Moana
IMDb Rating
382K
IMDb Votes
95%
Rotten Tomatoes
$643M
Box Office
Synopsis & Review
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker — the duo behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin — Moana (2016) is Disney's 56th animated feature and one of the studio's most visually stunning achievements. Set in ancient Polynesia, the film follows Moana Waialiki (voiced by Auli'i Cravalho), the strong-willed daughter of the island chief of Motunui, who has been drawn to the ocean since childhood despite her father's strict prohibition on sailing beyond the reef. When a mysterious blight begins to destroy the island's crops and fish stocks, Moana learns the truth: the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) once stole the heart of Te Fiti, the goddess of creation, and the resulting darkness is spreading across the ocean. Against her father's wishes, Moana sets sail alone to find Maui and restore the heart — saving not only her island but the entire world. What follows is a spectacular voyage across open water, through mythological dangers including the giant crab Tamatoa and the fearsome lava demon Te Kā, as Moana gradually discovers that the ocean chose her for a reason.
Moana is Disney animation firing at full creative power. Clements and Musker bring enormous respect to Polynesian culture — the production involved years of consultation with Pacific Island communities across Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti, and the result is a film that feels genuinely grounded in a living tradition rather than a theme-park approximation of one. The ocean itself is a character, rendered with breathtaking technical precision by the Disney technology team. But the film's greatest triumph may be the dynamic between Moana and Maui — and Dwayne Johnson deserves enormous credit for this. He plays the demigod with layered swagger and surprising emotional honesty, a braggart who slowly reveals the loneliness and self-doubt beneath the tattoos and the hook. His musical number "You're Welcome" is a masterclass in comic performance — Johnson commits to every lyric, every dance move, every absurd beat with total conviction, and the result is one of the great animated musical moments of the 2010s. Cravalho's Moana is equally formidable: determined, warm, and capable of genuine development across the film. Lin-Manuel Miranda's score provides the emotional scaffolding for both characters, and "How Far I'll Go" stands as one of the finest Disney songs since the Renaissance era. Moana grossed over $643 million worldwide and earned two Academy Award nominations, including Best Animated Feature.
Why Watch This Movie?
The Rock Proves He Has Genuine Range
Maui is not just a cameo or a sidekick — he is co-lead, and Johnson carries the role with a depth that surprises. Behind the cocky demigod exterior is a character who was abandoned as a child and has spent millennia seeking human approval through heroic deeds. Johnson plays this vulnerability without self-pity, finding the emotional truth beneath the comedy. "You're Welcome" alone demonstrates a musical charisma that nobody quite expected from the man who once entered films by crashing through walls.
A Disney Heroine Who Doesn't Need a Love Interest
Moana is defined entirely by her relationship with the ocean, her family, and her own identity — there is no romantic subplot, no prince waiting at the end. This makes her one of the most complete and satisfying protagonists in Disney's modern canon. Her journey is purely about self-discovery and duty, and Auli'i Cravalho's vocal performance grounds the character with genuine emotional weight. The film respects its heroine enough not to reduce her to someone else's story.
Visually, It May Be Disney's Greatest Technical Achievement
The ocean simulation in Moana required entirely new rendering technology — the Disney team developed a simulation system called "Splash" to handle the millions of water particles on screen at any moment. Every wave, every droplet, every reflective surface carries genuine physical weight. The result is animation that makes you feel the salt air and the swell of the Pacific. Combined with the luminous colour palette and the intricacy of the Polynesian cultural design, Moana is one of the most beautiful films — animated or otherwise — of the 2010s.
Cast & Crew
Directors
Ron Clements & John Musker
Screenplay
Jared Bush
Music & Lyrics
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Moana
Auli'i Cravalho
Maui
Dwayne Johnson
Gramma Tala
Rachel House
Chief Tui
Temuera Morrison
Tamatoa
Jemaine Clement
Producer
Osnat Shurer / Walt Disney
Official Trailer
© Walt Disney Pictures. Trailer embedded via YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maui a real figure in Polynesian mythology?
Yes — Maui is one of the most important and widely worshipped figures across Polynesian mythology, appearing in the traditions of Hawaii, New Zealand (Māori), Tonga, Samoa, and Tahiti, among others. In these oral traditions, Maui is a trickster demigod credited with extraordinary feats: fishing up the islands of New Zealand from the sea floor, lassoing the sun to slow its movement across the sky, and attempting to win immortality for humanity by entering the body of the goddess of death. The film draws from multiple Polynesian traditions but presents its own fictional interpretation rather than a strict retelling of any single story. Disney worked extensively with a cultural advisory board called the Oceanic Story Trust throughout development to ensure the portrayal was handled with care and respect.
Did Dwayne Johnson actually sing in Moana?
Yes — and he did so entirely himself, with no vocal replacement. Dwayne Johnson performed "You're Welcome" and the brief reprise in "Knowing Where You Are" using his own voice, which he had not publicly showcased before Moana. Johnson has spoken in interviews about the nervousness he felt recording alongside a cast of professional singers, particularly opposite Auli'i Cravalho. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote "You're Welcome" specifically to suit Johnson's vocal range and performance style — the song's fast patter sections and swagger are tailored to what The Rock does naturally. The result was one of the film's most beloved sequences and demonstrated a genuinely unexpected dimension of Johnson's performing range.
How much did Moana make at the box office?
Moana grossed approximately $643 million worldwide against a production budget of around $150 million — a strong commercial performance by any measure, and a particularly impressive result for an original Disney animated property not based on an existing IP or franchise. The film performed best in North America, where it earned around $248 million. It received two Academy Award nominations — Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "How Far I'll Go" — cementing its critical reputation alongside its commercial one. Its cultural staying power has proven extraordinary: the songs continue to chart on streaming platforms years after release, and the film remains one of Disney's most-streamed titles globally.
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