I saw the live action Moana and I loved it. The original animation was terrific, I did work on it as a blogger, and mentioned that in my last review, viewable here.
The difference I found that stood out most clearly was the level of spirituality I felt from this movie. Mother Earth (as represented by Te Fiti, a living island) was damaged and needed to be fixed. Some say this movie followed the animated movie too closely, but that is the point. We are not looking for something new except some songs, and again the journey of Moana and Maui’s relationship and eventual saving of our planet was felt more keenly on a spiritual plane for me, which is what made this movie different and a more emotional experience. Again, I loved it and this is a must own movie!
In Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.
Bonus Features*
“Moana” Bonus Features Include:
- Sing Along With the Movie – Sing along with the movie.
- First Light – The journey to making a live-action “Moana” begins. We meet the cast and crew who share what this opportunity means to them and their culture.
- It Calls Me – After an extensive search across the Pacific, the filmmakers find their Moana in Catherine Lagaʻaia, a young performer from a Samoan family of artists living in Australia.
- Whole Family Proud – Rena Owen (Gramma Tala), John Tui (Chief Tui) and Frankie Adams (Sina) reflect on portraying the emotional foundation of Moana’s world — the family and community that shape her journey.
- Motunui – Production designer John Myhre brings together a team of artisans and cultural experts to build the village of Motunui.
- Move As One – Choreographer Tiana Nonosina Liufau returns to the world of “Moana” after contributing choreography to the original animated film.
- Island Fashion – Costume designer Liz McGregor is tasked with translating the iconic costumes from the animated film into live-action.
- Voices Return – Lin-Manuel Miranda reunites with longtime collaborators Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foaʻi to bring the music of “Moana” into live-action, reimagining both the original songs everyone loves and a new song “Along The Way.”
- Song Selections:
- “Tulou Tagaloa”
- “An Innocent Warrior”
- “Where You Are”
- “How Far I’ll Go”
- “We Know The Way”
- “How Far I’ll Go (Reprise)”
- “You’re Welcome”
- “Shiny”
- “Along the Way (Malaga Ki Ei)”
- “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)”
- “Know Who You Are”
- “We Know The Way (Finale)”
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
And here are my movie celeb shots!
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