In the latest Disney animated film MOANA, the title character voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, is features a young woman who goes on a quest to save her village and finds herself in the process. In her journey she must seek out the demigod Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, and return the stolen heart of Te Fiti, a mother earth goddess who created all of the islands from her heart.
This is the time of year to start handing out awards and I am ready to give MOANA the best animated feature Oscar. Disney managed to recapture their magic to create a beautiful story with fantastic characters and gorgeous music. Of course, the fact that MOANA is a fabulous female role model doesn’t hurt, either.
This is a girl who is strong, brave and smart. She follows her heart and stands up to her father and everyone else who tells her that the greater world beyond the shoreline is dangerous. Moana trusts that the ocean has chosen her to save her people and readily takes up the quest. Pay attention to just how often Moana’s discouraged in her journey. Her father and Maui in particular, both in song and speech, tell her that the world is scary, that she is only a young girl, and that she needs to stop dreaming.
Pay attention, too, to all of the conch shell symbolism throughout the film.
For more about conch shells and what they mean and other MOANA information, take a look below:
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