Popcorn & Coffee: Moana Blu-ray Review

PG; 107 minutes; Walmart

Arriving on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD from Disney Home Entertainment today is the animated blockbuster Moana. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the film features the talented voice cast of of Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk.

Moana centers on Moana Waialiki, the daughter of Chief Tui on the small Polynesian island of Motunui. At a young age she was chosen by the ocean to receive the mystical heart that once belonged to the island goddess Te Fit. The heart was originally stolen by the the demigod Maui over a millennium ago.

While their island has always provided enough resources for their tribe, vegetation and fish have now become scarce. Moana recommends sailing pass the reef to search for fish, but Chef Tui denies her request as he believes the ocean is too dangerous to cross.

After finding several boats belonging to ancestors in a cave, Moana, along with her pet rooster Heihei, sails off pass the reef in search for the long lost demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). Moana hopes she can convince Maui to return the mystical heart and save her tribe.

Theatrical Short Film: “Inner Workings” – With introduction by the filmmakers, is the story of the internal struggle between a man’s pragmatic, logical side and his free-spirited, adventurous half. Created by a small team at Walt Disney Animation Studios in a unique, fast-paced style that blends CG and traditional hand-drawn animation, the short explores the importance of finding balance in daily life.

Maui Mini-Movie: “Gone Fishing” – When Maui decides it’s time to take charge of the ocean and catch his next meal, Moana must show him the error of his ways … with a little help from her friends!

Voice of the Islands – An in-depth look at how Pacific Island people and cultures inspired the filmmakers to create the story of “Moana.”

Things You Didn’t Know About …

Meet the stars of “Moana” in this dynamic Q&A featuring Dwayne Johnson, newcomer Auli‘i Cravalho, and famed animation directors Ron and John.
Meet the musical team behind “Moana” in this fascinating Q&A featuring Opetaia Foa‘i, Mark Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Island Fashion – Find out how costume designer Neysa Bové took on the unique challenge of creating costumes using materials and techniques native to the islands of Oceania.

They Know the Way: Making the Music of “Moana” – Musicians Opetaia Foa‘I, Marc Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda take us on a personal journey through their involvement in the movie and how it changed their lives.

Fishing for Easter Eggs – Dive deep into the ocean and fish for the Easter Eggs hidden by the animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The Elements of … – This series of four mini-docs explores the technical achievements behind some of the ground-breaking effects used in the film.

Mini Maui – Meet “Mini Maui,” Maui’s tattoo sidekick. Animated by legendary hand-drawn animator Eric Goldberg, we explore how the 2D world collides with CG animation to bring the demigod’s tattoos to life.

Water – In the movie, the ocean is a character. This piece explores how the water is given a personality, along with the technical feats of creating a believable ocean landscape farther than the eye can see.

Lava – Te Kā is a creature made of lava, smoke and fire. This piece dives into the challenges of making an animated creature of massive scale brought to fiery life by character, technical and effects animators.

Hair – One of the greatest technical achievements of the film was the animation of the beautiful, curly hair on Moana and Maui. Take a look at the hair-raising detail that goes into animating each strand, adding performance to the movie that has never been seen before.

Deleted Song: “Warrior Face” – With introduction by songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Deleted Scenes – Ron and John introduce the following deleted scenes: Race the Wind/Ties that Bind; Discussing Moana’s Future; Under the Sea; Grandmother’s Warning/Legend of Maui; Education of Moana; Father, Daughter, Boat; and Canoe Race. Music Video: “How Far I’ll Go” – Performed by Alessia Cara.

“How Far I’ll Go Around the World” – Multi-language reel of the song “How Far I’ll Go.”

Audio Commentary – With directors Ron and John.

Final Thoughts: I recall seeing a few advertisements for Moana on television last year, but the clips never really appealed to me. It just seemed to me another silly computer-animated flick. However, being a big fan of animated movies, I thought I would at least give the film a try when it arrived on Blu-ray.

To my surprise, I actually liked Moana quite a bit. The plot blends the Polynesian mythology with a traditional Disney princess story, which in case here Moana happens to be the princess-type character. All the characters are beautifully animated, and better yet, all the characters are likeable, especially the rooster, Heihei, which has to the be the dumbest animal sidekick ever.

There are plenty of special features and extras on the Blu-ray, including the short film Inner Workings and the mini-movie Gone Fishing.

Overall, I enjoyed watching the Moana Blu-ray. It's a well-written animated movie with plenty of laugh out loud moments and several catchy songs.