A bright, crowd-pleasing adventure with strong songs, vivid animation, and a sincere coming-of-age arc. It works especially well as a family watch or for viewers who want an uplifting quest story with mythic scale and a warm sense of humor.
66% ★★★☆☆ (2,190,603)
Moana
Where to watch: In Theaters
Movie · Adventure · Comedy · PG
2016 · 1h 47m · ★ 66% (2M)
The ocean is calling.
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Starring: Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House
Overview
In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.
Director
John Musker, Ron Clements
Production
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cast
Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, Louise Bush, Oscar Kightley, Troy Polamalu, Puanani Cravalho, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Christopher Jackson
Where to watch
Disney Plus, fuboTV
Curator Review
Verdict
A bright, crowd-pleasing adventure with strong songs, vivid animation, and a sincere coming-of-age arc. It works especially well as a family watch or for viewers who want an uplifting quest story with mythic scale and a warm sense of humor.
Best for
families and kids
fans of musical animation
viewers who like heroic coming-of-age stories
people who enjoy mythic adventure with comedy
Skip if
you want a darker or more complex fantasy
you dislike frequent musical numbers
you prefer low-key or realistic storytelling
Overview
Moana is one of Disney’s most confident modern animated adventures, balancing a classic quest structure with a heroine who feels determined, capable, and self-possessed. The film’s ocean setting gives it a sense of motion and wonder from the start, and the animation repeatedly finds ways to make the world feel alive and playful.
Worth noting
The songs are a major part of the appeal, with a few standout numbers that do a lot of character work while keeping the pace buoyant. It’s also a rare family film that treats its lead’s courage as something earned through persistence rather than destiny alone, which gives the story a satisfying emotional spine.
Bottom line
Its humor is broad but effective, and the supporting characters are memorable without overwhelming the central journey. If you want an accessible, visually rich adventure that plays well for both kids and adults, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Kait (4★) · 5431 likes
I had to go to the campus health center tonight bc I was having an anxiety attack and the nurse let me watch this on her computer so shoutout to jennifer
robert · 3693 likes
well at least it wasn't called some bullshit like 'wet'
shay (5★) · 3592 likes
frozen (2013) found dead in miami
Jessica Wessica (3.5★) · 2691 likes
My boyfriend likes the singing crab a normal amount