"Moana"

This was a great film to watch after having visited Hawaii last fall.  There was more detailed Polynesian mythological history than I found on the islands and a lot of views of the terrific natural features which are so breathtaking.  The water depicted in this animated film is particularly beautiful -- alive and reflective, the bright clear colors you can find in many of the Hawaiian beaches.  The story is compelling and lead character Moana is a tremendously strong young woman whose determination is admirable.  The music is fairly secondary.  Unoffensive but forgettable I was surprised to see Lin Manuel-Miranda wrote some of the tunes.  Honestly the story was powerful enough to survive without the soundtrack.  Auli'i Cravahlo's voicing of the main character is outstanding.  It is as if her infectious positivity inhabits the illustrated character.  Like all Disney movies there are life-affirming themes woven in.  The one about the dangers of isolationism struck me as particularly pertinent at this point in time.  It's a lovely, well-paced film with interesting characters and somewhat predictable plot twists.  Definitely worth a watch although my experience of swimming with Manta Rays in Maui definitely enhanced my appreciation for the whole thing.  Mahalo!