---
title: "Moana"
year: 2016
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/moana"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 81
critics_reviews: 25
published: "2026-09-17T07:07:00.860078+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T07:07:01.050654+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Moana (2016)

Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker · 1h 47m · MPA PG · Adventure, Comedy, Family, Animation

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 81 from 25 reviews

*In a sentence:* The ocean makes an excellent travelling companion; Maui could take a few notes

> An engaging heroine, lively songs and unusually expressive water make *Moana* an easy family recommendation. The story follows a familiar pattern, but the voices and the affection between generations keep it from feeling dutiful.

## Synopsis

Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho), a Polynesian teenager, is trying to find her own way as a leader. Her father, Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison), has expectations of his own, while her bond with Gramma Tala (Rachel House) connects her to her people’s history. An ocean with a will of its own helps her on a journey that brings her together with Maui (Dwayne Johnson). He is tattooed, sure of his importance and inclined to argue. Moana has to deal with his bluster as well as the demands of travelling by sea.

## Review

*Moana* is a warm, funny adventure with a heroine worth following, even when the route feels familiar. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker put a young woman’s growth as a leader at the centre of a musical built around family, the sea and the difficulty of deciding for herself. That is a sound starting point for a family film. It gives the songs something to express and the comedy something to interrupt. The weakness is that the story reaches for familiar lessons more often than it finds an unexpected complication.

Auliʻi Cravalho voices Moana with enough assurance to hold her place beside Dwayne Johnson’s Maui. The difference in their scale and temperament makes the partnership funny: his tattoos and self-importance make him hard to ignore, but she has other things to do besides admire him. The bickering gives both performances room to be playful without making Moana seem smaller. She sounds young, determined and capable of answering back, rather than permanently equipped with the right answer.

Ian Gooding’s production design benefits from the use of Polynesian art in the film’s shapes and character designs. Those details prevent the setting from becoming an interchangeable tropical backdrop, though they cannot make the plot less predictable. The water animation is especially effective because the sea has to be both an expanse to cross and a helpful presence. It stays fluid and substantial even when behaving like a companion. Giving it a personality could have been unbearably cute; the movement keeps the idea funny.

The relationship with Gramma Tala gives Moana’s independence a welcome family context. Rachel House brings warmth and a little mischief to the voice, so that this older woman registers as a person rather than someone included to deliver advice. We were moved by their bond because the affection in these exchanges makes Moana’s future matter beyond the demands of an adventure plot. These quieter passages give us time to care about what she wants before the film gets busy again.

Mark Mancina’s music supports the scale of the adventure without flattening the lighter passages. The songs are catchy, but their more useful quality is that they make a character’s wants easy to grasp; a tune can carry this material more lightly than another explanation. Jeff Draheim’s editing keeps the bickering and action moving while allowing the musical numbers to establish their own pace. The film rarely feels hurried. At 107 minutes, it gives its performers time to be funny without turning every exchange into an extended comedy routine.

The limitation is Jared Bush’s screenplay, which is more individual in its conversations than in the broad shape of its story. The question of whether Moana can become the person she wants to be seldom feels open, and the familiar father-daughter friction is less interesting than her exchanges with Maui. Some of the childish jokes also arrive after the scene has already made us smile. None of this breaks the film, but it stops the adventure feeling as fresh as its setting. The voices and music do much of the work whenever the writing settles for the expected.

Against the family musical’s usual habits, the attention paid to Moana as a leader is a worthwhile change. She shares the screen with a louder character without becoming his audience, and the film takes her responsibilities seriously without becoming solemn. There is enough good humour here for adults, and enough purpose to make the adventure matter to children. Give the songs decent speakers, and forgive the occasional joke aimed at the youngest person on the sofa.

*Fi1m score 82, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics greet Moana warmly, praising a Disney musical adventure whose familiar storytelling gains from its Polynesian cultural detail and independent heroine. The animation draws broad admiration, particularly the expressive sea and fluid water effects. Praise also clusters around the songs, Moana’s bickering partnership with Maui and the lively voice performances, with Auli’i Cravalho’s assured lead performance earning particular notice. Many reviews find emotional substance in the film’s treatment of leadership, family and identity.

The main reservation is how closely the journey follows Disney’s established formula, though most critics find enough wit and invention to forgive it. The spread is wide, but dissent is scarce. Sight and Sound admires the technical work yet finds the story disposable, making it the clearest negative outlier. HeyUGuys offers a more qualified response, praising the visuals and comedy but finding the songs unmemorable and the emotion thin, against the prevailing enthusiasm for both.

### Reviews we read (25)

- **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (5/5): The review celebrates the film as a knockout entertainment that matches traditional Disney musical values with modern digital technology while respectfully honoring Polynesian culture. It praises the captivating heroine, gods and monsters, and storming set of tunes. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2f6rli/moana/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Christy Lemire (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the film enormously entertaining and timely, celebrating its story of a young woman forging her own identity as a leader rather than a stereotypical princess. She singles out the assured debut voice performance by Auli’i Cravalho and the vibrant songs co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda for particular praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/moana-2016)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (90/100, inferred): Praises the film's incorporation of culturally specific Polynesian art into its aesthetics and character designs, along with its emotionally driven take on Moana's evolution. Highlights the soundtrack as the finest collection of songs for a Disney film since Howard Ashman's run with the studio. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/moana/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it contemporary Disney at its finest, a vibrantly rendered adventure combining state-of-the-art CG animation with traditional storytelling and colorful characters enlivened by a terrific voice cast. Singles out the infectious songs co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda for particular praise. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/moana-review-944411/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a worthy return to Disney Renaissance heights, a musical adventure that innovates with cultural specificity and a realistically proportioned heroine while updating the directors’ signature style for CG. He singles out the dynamic between Moana and the boastful Maui, plus the vivid water animation and songs, as standout elements. [Read](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/moana-review-walt-disney-animation-studios-1201911413/)
- **Empire**, Nick de Semlyen (85/100, inferred): The critic highlights the progressive story with a strong female lead equal to her male counterpart, mighty music by Lin-Manuel Miranda including earworm anthems, entertaining bickering dynamic between Moana and Maui, and visually inventive sequences with sentient seas and surreal set pieces. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/moana-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a joyous animation of a Polynesian teenager’s quest that boasts eye-watering visuals, earworm songs and heart-swelling messages. The sea itself is singled out as the film’s greatest character for its fluid, helpful presence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/04/moana-review-disney)
- **Total Film** (85/100, inferred): The critic commends the true hero's journey for Moana with exhilarating action, strong buddy chemistry between her and Maui, lush fluid visuals that make the ocean a character, and an eco-conscious story favouring adventure and empowerment. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/moana-review/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's empowering non-sylph-like heroine, witty screenplay with knowing humour, lively banter between leads, and standout supporting characters like the bodacious-tattooed Maui and the bling-loving crab Tamatoa, along with its lush visuals and eco-conscious story. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/moana-film-review-you-won-t-want-to-moana-about-this-a3411011.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Alexia Stam (4/4/4): The review highlights Moana as a visually stunning and culturally rich adventure with a strong, independent heroine and memorable songs that make it one of Disney's finest. It notes some childish jokes but emphasizes the majestic journey and emotional depth. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/moana)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the gorgeous, enchanting CG animation and its function as a bright, reassuring family diversion amid turbulent times, noting its gentle ecological parable and Polynesian cultural showcase. He singles out the sparkling animation of water and the platonic, dynamic partnership between Moana and Maui as highlights. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-moana-review-20161119-story.html)
- **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (4/5): The critic praises the film’s spectacle, visual inventiveness and nuclear-catchy songs while noting its warmth in the post-Frozen Disney era. The action sequence with the coconut pirates is highlighted as one of the year’s best. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/disneys-dazzling-moana-cg-animation-has-never-felt-warmer/)
- **The Times**, Camilla Long (★★★★): The critic describes it as an irrepressibly fruity and fun frolic with magnificent animation and a sparse, elemental feel. Jemaine Clement’s gold-encrusted crab voice role is singled out as a showstopper. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/camilla-long-on-film-sully-and-moana-n58j5rnfq)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a charming and big-hearted musical animation with a strong young female lead of color and catchy tunes that feels like progress for Disney. It singles out the emotional pull of Moana's relationship with her grandmother and its supernatural elements. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/moana)
- **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): The perfectly pleasurable film boasts vivid animation, catchy songs and a sunny disposition as compensation for a not particularly original story, executed with family-friendly gusto and lively voice work. The songs stand out as emotional highlights with sonic richness. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/moana-afi-fest-review/5111109.article)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (70/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a buoyant, syncretic Disney adventure blending updated folklore, eco-spiritualism, and formula, anchored by infectious songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa’i. He highlights the charming animal sidekick Heihei and the familiar yet effective father-daughter dynamic as elements that make it engaging for audiences. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/movies/moana-review.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Vadim Rizov (30/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's technical achievements in animation, particularly the realistic water effects and cultural details, but finds the story formulaic and the film ultimately inessential and disposable despite its harmless entertainment value. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/moana-review-disneys-hawaiian-folk-fable-paddles-safe-waters)
- **/Film**, Ethan Anderton (10/10): Moana meshes Disney’s traditional magic with rich culture for a refreshing, satisfying adventure. The stunning soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda and others is a particular highlight. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/547883/moana-review/)
- **Collider**, Perri Nemiroff (A-): The critic calls Moana another magical, exciting Disney adventure packed with catchy songs, lovable characters and touching moments. They single out the rich visualization of Polynesian legends and culture along with the strong, purposeful protagonist for particular praise. [Read](https://collider.com/moana-review-disney/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4 out of 5): The critic praises the film as a refreshing, joyful update to the Disney princess formula that delivers cathartic escapism, highlighting the charming songs and strong voice performances as key strengths. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/moana-review/)
- **Polygon**, Susana Polo (90/100, inferred): The critic is wowed by the music, story, characters and visual spectacle, calling the film very, very good overall. They highlight the collaboration with native Pacific Islanders and the portrayal of strength drawn equally from individuality, family and history. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2016/11/16/13604350/moana-review/)
- **The Playlist**, Will Ashton (90/100, inferred): Disney’s Moana is an inspired, spellbinding tribute to the human spirit and a dazzling, morally beautiful treat. It offers emotional nourishment and a compelling mix of visuals, storytelling, and toe-tapping music. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/disneys-moana-inspired-spellbinding-tribute-human-spirit-review-20161122/)
- **Eye for Film**, Anton Bitel (3.5/5): Moana is a smart, visually appealing update on the Disney princess formula that still ultimately conforms to type. It balances innovation with tradition in a conservative yet entertaining way. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/moana-2016-film-review-by-anton-bitel)
- **The Wrap** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film thoroughly entertaining if never completely groundbreaking, describing it as mostly business as usual for Disney but with the title character bolstering the studio’s roster of non-princess heroines. Dwayne Johnson is singled out for invigorating the South Seas saga. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/moana-review-dwayne-johnson-invigorates-disneys-south-seas-saga/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (3/5): The film abides by Disney tropes while respectfully depicting Polynesian culture. It excels visually and in comedy but lacks strong, memorable songs and emotional depth. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/moana-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Ron Clements, John Musker
- **Director:** Ron Clements, John Musker
- **Screenplay:** Jared Bush
- **Story:** John Musker, Don Hall, Pamela Ribon, Aaron Kandell, Jordan Kandell, Ron Clements, Chris Williams
- **Editor:** Jeff Draheim
- **Music:** Mark Mancina
- **Production design:** Ian Gooding
- **Producer:** Osnat Shurer
- **Cast:** Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana (voice); Dwayne Johnson as Maui (voice); Rachel House as Gramma Tala (voice); Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui (voice); Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa (voice); Nicole Scherzinger as Sina (voice); Alan Tudyk as Heihei / Villager #3 (voice); Louise Bush as Toddler Moana (voice)
- **Runtime:** 1h 47m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG
- **Release (the US):** 23 November 2016
- **Genres:** Adventure, Comedy, Family, Animation
- **Budget:** $150 million
- **Box office:** $691 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKFuXETZUsI

## Where to watch in the US

- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $9.99, sd
- Apple TV: buy $9.99, sd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2017: Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie 2017: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie (nominated)
- Annie Award for Best Animated Feature 2016: Annie Award for Best Animated Feature (nominated)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2016: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2016: Best Animated Feature (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Kiki's Delivery Service* (1989), Fi1m 86: Another young heroine learns independence through practical work, mistakes and a little magic — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kikis-delivery-service.md)
- *Song of the Sea* (2014), Fi1m 82: Family grief and coastal folklore, with hand-drawn animation that rewards a quieter evening — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/song-of-the-sea.md)
- *Whale Rider* (2002): A young would-be leader tests family expectations in a more grounded coastal story
- *Lilo & Stitch* (2002): A difficult friendship, a stubborn girl and family affection that survives the noisy comedy
- *The Red Turtle* (2016), Fi1m 84: The sea becomes stranger and less accommodating in this patient, wordless animation — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-red-turtle.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/moana