"If you ever want to go home, I'll take you back anytime."
These words, offered by Grandma Tala to Moana as she was about to give up everything in the middle of the vast ocean, encapsulate the message the film seeks to deliver. The comfort of knowing it is okay to give up, and okay to come back anytime, paradoxically gives her the strength to move forward. That is why the greatest gift the film offers its audience is the "power of the heart."
A live-action adaptation of the animated original released in 2016, "Moana" tells the story of Moana sailing the ocean with the legendary hero Maui to restore the heart of Te Fiti, which holds the power of life. While staying faithful to the original's narrative, the film brings the vast Pacific and its overwhelming scale to life with the visual beauty unique to live action. It is also free from the criticism of "destroying the original" that recent Disney live-action films have often faced. Dwayne Johnson perfectly embodies Maui in live action, following his turn in the animation. Catherine Laga'aia, cast after beating odds of 32,000 to 1, also heightens immersion with her striking resemblance to the character and steady performance.
The film's special charm lies in how it conveys the "power of the heart." At the moment Moana wants to give up everything, Grandma Tala tells her, "If you want to go home, I'll take you back anytime." Rather than encouragement like "Hang in there" or "You can do it," it is the comfort of being told it is okay to rest now and okay to come back that gives her the strength to rise again. Emboldened by these words, Moana restores the self-esteem of Maui, who has lived with the wound of being abandoned by his parents, telling him, "It was not the gods who made you, but you yourself."
On top of that, the film boasts rich charms: the endlessly stretching deep-blue sea, the mysterious Motunui, the nature deity Te Fiti, the delightful appeal of Heihei and Pua, and the familiar, upbeat original soundtrack (OST). The production team meticulously captured the languages, clothing and traditional culture of the Pacific region, deepening the sense of immersion. Carrying on the emotional resonance of the original while standing as a Disney family film that all generations can relate to, it is expected to be a box-office hit this summer.
