Moana

Disney have a tradition of putting out a kids movie every Boxing Day.  We have a tradition of seeing said movie the day after.  This year was the release of Moana starring The Rock as Maui, the demi god of Pacific Island/Maori legend.  We didn't really know that much about Moana before going and to be honest we weren't that excited about it either but tradition is traditionally something you keep so... nah it also looked like a fun way to fill in a holiday morning.
 
Well, we were very pleasantly surprised.  You might say that Disney has done it again!  And not since Frozen have I had so many short song snippets stuck in my head for so long.  "So shiny..."  But I think Moana is better that Frozen so don't let my mention of the F word put you off!

Moana tells the story of a young woman who, as daughter of the village chief, is destined to lead the next generation of her people however she yearns (like Belle before her) for something more.  For Moana that is to explore the great wide open [sea].  She discovers that in fact the sea has chosen her for a special mission to rescue the world from a coming darkness.  To do this she must enlist the help of Maui, a task much easier said than done.  I would say more but that would be a major plot spoiler!

Rating: We loved Moana!  Especially kid 2 who is the perfect age (4) for a Disney princess movie.  We now hear random lines and songs from the movie throughout the day and she dresses like Moana as much as possible.  Yep she has definitely moved on from Anna and Elsa.  Moana is a very strong and feisty gal but has a caring heart and is great role model for little girls everywhere.  The Pacific Island imagery is beautiful and moved me to tears, Hei Hei [the chicken] cracked us up and the songs help to tell the story which we always appreciate. "So shiny..."

Naughty bits: Moana is as clean as her world's oceans but there are some scary bits which would frighten younger kids so check the IMDB parents guide and know your kid's limits before you take them.  Our kid went a second time with her friend and was fine but her friend was not and had to leave a couple of times in tears.

Snacks: Coconut in all it's delicious forms, Bounty bar anyone?

Family In-quotes: "You're Welcome!"

Related Goodies:
The Maui legends compiled into one epic hardback book (every Kiwi kid needs this!)