Moana

DisneyEra · Post by **DisneyEra** » Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:42 pm

Sotiris wrote:
disneyprincess11 wrote:There are already amazing pencil tests for Moana herself.
They are beautiful!

But to Disney Executives, THIS is Beautiful:

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/box-o ... 201925913/

blackcauldron85 · Post by **blackcauldron85** » Thu Nov 24, 2016 5:33 am

I LOVED this movie so much. I love that Moana thinks for herself [and I'm not saying that other heroes or heroines don't]...Like Ariel, she went against the wishes of her father, going with her gut feeling. Like Mulan and Pocahontas, she saved her people. I like, though, that for Moana, it wasn't initially about saving one person (not that I'm discounting what Pocahontas and Mulan did- I think they're both amazing). Yes, she was called to the ocean and didn't know why, but Moana has such a sense of "my people." She takes her role as leading her people seriously; she had that internal on-the-one-hand-I-just-want-to-be-on-the-water, and the other hand, I-am-going-to-be-a-good-leader-of-my-people. And not just her people, but her island, too. Obviously when little Moana saved the baby turtle, the Ocean chose her...I feel that for Moana, her family/people on the island/the animals/the plants/environment/the Island itself are all important, and she...I'm trying to find the words...She knows that she has this attraction to the Ocean, and she knows that she's supposed to be a leader, and she has the determination to save her Island, the people/animals/plants on it and the Island itself. The scene where Maui has left her and she throws the Heart of Te Fiti back into the Ocean and says that the Ocean needs to choose someone else...You know that she wanted to succeed. Not for the glory, but just because she has such a caring nature about her Island. I like that you have that sense of duty in Moana, that sense of doing what you have to to save what you love (which we have obviously seen in previous heroes and heroines), and then you have Maui, who needed to learn that lesson, that it's not about the glory, it's about doing your duty to save others.

RyGuy wrote:There were a few times where Moana looked and sounded a lot like Rapunzel. And We Know the Way was oddly placed (like maybe in a prior version of the script it appeared elsewhere, they then reworked the story, didn't want to cut the song and thought that was a good place to try to squeeze it in).

Yes, even before I saw the film, just in the clips and some notes of some songs, Moana reminds me of Rapunzel, but for me, it's not a bad thing...I think that Rapunzel, Anna, & Moana are similar, and they're all a little awkward, and I really find that to be endearing.

And as far as "We Know the Way:"
http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/moan ... references

Musker: The song “We Know the Way” used to come at the beginning of the movie. That was sort of the prologue of the movie to set up the whole voyaging thing. I think it was John Lasseter’s idea where he’s like, “I want to see this movie through the eyes of the protagonist.” He suggested we should move that later and discover that with her, so it puts you in her head.

I wanted more of Pua, but I loved having Heihei along for the journey.

I knew going in that Te Ka = Te Fiti. I left really wanting a backstory, though. I know that when Maui took her heart, the transformation began, but I wish I "could get in her mind." I was just fascinated with this character. I absolutely love the design of Te Fiti.

*edit*

I just found what Moana at the Disney Parks looks like:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/moan ... et.922162/

taei · Post by **taei** » Thu Nov 24, 2016 11:23 am

Well I just got back from Seeing Moana with my family.... And I was the only person who liked it, haha!
As I was watching the movie, I felt this sense of warmth and heart that I had not felt from a Disney movie is a long time! In fact, I don't even think I felt it with Frozen! That may be due to the fact that I had the whole movie spoiled for me before seeing it. But man, this movie just got me! I really enjoyed the message of the movie about self acceptance. I really enjoy stories that reveal that sometimes, we are our worst enemies and that one event don't define who we are.

I thought that Moana was such a great character! I mean, I can kind of see Rapunzel, Anna, and even Tiana in her, but I think the writing of her character is what really makes her standout. I LOVED that she was chief in the beginning and that she didn't outright reject her tribe/family's wishes and views, unlike most Disney female characters. I think her struggle with the Ocean was really well done! Especially in the beginning, however, I felt we didn't get to see her love for the ocean and voyaging as much when she grew a bit older. I also loved the fact that her first time in the ocean was disastrous. So realistic and shows people that sometimes, just rushing into achieving your dreams might not be the best idea. However, I thought that Disney might have made her a bit too "Badass"... I mean, the scene with the Kakamora really bothered me because she was like an expert at multiple fighting techniques. It's like, you don't need it to go to 11 with the badassness, she could be a 8 or 9 and still be strong! But overall I was really impressed by her. Maui was also good, but I think that Moana outshines by a large margin. I will say, it is sad to see Disney kind of rip off DreamWorks because Maui really reminded me of him, especially with the half shark/human scenes and the final battle. It just screamed DreamWorks to me.

I really enjoyed the reveal with the Te-Ka. I wouldn't call it a villain twist, but I was secretly hoping it would happen. I liked the idea that this gigantic force of nature is basically a remnant of Moana. I mean, she looked exactly like her! Kind of satisfying when you think about it!

But the standout in this whole movie is the animation. I mean wow. For Disney, this is groundbreaking, (not so much for DreamWorks, who I still think has the best CGI animation). But there were so many scenes that just looked stunning! In fact, in the end when she was walking towards Ta-Ka, I was just mesmerized by the animation. It literally gave me goosebumps! And it's nice to finally see them get hair right in CGI. This is the first CGI character that had hair movements like Ariel. Hand-drawn is still better, but I am happy with this for now.

Now.... The dreaded downside.. The Music. My family just tore this movie apart and they all unanimously agreed that the songs were just absolutely horrible! I think for me, since I prepared myself for just how bad it will be, I was okay. We know the way was really good and I actually really liked the quick and fun visuals with it! "How Far I'll go" doesnt match up with it's visuals, but at least her voice doesn't sound as untrained when you're being distracted by the visuals. "We Know the Way" was basically just shoehorned in there. The reprise of "How Far I'll go" was also good! "You're Welcome" was good, until he started Rapping... Then I started cringing! "Shiny" was horrible. Just really bad. Like I don't understand why it was even written and approved. I had hight expectations for "I am Moana" , but at the end of the day, Moana's untrained voice just ruins every time she belts out, which is sad, because the song could have been good!

But overall, good story and characters, fantastic visuals, and bad forgettable songs.
I wanna watch it again though!

Sotiris · Post by **Sotiris** » Thu Nov 24, 2016 12:21 pm

PatrickvD wrote:Which means Auli'i also belts "I am Vaiana" in the version I will see next week... maybe she won't go off key in this one?

She actually does sound a little better yelling Vaiana instead of Moana.

You can listen to it on Spotify.

This whole thing of dubbing the name in the English-language version of the film and soundtrack is really weird though. Has Disney done it before?

Warm Regards · Post by **Warm Regards** » Thu Nov 24, 2016 12:28 pm

Sotiris wrote:
PatrickvD wrote:Which means Auli'i also belts "I am Vaiana" in the version I will see next week... maybe she won't go off key in this one?
She actually does sound a little better yelling Vaiana instead of Moana. You can listen to it on Spotify.

This whole thing of dubbing the name in the English-language version of the film and soundtrack is really weird though. Has Disney done it before?

Not for character names, but I think they had to redub Zootopia for the European English version. Every time they'd say "Zootopia", they'd record a second version where they say "Zootropolis". Unless that was just the title and not the movie itself?

estefan · Post by **estefan** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 4:51 am

Not Disney or animated, but in the first Harry Potter film, any scenes where they mentioned the Philosopher's Stone had to be filmed again with the actors saying "Sorcerer's Stone" for the American version. I guess this is a similar situation.

Warm Regards · Post by **Warm Regards** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 3:38 pm

Checked the previous posts, didn't see these, so.... enjoy pencil tests of Grandma Tala, Maui and Chief Tui by Randy Haycock.

Grandma Tala
Maui
Tui

D82 · Post by **D82** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 7:02 pm

^ Beautiful animation in these pencil tests, Warm Regards! It made me miss Disney's traditional animation. I'm glad that at least they are still using 2D to improve the 3D animation.

Sotiris wrote:Thank you so much for posting all that amazing artwork!

My pleasure. I knew you would like it.

Lady Cluck · Post by **Lady Cluck** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 9:08 pm

I really loved this. Moana was a great protagonist and role model without being too bland, perfect, or modern. She'd fit in better with the likes of Mulan than Aurora, but her empowerment and independence weren't as forced as some of the marketing made it seem ("not your typical princess" and whatnot). Maui was pretty good, but the standout side character was Grandma Tala of course. Love her!

The animation was outstanding, probably the first time I've truly been blown away by CG animation in a Disney film. They're getting more experimental and creative now that they've more or less mastered the technical aspects, and it's paying off. So many great shots and dynamic angles that stood out to me. I can't wait to watch on blu-ray and pick out all my favorite visuals.

And I've already said I love the music, but the visual spectacles during most of the songs were really fun (like "Shiny" and "You're Welcome").

Some of the final sequences blew me away. "I Am Moana" and "Know Who You Are" (and Te Ka's transformation to Te Fiti)are up there with my favorite Disney scenes of all time. Just beautiful. Love that there were songs throughout the entire film and musical conclusions that were lacking in things like Frozen and Tangled too.

Some minor criticisms - I wish there was more of the adorable Pua instead of Hei Hei, who wore thin for me, but the kids in the theater seemed to love him. The road trip elements got a little boring in the middle but not that bad. And the threat of Te Ka never seemed as significant as it could have. I thought she was going to kill Moana's parents for awhile

but there wasn't as much as I expected.

Overall another great Disney film. Great songs, characters, and world building with lush and vibrant animation

blackcauldron85 · Post by **blackcauldron85** » Sat Nov 26, 2016 5:39 am

http://animatedviews.com/2016/moana-is- ... a-big-hit/

Disney’s Moana got off to a strong start on Wednesday, scoring the best opening day before Thanksgiving of all time with $15.6 million

taei · Post by **taei** » Sat Nov 26, 2016 9:31 am

Man... Seeing this again for the second time made me realize that I had a Disney Screen placed in front of the movie the first time I saw it. I actually enjoyed it less....

I just think it's kind of rushed in some places and slow in others. The music does kind of get on my nerve less than it did the first time, but the overall experience isn't similar to watching Zootopia, Frozen, or Tangled for the second time. At least it's better than the Princess and the Frog?

DisneyFan09 · Post by **DisneyFan09** » Sat Nov 26, 2016 10:04 am

disneyprincess11 wrote:There are already amazing pencil tests for Moana herself

http://randyhaycock.tumblr.com/post/153 ... ng-test-to
http://randyhaycock.tumblr.com/post/153 ... ation-test
http://randyhaycock.tumblr.com/post/153 ... xplore-how
http://randyhaycock.tumblr.com/post/153 ... -character

I definitively get a Kida-vibe from that animation. I was surprised when I learned that he still was at the studio.

blackcauldron85 wrote:Moana reminds me of Rapunzel, but for me, it's not a bad thing...

I definitively consider Auli'i's sweetness in her voice to be somewhat reminiscent of Rapunzel. But it's not as she comes across as an exact copy of Rapunzel neither, in my opinion.

Sotiris wrote:Disney Brazil and Disney Spain built an interactive website in collaboration with Spotify where you can select the country of origin of a Disney movie and listen to its soundtrack.

A neat choice, but it's obvious that they haven't included the setting of certain popular films as Beauty and the Beast and Tarzan. So it means that The Little Mermaid takes place in Denmark and Tangled takes place in Germany? I know it has probably been discussed priorly, but I thought they took place in those non-descriptional European kingdoms as Walt's films were known for (regardless of the theories about where they actually takes place).

Musical Master · Post by **Musical Master** » Sat Nov 26, 2016 10:47 pm

Just got back home from watching the movie and what I will say about the stunning CG animation (plus the bonus 2-D animation), well done story, memorable songs, the wonderful characters, well directed action/heartfelt scenes, the most thrilling climax in all of Disney's animated movies (beating Frozen's climax which I didn't think was possible) and the overall experience can all be summed up with these words:

SEE. IT. NOW.

There, that's all I can say.

Maerj · Post by **Maerj** » Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:47 am

For those who have seen this in 3d...is it worth it? I've seen people who say you must see it in 3d and others say it really doesn't add that much to the experience. I'm planning on taking the family to see it today but if I can save the money, I will. If the 3d is really great and adds something significant to the experience, then I'll do it.

taei · Post by **taei** » Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:38 am

Maerj wrote:For those who have seen this in 3d...is it worth it? I've seen people who say you must see it in 3d and others say it really doesn't add that much to the experience. I'm planning on taking the family to see it today but if I can save the money, I will. If the 3d is really great and adds something significant to the experience, then I'll do it.

Yeah. The 3D is way more prominent than that of Frozen and Zootopia, heck, even Finding Dory.

I mean it's not like as good as it could be, but its impressive.

DisneyFan09 · Post by **DisneyFan09** » Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:44 am

What I find remarkable is how reviewers are labeling the fairy tale/Princess-formula as oldschool. Well, I can see it, but I don't think it should've be lableled as entirely old-school either. Disney are doing what they've always done, bringing their formula into a new generation. Disney are doing their Disney thing, haha.

Tangled · Post by **Tangled** » Sun Nov 27, 2016 5:40 pm

Wow...this was such a beautiful film. It was so gorgeous that during the standout scenes I could hear the sounds of awe from other people, both kids and adults, in the audience. I thought Zootopia was impressive-looking, but this is on a whole other level above it. A Disney movie's visuals haven't stirred me this much since...probably Treasure Planet? I guess? Wow, thanks, John Musker and Ron Clements.

Story-wise, it's a well-written fantasy story with a really good main character. The "adult" messages were way more subtle than Zootopia, but they were there. As far as I can tell, the movie is saying quite a bit about humanity and judgment. The main message seems to be that tragedy can completely break a person, but that person can still become whole again. Tragedy isn't the end of the world and reacting to tragedy with anger only makes the situation worse. As someone who really liked Big Hero 6, that is a message I will gladly get behind. One criticism, though, is there were some backstory elements that I would have liked to see elaborated upon. Potential ending spoilers: I feel like the message could have hit a bit harder if we learned more about Te Ka/Te Fiti and where she came from. I get that she's supposed to be the ultimate Goddess, but I would have liked to see them try to connect the idea of Maui starting off as a human to Te Fiti's origin. Like, all life starts off equal, but we can become powerful, and words are more powerful than violence. Or, perhaps, they could have strengthened her connection to Moana in some other way aside from visually, because she looks a lot like Moana, and I'm pretty sure that was an intentional choice.

Also, they probably went a bit overboard on the self-deprecating jokes. The part of the movie when Maui and Moana weren't friendly yet, especially around the Kakamora attack, felt like a slog for that reason (although modern Disney Animation movies seem to have to have that period of time when the main characters dislike each other and are making jokes at each other's expense. Like, every one of them after Chicken Little aside from Winnie the Pooh has done that). Still, Maui was a much more consistent character than I was expecting him to be. The Rock did a good job at sounding pissed-off.

Overall, aside from some nitpicks, this was fantastic. It's by far the best CGI fairy tale Disney has made and easily the most visually gorgeous CGI film I have ever seen. I cannot decide between this or Zootopia as my favorite WDAS film this year. Zootopia probably had a stronger story and better humor, but Moana has pure beauty and emotion on its side. I honestly can't pick, but either way, I'm glad that Disney keeps on trying to best themselves.

jazzflower92 · Post by **jazzflower92** » Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:08 pm

Tangled wrote:Wow...this was such a beautiful film. It was so gorgeous that during the standout scenes I could hear the sounds of awe from other people, both kids and adults, in the audience. I thought Zootopia was impressive-looking, but this is on a whole other level above it. A Disney movie's visuals haven't stirred me this much since...probably Treasure Planet? I guess? Wow, thanks, John Musker and Ron Clements.

Story-wise, it's a well-written fantasy story with a really good main character. The "adult" messages were way more subtle than Zootopia, but they were there. As far as I can tell, the movie is saying quite a bit about humanity and judgment. The main message seems to be that tragedy can completely break a person, but that person can still become whole again. Tragedy isn't the end of the world and reacting to tragedy with anger only makes the situation worse. As someone who really liked Big Hero 6, that is a message I will gladly get behind. One criticism, though, is there were some backstory elements that I would have liked to see elaborated upon. Potential ending spoilers: I feel like the message could have hit a bit harder if we learned more about Te Ka/Te Fiti and where she came from. I get that she's supposed to be the ultimate Goddess, but I would have liked to see them try to connect the idea of Maui starting off as a human to Te Fiti's origin. Like, all life starts off equal, but we can become powerful, and words are more powerful than violence. Or, perhaps, they could have strengthened her connection to Moana in some other way aside from visually, because she looks a lot like Moana, and I'm pretty sure that was an intentional choice.

Also, they probably went a bit overboard on the self-deprecating jokes. The part of the movie when Maui and Moana weren't friendly yet, especially around the Kakamora attack, felt like a slog for that reason (although modern Disney Animation movies seem to have to have that period of time when the main characters dislike each other and are making jokes at each other's expense. Like, every one of them after Chicken Little aside from Winnie the Pooh has done that). Still, Maui was a much more consistent character than I was expecting him to be. The Rock did a good job at sounding pissed-off.

Overall, aside from some nitpicks, this was fantastic. It's by far the best CGI fairy tale Disney has made and easily the most visually gorgeous CGI film I have ever seen. I cannot decide between this or Zootopia as my favorite WDAS film this year. Zootopia probably had a stronger story and better humor, but Moana has pure beauty and emotion on its side. I honestly can't pick, but either way, I'm glad that Disney keeps on trying to best themselves.

It says something about how much Disney has recovered since their slump in the 2000's, and that they can create two awesome CGI movies that move and captivate people.

I can say no one expected Zootopia to be as successful as it was, and I have to also say that Moana really was a love letter to the 90's disney movies. And best of all Disney has offered two feature films with a female main character in them that doesn't have a love interest or romantic subplot. And it breaks the mold on female protagonists in animated cinema, but I still seem them forever be ridiculed as being awful about female representation because no one will ever allow them to give them a break.

Semaj · Post by **Semaj** » Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:15 pm

jazzflower92 wrote:It says something about how much Disney has recovered since their slump in the 2000's, and that they can create two awesome CGI movies that move and captivate people.

This is probably a first for Disney, since they hadn't been able to make more than one successful animated feature in the same year. (Recalling Pinocchio and Fantasia from 1940, which BOTH failed, Tarzan and Fantasia 2000 from 1999, where the former did well and the latter did poorly, and Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet in 2002, where the former did well, but the latter failed so badly, it actually contributed to the "2D is dead" claim.) Even Pixar could not do this only a year ago.

disneyprincess11 · Post by **disneyprincess11** » Mon Nov 28, 2016 6:10 am

Disney has posted the whole You're Welcome scene! So, you can just tell how much John and Ron wanted this to be 2D.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79DijItQXMM[/youtube]

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