Moana Review: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

Great movie was great! That’s my review. Go see it. Okay, they’re telling me I need to write more than that… gurl, I guess… When Moana was first announced, as a Disney Kid of Color I was that heady mix of hopeful, optimistic, cautious, and fatalistic. Non-white Disney heroines are so few, each one holds the weight of the entire culture she represents on her shoulders. It’s an impossible charge and one that Disney’s often mostly white creative teams mishandle in some ways. Thanks to social media amplifying so many marginalized voices that otherwise would be ignored in the rooms where decisions are made, some of these films have more nuance and respect for the people they depict. Is it always enough? No. And we need to hold these studios accountable when they fall short. So with all of this in mind (and fresh off a viewing of Fantastic Beasts’ all white e’rythang) I stepped into a screening of Moana. And, lawd, were my spirits lifted. Any praise I heap upon this movie in no way negates any criticisms from Polynesian people. Is Moana a fantastic movie? Yes. Does that mean it can’t be problematic? Absolutely not. So listen when people speak up and acknowledge the good and the bad. That said, REVIEW TIME!

Moana is fun and I loved every minute of it. Let’s state that first and foremost. There’s sight gags, pratfalls, and jokes to keep the kids laughing. There’s a few pee jokes included but I can let those slide in the name juvenile humor in a film for…juveniles. I’d be inter…