
She has also performed a role in the remake movie of the “Mean Girls”. The actor established that it was very important for her that many Asian American actors along with people from Pacific Islander community are getting opportunity to tell their stories!
Auli identifies herself as Pacific Islanders hence, she thinks that the stories that are being told are important. What else is important? The writers of Hollywood creating stories on Indigenous people emphasizing on the important of their lifestyle.
What Makes This Film Unique?
What sets this phenomenal film apart from any other Disney movie that I have watched to date is that it doesn’t follow the classic Disney movie trope of feeble female characters being dependent on men. No one wants to sit back and be a princess.
The plus point was the fact that there were no love interests. Don’t get me wrong.
Not trying to sound anti-romantic, but clichéd endings like the guy and the girl getting together at the end of the movie aren’t as appealing. Regarding this, Disney princess Moana was very refreshing and a nice change of pace than I was used to.
The feedback surrounding this film is primarily positive, where Moana made a whopping $248.7 million in revenue in the United States and Canada, $442.1 million in other nations, and $690.8 million globally.
How old is the “Moana” film? Well, it has been six years since the film was released.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
In Polynesian mythology, Māui is a significant person. He is a strong demi-god whose adventures shaped many Polynesian customs.
Real pigs’ voices were used for Pua’s voice.
Polynesian culture. You’ll see that most of the cast was also of Polynesian descent.
Auli’i Cravalho played the role of Moana.
Moana is 16 years old in the film.
His look is based on the rock’s grandfather.
Last But Not The Least!
This film was like a breath of fresh air from all the previous movies I had watched on Disney.
It’s okay to make children believe in fairy tales and happy endings, but similarly, it is also necessary for them to feel empowered, especially girls at that.
Romantic love isn’t the only kind of love worth having; this film shows love for family and how one goes to great lengths to protect them. It also teaches kindness and compassion for everyone around us and to love nature and mother earth.
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