What can I say except "You're Welcome"!

Source: Moana (2016) (imdb.com)

I have FINALLY seen Moana! I know, it's taken me a looong time, but better late than never I guess (at least it provided the perfect opportunity to see my best mate Emma before xmas and exchange presents...). Neither of us had seen the film yet, so we were both super excited; especially considering the hype, as it is the first Princess... umm sorry Chief's Daughter film from Disney since 2013's Frozen, and that it's the return of directors John Musker and Ron Clemonts!

Before going into it, I just want to mention that this will only be a short review, and I do not want to go into specifics, and this will be a spoiler-free review (so don't worry).

Moana is set in the Polynesian Islands, and follows our heroine to find the demi-God Maui and save her people. There is a bit of a slow start in setting the scene (despite it gave a nice back-story to Moana's village and the people), but the second Moana leaves on her journey and finds Maui, it becomes a fast-packed adventure. It's daring, funny, emotional and even a bit dark at times.

One of the biggest highlights HAS to be the animation, which is absolutely stunning, particularly with the backgrounds. The animators did a fantastic job in creating this bright and colourful world that Moana lives in, particularly in animating the sea - which you will find out is a character in its own right - and it really shows how much research Disney have done on the Polynesian culture. Another highlight has to be the 2D animation used for Maui's tattoos (and Little Maui), which are incredibly creative, and provide a lot of comic relief (the other big source while I am on it is Hei Hei the Rooster (voiced by Alan Tudyk), who is absolutely hilarious).

The other big highlight (which I HAVE to talk about) is the music. I LOVE this soundtrack. I'm currently cranking it up on Spotify while writing this and am growing more in love with it by the minute. You may know I am already adore Lin Manuel Miranda (having seen In The Heights (click here) this summer and being a HUGE Hamilton fan as well), and so when it was announced he was doing the music (along with Opetia Foa'i and Mark Mancina) I did freak out a little bit; and let me tell you he did not disappoint. Particular highlights include We Know The Way, You're Welcome (which is typical Miranda) and How Far I'll Go (the "I Want" song of the film). For any Hamilton and In The Heights fans, look out for Christopher Jackson too as Cheif Tui's singing voice.

I don't really want to go any further than that, as I would love for you to see Moana yourselves - if you haven't already, I know I'm a bit late to the party. If you are a Disney fan, or have a family, this is a must watch; a perfect film for the xmas holidays.