As if the adorable picture wasn’t enough to convince you to see this film, Disney’s latest movie release, titled “Moana”, is no exception to their impeccable collection of amazing films.
The film follows a young Hawaiian girl, Moana, the daughter of a chief who is coming upon her newfound responsibilities of governing a small island called Motunui. But despite being the heir to Hawaii royalty, there is something that makes Moana even more extraordinary. She has a special gift instilled on her since birth: the ocean has chosen her to protect her people by sending her on the most important of missions. Years ago, a demigod named Maui has stolen a precious gem that is very crucial to the survival of the people of Motunui and their precious land. Since this gem has been stolen, the island has experienced famine and decay.
When Moana learns of the truth behind her island’s troubles from her eccentric and oddly supportive grandmother, she is encouraged to go on a journey to find Maui to restore order. When her grandmother falls ill, she decides to take matters into her own hands and set out into the ocean on her journey. Little does she know that this journey will be the most defining experience she has ever come upon, with obstacles to challenge her and the journey of finding out what her place is in the world.
This is truly an important film for a number of reasons. One of those being, that this film features Disney’s first ever Polynesian princess, which is a beautiful thing to finally give more representation to such a beautiful group of people. Next, I believe strongly that beyond the surface of this film, there are a number of hard hitting messages of self-discovery and self-love. Moana is constantly being pulled back and forth emotionally concerning who she is and who she wants to be. Life can often do this to us sometimes. We think we have to be a certain way in order to please others, or simply just to fit in. This film reminds us that the most rewarding experiences one can have in life is to truly allow ourselves to be who we are meant to be, and be truly happy and at peace with whatever that may mean.
This film is not only beautiful from its highly detailed ocean graphic and beyond impressive soundtrack. It is beautiful because at its core sits an imperative message about loving ourselves. And we can teach children that message from a young age, even if it is through films, that it’ll be more rewarding to be ourselves, because there’s truly no one like us in the world.
Movie Lover,
Andrea
