In most Disney movies, even the 90s renaissance, the main female protagonist is always involved with the main male protagonist, taking away from the empowerment message they try to convey. Not in Moana; it was a breath of fresh air in story telling.
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, Moana and her people live a peaceful life where navigating outside the island is strictly forbidden. But thanks to her grandma's tales, Moana yearns to explore especially when the apparent curse of Te Ka is real and life starts dying out. She will seek to restore Te Fiti's heart and life all around.
As I said in the intro, Moana is the first Disney movie where the female protagonist is not involved in a love story. And since it was released in 2016, it's exempted from woke nonsense. Moana is a strong-willed character who lives for herself and, by extension, to save her people since no one dares venturing beyond the coral reef.
Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui was an excellent casting choice. Not only is he half Pacific Islander but his charisma transpires in the character (animators even tried to recreate his famous frown). He's able to portray both his arrogance but also his fragility - a theme seen in many subsequent movies like Encanto.
Finally, Heihei the dumb rooster was an excellent comic relief.
In short, Moana is definitely worth a watch. It's empowering without putting down anyone, it has a good mix of humor and serious themes and is a beautiful watch.
Final rating: 4.2/5