Moana is a pretty interesting movie. Its graphical advancements made it a one-of-a-kind film for its time. Although there are areas where the writing could have been improved, it’s very solid and earns its spot as one of Disney’s most iconic movies.

The story itself is straightforward. It follows the hero’s journey almost to a T, adhering to all the major story beats that story structure allows for, with barely any deviation. That’s one of the areas I believe the movie should have expanded upon; it should have allowed more space for the characters and world to breathe. The world feels small even with all the traveling they do, and the scope is both big and small, given how few characters we meet throughout the story.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the best part of the story is, of course, Tamatoa. He manages to have a more intimidating presence than even the main villain, despite having only five minutes of screen time. Regarding villains, the main antagonist is rather lackluster. It follows the whole “we were the villains after all” trope but with a bit more complexity. All in all, though, the movie is fine, and I support its existence. 6/10