Once upon a time in Polynesia, a high-spirited teenager decided to save her tranquil island home from diminishing resources by sailing the uncharted sea to adventure. The titular heroine of "Moana," the 12th in Disney's animated line of empowered fantasy princesses, follows her quest in a vibrant oceanic setting and colorful new cultural backdrop.
It's frustrating that this fresh entry's novel framework doesn't support a brisk, original story. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (who earlier joined forces on "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin"), "Moana" is a case of inspired visual and musical forms packaging wishy-washy substance. It's good generic comfort food, never cringeworthy, merely routine.
Based in part on Hawaiian and Tongan mythology and social tradition, it introduces us to the first people to navigate oceans, making journeys as far as South America thousands of years before the Vikings and Columbus. Moana, being prepared for coronation as the latest in her family's line of tribal leaders, breaks a bit of new ground for Disney. She's a confident, resourceful teen who dislikes it when she's called a princess and has zero interest in bonding with a handsome prince on her journey. She's on a mission, with her plucky focus given a winning, playful spirit through the voice work by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho.
Forbidden by her protective father from sailing past the nearby reef, Moana still believes she can revive the tribe's seafaring tradition. We have every reason to believe it, as she is encouraged by her supportive Gramma (Rachel House) and the ocean itself, which transforms into a friendly shapeshifting mass of jellylike liquid, rescuing her in times of need. When Te Ka, a predatory lava monster, endangers the island's crops, Moana breaks her family rules, snatches an outrigger sailboat, leaves her secluded home and searches for Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a legendary demigod who can undo the curse.
When they meet, his amiable arrogance and her assertive attitude turn the story into a snarky comedy of manners served with sides of action. The script finds ways to play with the region's elaborate tattoo designs, turning Maui's skin art into lively mini-cartoons of their own, and creates some nutty inventions including madcap coconut pirates and a vain jewel-encrusted giant crab voiced by Jemaine Clement ("Flight of the Conchords").
Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Broadway's smash musical "Hamilton," provides big, bold songs that pack a lot of wholehearted resonance in the story. Clement's "Shiny" and Johnson's back-patting "You're Welcome" get my vote for the film's big numbers, the sort of yay-me anthems adults might want to sing the way their kids adopted "Let It Go" from "Frozen."
The animated characters are excellently expressive and emotional, and whatever countless hours the creative team put into the eye-popping visuals were worth it. Each crystalline grain of sand on the beach and luminous palm frond is miraculous special-effects wizardry. While the film never follows Moana's lead to explore beyond the studio's long-established boundaries, nor moves ahead at her speedboat pace, it still has much to offer. I wish it had more.
