My favorite thing about this movie is how actually historically accurate it really is. The Polynesians were amazing at sea voyaging and the suddenly stopped voyaging for about 2,000 years and no one exactly knows why (some believe El Niño was to blame) they stopped or why they started again when they did. Legends do base Maui and other gods for causing dangerous seas. This time period is known as the Long Pause.
they definitely learned from how Pocahontas was received and hired people of the culture to help. At least they took more of the notes to heart than they did with Pocahontas
I agree, and a lot of Polynesians appreciated it. The only criticism some of them had was that they didn't stick to the original Maui's personality and not adding his partner. Other than that, the Polynesians loved this movie.
@@tomuchcamoflauge They did that with Pocahontas too, bringing on Russell Means as a consultant on the Native American religion and lifestyle, as well as the voice of Chief Powhatan. They just didn't put enough research into it (talking with other Native Americans, visiting Native American villages, etc.), whereas with Moana, they did.
Things I love about this movie: 1) They cast a teenage Polynesian girl to play a teenage Polynesian girl. 2) Moana being a woman has no bearing on whether or not she can lead her people. No patriarchal bullshit here. 3) There is no love interest, other than Moana's love for her people. 4) Moana puts her hair up when shit gets real. No beautiful flowing locks to get in the way because it's aesthetically pleasing. (Maui does too, btw). 5) The first thing Te Feti does after having her heart restored is take a nap. I respect that.
I agree! This is a great example of a movie that gives us a strong female character. She didn't need to overcome any sexism within her village to prove herself capable of being chief, she just was going to be chief. Moana starts her journey believing she just needs to convince Maui to restore the heart, that he's the main character and she's the support. But at the end he leaves and she goes back to do it alone, with a mindset change, she found herself capable of doing it using her smarts and the sailing she learned from him. He comes in and supports her and she's the one to restore the heart.
@@tink6225 it's really tiring, of course movies like that are good to have, Mulan for example. but I'm glad they didn't take that route, I think this sends a very good message too
Completely agree with you. The olny thing I would add, is that is a very accurate telling of a share lore of polynisian peoples all over the Pacific, it's a lore that connects us all, even us Maori in Aotearoa-New Zealand. It's a shared folklore telling our oral history of voyagers. Disney did the shared lore justice.
You nailed it about how Te Ka was hurt and in pain and the resolution was achieved through healing not through a fight. Without fail, every single time I see the scene with Moana walking across the ocean floor to Te Ka and choosing to help her heal rather than fight her, I cry. The cinematography, the music, the message. Every single time lol
besides the music and the water, another thing that I love about how this movie's made is the animation of the hair!!! it looks super realistic, plus it gets wet and in the way and she has to put it up. I love that.
The 'final confrontation' walking shot is SO cinematic. How did this not get any sort of oscar?! But I really do adore this movie and I'm glad Encanto is on your list of films too!!
That really was a wonderful scene in the movie. It was deserving of an Oscar. If not for animation then definitely do cinematography, writing on music.
Funny that you mention water animation: When they were animating the water for Finding Nemo, they showed it to the boss, and they were told to do it all over. The reason? It was TOO realistic. They said if the waters too realistic, the audience would mistake it for a documentary, and fall asleep. Look how far they've come now.
Lmao they straight up insulted the intelligence of the general public with that statement 😂 And yet their nature documentary Earth (2009) did really well.
Loving the Disney film commentaries! Fun fact; Lin wrote Shiny but deliberately in Jermaine's style for him. He's amazing like that in his song-writing. Would love to see you two take on Encanto, Lin's latest Disney film; it's a heart puller and tear jerker for sure! If you're taking requests I would love to see you two react to Dreamwork's 'Rise of the Guardians' (with badass fighting Santa Claus and Easter Bunny) or Disney's underrated lesser known films like 'Treasure Planet', 'Atlantis the Lost Empire' or (my personal favourite) 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey'.
Can I just say what a lovely comment this is. Giving them the information as a fun fact, not as a "uh no guys, you're wrong!" it's just nice to see 🙂 x
Dwayne Johnson's dad wasn't Samoan, his mom is. His dad was African American. They based the design off of traditional Samoan warriors, wrestlers etc. strong men types though. Saw in an interview that said that his image would be relatable because most families have uncles and dads that look like that. Not to mention it is more accurate to what a strength focused body type looks like, as opposed to the bodybuilder cut abs.
I cannot make it through this movie without crying at some point. The storytelling is just so lovely, and the songs are wonderfully written with beautiful melodies. The best of the newer era disney films in my eyes. Worth all the praise and hype.
The storytelling, the characters, the visuals, the songs... All gorgeous and sublime. Lin Manuel Miranda has proved that everything he touches turns to gold! 🥰
Of all the newer aged Disney films, Moana definitely deserved all the hype it got, I'm super excited to watch this one! Cheers for another reaction vid you guys, best way to start off a ( very ) early week / Monday! 🥳
Lin Manuel Miranda. What else can I say? Also the actress who voice acted Moana was only 14 like what?! With a powerful voice? And the grandmother is the iconic kooky old lady like Mulan’s grandma 😂😂 Hei Hei is also funny. It’s just a good movie 😅 the scene that stood out to me was when Moana sang “Know Who You Are” to Te Fiti, explaining this is not the real her. Fucking epic 👌🏼 reminds me of Moses.
It does kinda sound like let it go. I never even realize that… but I did see a mashup with go the distance that was super cool!!! Great video boys!! Hope Encanto is coming soon 👀
Maui’s design was based on The Rock’s grandfather, he was a Samoan wrestler, Peter Maivia - his father was also a wrestler but not Samoan by birth just adopted into the family when he married in. His father was Rocky Johnson, Rocky’s family actually joined the British as loyalists is the American revolution because they promised freedom to black people in America who joined them. Despite losing the war, his family were free and escaped to Canada. The Rock has two very exciting family legacies and a beautiful lineage from 3 cultures (he’s also of Irish descent like 1/8 or 1/16 now but it’s something). I like my older wrestlers so I read up a lot years ago.
Fun fact, there really is an island that has the shape of Te Fiti lying down and it’s located in French Polynesia ! It’s Huahine and it really is a beautiful island.
One of my favourite things about Moana is that the "Long Pause" (when Polynesians inexplicably stopped voyaging, then inexplicablystarted again is a real thing that happened. I've heard some other reviewers mock that part of the plot along the lines of "So, they just stopped? That is dumb." But that's what happened. Also, I'm new to the channel, working my way through your older episodes, and I freaking adore you both. You show a lot of emotional depth and complexity when analyzing these things and always focus in on the positive messages and I am here for it.
I think my absolute favourite thing about Vaiana/Moana (besides the sheer pretty of it) is that it says, you can do both. You can want to travel far away AND want to come home. You can be an all powerful and worshipped demi-god AND yearn for acceptance from strangers. You can love your community AND believe they have to be better. You can respect your history AND try out new things. You can battle to the death with a lava monster AND you can reach out your hand in forgiveness and kindness. You can be utterly overwhelmed with the weight of your mission AND be loved and respected regardless (love you, grandma). You can be utterly lost and alone AND still be important to fight for what matters. You can do both, without one side always being bad and one being good, without having to discard a part of yourself that is 'lesser'. All of yourself, is the strongest you
5:50 Since you guys mention Alan Tudyk and seem surprised, thought I’d mention that Tudyk is often described as Disney Animation's ‘good luck charm’ and has voiced a character in every Disney Animated film since Wreck-It Ralph in 2012!
David Bowie was originally supposed to voice Tamatoa, but he passed away before he could finish his lines. They did manage to record the song though and it's on TH-cam.
I've seen some video essays on why the ocean made her crash in the "beginning of her journey". It was most likely because she wasn't prepared. Can't just have a boat to row with no knowledge of the sea. Just carelessly wanted to know what was over the horizon is a fools game After she discovers the history and the journey that her previous generations had, she became more knowledgeable and found her reason after her grandmother reached out to her.
I agree. Also, the original vessel she tried to cross the reef with early on wasn't a boat made for traversing the open ocean, so it makes sense that she wasn't able to get through the waves with it. Like with the storm she encounters later on her journey to find Maui's island, I think it also shows that while the ocean is a sentient character in this and is trying to assist her, it isn't completely in control of itself, and it's dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
also it shows her that the journey will be dangerous. I saw a theory that said her father was likewise chosen, and in his 'test' by the ocean he failed and his friend died. Moana couldve died in that first exploration past the reef and she learned how dangerous the ocean can be.
The grandma died after giving Moana the heart because it was keeping her alive. She knew this would happen, but she knew giving it to Moana was more important.
@@themoviebud1988 you have to watch encanto it is an amazing movie that explores Columbian culture and Lin Manuel Miranda did the songs so you know it’s good
Fun fact. Originally Moana was supposed to be the only daughter with 6-9 siblings. There are deleted story board scenes showing 6 older brothers and concept art for 9 brothers. I believe her older brothers are still in the first scene with all the kids hearing grandma's story.
This is my all-time favorite movie about the theme of identity (followed closely by The Departed). My favorite part of it is the pep talk from Moana on the boat after they get Maui's hook, because of the moment when he says "All right, I love you too" to his tattoo. His tattoo-self is clearly his Highest Self throughout the whole film, right, which has always loved his flawed-self ... and it's just SO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL that once he finally chooses to see his true self as lovable, and says he loves himself, THAT'S when he finally starts turning around with a true attitude change and starts seeking his full potential again. (He still sees his value as inextricable from his talents for a while, but growth has to start somewhere.) My other favorite thing is how big undertakings don't work the first time. Lots of adventure stories fail to be realistic about this lesson. Moana's first big departure fails, their first attempt to reach Te Fiti fails ... It's so true that you have to hit a long dark night of the soul sometimes in the course of accomplishing anything great. I love the honesty here. It's just such wonderful amazing storytelling with such a profound message. Every character's identity-exploration is so amazing, even the ones with little to no true arc like Moana's dad or Tamatoa, with everyone being a subtly different take on ways we end up questioning who we are and having to find ourselves. I truly think this is Disney's best movie yet and one of the best stories ever told. I get new poetic depth from it with every rewatch. It's so, so good. Very glad you guys reacted to it!
I find it really funny that in advertising and merchandising Pua is much more prominent then Hai-Hai if Hai-hai is the one on the boat with her. Turns out Pigs hate water and kids like cute fluffy things. Also from a historical stand point there was a period where Polynesians just stopped voyaging for a long time. Its currently understood as a period of strong winds so its forced them to settle. But a mythologal figure sucking the life from everything could be totally plausible too. Just shows they did some serious research
Funfact: Here in Germany this movie was advertised as Vaiana. Even the English audio versions on streaming services here have been edited as to not confuse viewers. Why you ask? There is a porno called Moana. Now, either Disney didn't want people to be confused OR I think there's a law that movies can't have the exact same name? Not sure about that last part but the effort that went into the rebrand is definitely astounding.
i really like moana as a character tbh,, shes not perfect. shes stubborn sometimes, she makes mistakes, she learns and doesnt let those destroy her. idk if its too soon but your guys' thoughts on encanto would be awesome so i second that being on the list, its super fun imo while also tackling some very real topics and issues
I love this movie. Disney specifically chose Musker and Clements (from The Little Mermaid and Aladdin fame) to direct because they are the best team of visual story tellers they have (alive) and it shows. There is no character explaining why the ocean can't return the heart on its own, which is a valid question. They just show you that the ocean can't touch Tefiti without harming further or potentially killing her and that's a stroke of genius. To be honest when the movie was announced I was not all that interested, Disney to this point had done their pre-columbian cultures dirty and I was hesitant to see it happen again, until the directors were announced and I felt the story was on good hands.
Tamatoas song is hilarious in Danish.. they’ve translated “I’m so shiny” to “jeg er spejl blank”.. which roughly has the same meaning as “I’m dumb as bricks” 😂
The Polynesians I know absolutely loved this movie, and honestly, even as a Canadian with Scandinavian heritage, this movie was so well done that even I felt the connection to the culture. Right from the first chant in the opening credits, and the first drum beat, I had goosebumps and manically laughed and cried throughout the whole movie. It did an amazing job at making every aspect of the movie awe-inspiring and impactful, and it hit every heartstring that it was supposed to. 🥰
Hey just to tell you that the spiral wasn't there "visible" until Maui hit Te Kā with his hook for the last time before it broke. I suppose that the impact of the hit revealed the spiral like it was a wound.
This is one of few "classic" Disney films that makes me cry every single time I watch it. The village song, when the grandmother dies and when she comes back in the end. The crab song is the best of the movie and Tamatoa was Highly underused
54:33 When she hits that "I am Moana!" I still get chills. It's the perfect culmination, at the perfect time. Disney just totally nailed it with this movie.
The animation style is so good because it actually ressembles a lot to Polynesian sacred draping such as Tapa with very similar symbols; plus I think it is very nice what they did with the animated tattoos moving while telling stories because in our Polynesian heritage tattoos have always been representative of the individual’s life stories and identity, just like it goes with maui. I also really like the fact that the legends are told with Tapas at the beginning because the oral transmission of myths and legends is the way our ancestors passed down traditions and beliefs. Props to Disney for highlighting the merits and talents of our navigating maori ancestors !
Also, I completely love the assumption is that Jemaine Clement wrote his song, but actually Lin Manuel wrote a number perfectly in the style of a Flight of the Conchords song just for him. 12/10.
57:59 I just noticed for a second, Te kah glows green for a split second as maui hits her chest. like for a moment, Tefiti is revealed as her chest cracks away, revealing the spiril. also, your right, the swirl wasn't there before, but maui revealed it when he struck her chest
For some reason the one detail that always stuck out to me since watching it for the first time, is how slightly patchy Maui's tattoos are, just like real ones... now that's attention to detail!
My 2 year old niece loves Moana. Dances to it, makes us dance, was Moana for Halloween, and it’s just so cute. I saw it in theaters and wasn’t feeling it. But after watching it with her so many times I’ve come to really like it.
I’m not able to watch the video rn due to work but I’m so glad they are watching all of these Disney movies! I love Disney and it makes me happy that y’all are enjoying them!
I think Let it go is way overrated...and so is frozen. I think tangled and Moana give Disney renaissance vibes and are two of the best recent Disney movies in years
Not overrated. It was an amazing scene to watch in theaters, but overplayed. When you hear something so many times you kind of don’t hear how good it is any more.
The animators had to come up with a completely new algorithm to animate the water and manipulate it the way they wanted. I wouldn't say the water in Moana is the most realistic they've ever done, but it is by far the most beautiful!
I figured out the twist before it even happened. I kept asking myself why a lava monster was so angry, so I just started listing off reasons why villains do anything. I listed off the usuals, because they had something done to them, because they have a score to settle with someone. And eventually I had the thought, ."...or because they had something stolen from them.", thinking of the land before time. And it just hit me like a bolt of lightning.
The seashell on top of the rock pile at the end is more a symbol for breaking with the traditions and that it's sometimes necessary to advance. The traditions were holding her back and actually got the island into danger. The rules were originally setup to protect them but there will come the time where traditions and rules may become obsolete. So it's important to not hold tradiions above all. They need to adapt. The world is changing and those who don't go along will be left behind.
'Shiny' is probably my favorite villain song from Disney ever, 'Gaston' is a very close second. being voiced by Jemaine Clement was absolutely the perfect choice. I can't help but love that drab little crab, Tamatoa. PS- the word Shiny looks so damn weird haha
I really adored this movie when it came out (easily the last disney movie that really spoke to me). Part of it was my whole family saw it right around the time my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer (she's doing fine, several years in remission) but needless to say the grandma in this movie dying hit all of us really hard. I also love from an animation standpoint how Te Kā looks. (I had called the "twist" early on I was v proud of myself, i had noticed that Te Kā had a "feminine" frame lol) This might be one of few Disney Animated in 3D where I think 3D was the right choice. (can't say the same for most of the others lol)
46:52 in all the versions I've heard, none of them said that his parents never wanted him (and if theres ever a continuation of this movie, I wanna see them go further into it cuz I feel like it could work) Māui was born premature and wasn't fully formed, so his mother cast him into the sea (in the Māori version, his mother Taranga cut the hair from her topknot - her tikitiki - and wrapped him in it before casting him to sea, which is where his Māori name comes from: Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, which is very similar to other cultural variations of his names) anyway, the ocean/gods (depending on the version) took him and nursed him until he became fully formed, then was found by a family relative where he was raised by his mother along with his brothers (yes he has brothers, in almost all versions of his stories)
It was such a big deal when it came out , I remember seeing so many families of different pacific islands from Melanesian/Micronesian&/Polynesian coming to the theater 🥺💖
Was a joy to watch, yeah, really looking forward to Encanto. One of the interesting trends that happen here and will follow in Encanto is the whole "having a complete song in the native language".
I'm glad Disney is branching out into different cultures, there's so many stories to be told across the world. As a Polynesian, there's a lot to relate to in Moana but it still feels veryyy much like a Disney movie. I wish Taika Waititi had stuck around, or rather that they'd given him more leeway because I think it would have felt more authentic. But Disney has their formula and it works for them. The artwork is absolutely stunning though.
When we first were on lockdown I was babysitting my nieces and they replayed this movie so many times 😩😂 Shiny was their favorite part of the whole movie and throughout the day they would just sing it.
I would also like to add to the conversation of the pacing when Maui is getting back into the groove with his magic fishhook - we don't know how far they had to sail from the Realm of Monsters to the island of Te Fiti, so although it seems off to us as the viewer, I think it actually makes sense if you figure they were potentially sailing across the ocean for months.
YES, YOU DID MOANA! I love that movie, this soundtrack is just great. Moana is so cool, I love that she will be a chief, not a princess. Plus SHE saves the world and Maui is helping. Love your commentary like always.
When I saw this movie the first time I immediately recognized Jermaine Clements voice. I love his work so much and I actually bought a few flight of the concords songs back when I was in high school. His voice is so distinct and I’ve always had a soft spot for comedy music!
I love that you can appreciate the authenticity Disney tried for once to put into this film. I expect it is a direct result of the criticism they received from the making of "Pocahontas". I like that this film turns away from the idea of duality. Throughout, it demonstrates that duality is an illusion, a mental perspective. The reality is that all dualities are different sides of one unified thing. Life and death are not mutually exclusive, but depend upon each other in order to exist and endure. The islands rise and become fertile and sustain life from the flow and destruction of lava. Moana's home was dying from stagnation, because the upchurn of cyclic island creation and destruction renews life; it dusts the area with nutrients from below the earth's crust. Voyaging from island to island minimizes the consumption of the minerals and nutrients; it gives the islands time to recover from human impact on the environment. I've always liked the symbolism of the spiral. Humans live in a linear fashion, a concept that shields awareness of other options. Your choices are forwards, backwards, or stationary. So very limited. And a line divides things into polarities, dualities. Linear begins and ends, birth and death. Circles are nice, emblematic of eternity, because they have no beginning or end. But they still divide outside and in. Spirals looked at one way is a circle when its lines are layered one over the other. But shift your perspective, look at it from 90 degrees over, it rises. It progresses. It endures. It lays a path without an end, just diagramming change over time. I love that the symbol of the island, the Goddess, and Her Heart is a spiral.
I feel like how far I'll go is only similar to let it go in the sense of... They're both I want songs. So. Yeah. They serve the same purpose in the story and can be belted to feel good about oneself. How far I'll go has the better reprise though ;)
Now y’all gotta do Encanto! The music is also by Lin Manuel Miranda and personally I think it’s even better. The movie itself is incredible too! It’s a very simple story and setting but amazing nonetheless.
The animation that disney has been putting out is stunning. The attention to detail from the water to the characters hair is incredible. The music is top tier too. One of my favorite movies.
What stood out to me was the attention to detail in their forming simple words. And subtle body movements & gestures that were so natural to how we simply move when we talk. On a rewatch when Moana and Maui first engage on his island, look at the attention to detail in their mouths forming words and all the subtle gestures as they talk. It's next level to anything they did before it.
Somebody put forward a very clever observation about the the song "We know the way" in comparison to how "Pocahontas" dealt with speech and translation (a bit more sparkly woo): how when the voyagers are singing in the indigenous tongue you can see them actually sing the lyrics, their mouths syncing with the actual language, and when they shift to English (or any of the international dubs) you see them smiling, running about, silently passing down sacred items and knowledge...but NOT speaking Sudden English. It's a shift from diagetic to non that makes the viewer feel included and also informed, while still preserving the authenticity of the original song. All in a moment. I adore this freaking film so hard.
This movie is basically fixing what was wrong with Pocahontas. (Not including the historical inaccuracies.) In Pocahontas Grandmother Willow tells Pocahontas that she's obligated to prevent the violence between her people and the settlers, even though she was only one person and Kocoum's death wasn't her fault. I really love that Moana's grandmother takes responsibility for putting the load on Moana and reassures her that whatever decision she makes her grandmother supports her.
27:56 There’s a fan theory that Moana drowned that first night on the ocean, and that she could only do all the supernatural stuff because she was a spirit. Then when she returned the heart, Te Fiti resurrected her to send her home.
This is definitely one of the best Disney movies made in this century in my opinion. The story feels complete, it's a full hero's journey. The music is incredible, and the characters are rich. It also really activates my synesthesia lol But I love it just as much, and sometimes more with each watch.
Your commentary made me appreciate this movie a lot more! To be fair, I was only partially paying attention the first time I watched it. A recent Disney movie I don't hear many people talk about is Onward (not a musical). You guys should check it out - I thought it was fantastic and I think you would like the story/characters.
@@bozovirag97 It honestly blew me away! I was just binging all the Disney movies I missed in the last few years while I was crocheting and didn't expect much from that one, but it ended up being one of my favorites!
i usually dont like watching commentators if theyve already seen the movie, but watching yall is always so chill, its like watching a movie with friends lol
Love Moana. Great story, catchy songs and beautiful animation. I'm gonna recommend Disney's 'The Emperor's New Groove' (2000). It is such underrated movie.
I saw someone mention why the ocean didn't just return the heart itself or why it made Moana crash. The ocean is a helping hand, meant to guide her, not direct her. It's up to Moana to make the choices and have the knowledge. The ocean can't do everything for her
10:55 I don't think that's a bad thing tho. Like I get it, that song got played and hyped WAY to much until everyone except the 5yo fans was sick of it but if you put that aside Let it go was also really good.
Aside from your usual brilliant and hilarious commentary, I did like that you brought up Moana's potential godhood, because the girl has some crazy skills. There's a theory that MatPat covered on Film Theory based in Polynesian lore that Maui and his wife Cena (Moana's mother in the movie) had a few children, including one that looked like a pig (which would make Pua her brother, hence why they don't eat him.) So there's a possibility that Moana is actually *their* daughter, which would make her a half human demigoddess of the ocean. Hence, the ocean choosing her to restore the heart. p.s. I have always loved that the grandma is both aware of how much she asked of Moana, and that she (and her family) would still love Moana even if she decides to go home instead, that it wouldn't be conditional.
Definitely one of my favorites ❤️ My niece watched this like a bunch of times and How Far I’ll Go was our favorite car song to belt out to (which was a great relief to her mom after she was singing let it go everyday for several months ) 😂
the interesting thing between Te'Fiti and Te'Ka is that both have the power of creation but without the heart the power is more destructive. Over enough time lava can create new islands
I think the How Far I’ll Go / Let It Go comparison is founded on the fact that both songs use Go ( and words that rhyme with go) for the end of its major lyrical phrases more than any part of the music or Melodie’s being similar
Shiny (the crab song sung by Jermaine Clement) was actually written by Lin Manuel Miranda, and the fact that he captured Jermaine's style so well is sick IMO.
The thing about the food yielding less and less can also be attributed to the fact that they ARE staying in one place and humans have a knack for overpopulating and being a bit like locust on the environmental population. Traveling from island to island helps nature to rebound. And the older Polynesians knew it. Being on boats also helped with population management. The benefits of island hopping is kind of why we need to learn interplanetary travel as quickly as we can with the idea of environmentalism and not just capitalist elite tourism. Human suck at preserving our environmental resources and taking what we need because we either simply don't due to greed or our population grows too big for balanced cohabitation.
Disagree with the similarity of "Let It Go" and "How Far I'll Go". Elsa *ran away* from her duties. When things got tough she ran. She did this in the 2nd movie too, showing she learned nothing. Moana, however, is genuinely trying even when it's hard. Even her solution to fish out father is not her going "let ME leave to find somewhere better to fish" she's only advising what the fishermen do. She herself would still be staying and doing her duties. Let It Go is about Elsa going "fuck it I'm gonna run away" while How Far I'll Go is about Moana still being conflicted about her duty which she's actively trying to make peace with vs her dreams. Big difference.
Else wasnt running away from her duties. the people were scared of her and her powers and growing up she only learned to hide them away. she wasnt accepte in the beginning and let it go is about her being able to use her powers without people judging her and her keeping them hidden. she thought she would only cause harm to others
"when things got tough she ran" yeah god forbid someone with chronic trauma who's been taught their entire life that their very existence is a threat to others finally try to go take some space after having their worst fears realized and concluding that they'll always hurt anyone who gets close to them. Because it's not like anything was hard for her during the entire fifteenish years in the interim when she was isolated and trying to stay committed to serve her people while somehow protecting her sister, surely THAT was a cakewalk. Better not give her any credit for sticking around and somehow not offing herself that whole time, just blame her for daring to go try to self-actualize for once because everyone knows everyone's only priority should always be putting everyone else first 🙄 /s Screw you and your judgmental attitude. You obviously learned nothing from that movie. I sure hope you don't talk like that to friends with their own chronic trauma and mental health issues. Congrats on being so absolutely perfect that you can't empathize with anyone who has real problems 🖕 (/s again, I'm actually sorry for you because people with your nasty attitudes usually are coping badly with unresolved traumas themselves and projecting vicious resentment onto others for having vulnerability that the critic is still too afraid to practice.)
I love that you guys loved Shiny as much as I do. it's one of my favorite songs from the movie, along with How Far I'll Go. so many people say Shiny is their least favorite and I'm always dumbfounded by their lack of taste lol glad to know you guys can recognize a bop when you hear it 😃
My favorite thing about this movie is how actually historically accurate it really is. The Polynesians were amazing at sea voyaging and the suddenly stopped voyaging for about 2,000 years and no one exactly knows why (some believe El Niño was to blame) they stopped or why they started again when they did. Legends do base Maui and other gods for causing dangerous seas. This time period is known as the Long Pause.
they definitely learned from how Pocahontas was received and hired people of the culture to help. At least they took more of the notes to heart than they did with Pocahontas
I agree completely. As a Polynesian, this movie made me so emotional.
I agree, and a lot of Polynesians appreciated it. The only criticism some of them had was that they didn't stick to the original Maui's personality and not adding his partner. Other than that, the Polynesians loved this movie.
@@tomuchcamoflauge They did that with Pocahontas too, bringing on Russell Means as a consultant on the Native American religion and lifestyle, as well as the voice of Chief Powhatan. They just didn't put enough research into it (talking with other Native Americans, visiting Native American villages, etc.), whereas with Moana, they did.
@@tomuchcamoflauge that’s kind of what Disney always does on cultural films.. research
"That's fucked, putting all your self worth just into your powers."
Encanto: Allow me to introduce myself
Things I love about this movie: 1) They cast a teenage Polynesian girl to play a teenage Polynesian girl. 2) Moana being a woman has no bearing on whether or not she can lead her people. No patriarchal bullshit here. 3) There is no love interest, other than Moana's love for her people. 4) Moana puts her hair up when shit gets real. No beautiful flowing locks to get in the way because it's aesthetically pleasing. (Maui does too, btw). 5) The first thing Te Feti does after having her heart restored is take a nap. I respect that.
I agree! This is a great example of a movie that gives us a strong female character. She didn't need to overcome any sexism within her village to prove herself capable of being chief, she just was going to be chief. Moana starts her journey believing she just needs to convince Maui to restore the heart, that he's the main character and she's the support. But at the end he leaves and she goes back to do it alone, with a mindset change, she found herself capable of doing it using her smarts and the sailing she learned from him. He comes in and supports her and she's the one to restore the heart.
@@michellebeaulieu8118 I'm honestly tired of stories about women fighting misogynist forces to be taken seriously
@@tink6225 it's really tiring, of course movies like that are good to have, Mulan for example. but I'm glad they didn't take that route, I think this sends a very good message too
@@syra1541 One change I would make to that movie have Shang actually punched Chi fu
Completely agree with you. The olny thing I would add, is that is a very accurate telling of a share lore of polynisian peoples all over the Pacific, it's a lore that connects us all, even us Maori in Aotearoa-New Zealand. It's a shared folklore telling our oral history of voyagers. Disney did the shared lore justice.
You nailed it about how Te Ka was hurt and in pain and the resolution was achieved through healing not through a fight. Without fail, every single time I see the scene with Moana walking across the ocean floor to Te Ka and choosing to help her heal rather than fight her, I cry. The cinematography, the music, the message. Every single time lol
You and me both. *hands you kleenex of solidarity*
Gets me too
Me too, I always cry at that
besides the music and the water, another thing that I love about how this movie's made is the animation of the hair!!! it looks super realistic, plus it gets wet and in the way and she has to put it up. I love that.
This is a huge thing for curly haired girls, and a monumental animation achievement to make it look so real
Disney actually created a whole new engine just for the hair animation. Gotta love the dedication
The 'final confrontation' walking shot is SO cinematic. How did this not get any sort of oscar?!
But I really do adore this movie and I'm glad Encanto is on your list of films too!!
Yeah I remember seeing that scene in the teaser trailer when we didn't really know what the movie was about but it looked good.
Yes this movie is really beautiful to look at.
That really was a wonderful scene in the movie. It was deserving of an Oscar. If not for animation then definitely do cinematography, writing on music.
@@danielwhyatt3278 lol funny enough the music WAS noticed (it lost to "LA LA Land")
Funny that you mention water animation:
When they were animating the water for Finding Nemo, they showed it to the boss, and they were told to do it all over.
The reason? It was TOO realistic. They said if the waters too realistic, the audience would mistake it for a documentary, and fall asleep.
Look how far they've come now.
Lmao they straight up insulted the intelligence of the general public with that statement 😂 And yet their nature documentary Earth (2009) did really well.
Well, you seem to be on a Disney strike. Can't wait for Encanto.
Me neither, I reckon that they'll be in sobbing messes by the end of that review!
Yeah it pretty good!!!
I cried like 5 times when i watched it
Was just about to ask if they’ll watch it!
Yes please! I would love to see their reaction to it
Loving the Disney film commentaries! Fun fact; Lin wrote Shiny but deliberately in Jermaine's style for him. He's amazing like that in his song-writing. Would love to see you two take on Encanto, Lin's latest Disney film; it's a heart puller and tear jerker for sure!
If you're taking requests I would love to see you two react to Dreamwork's 'Rise of the Guardians' (with badass fighting Santa Claus and Easter Bunny) or Disney's underrated lesser known films like 'Treasure Planet', 'Atlantis the Lost Empire' or (my personal favourite) 'Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey'.
Shiny when I first heard it creeped me out and still kinda does
Those are all great recommendations!!
Can I just say what a lovely comment this is. Giving them the information as a fun fact, not as a "uh no guys, you're wrong!" it's just nice to see 🙂 x
*jemaine
Omg I love Treasure Planet, I use to watch it often as a kid
Dwayne Johnson's dad wasn't Samoan, his mom is. His dad was African American. They based the design off of traditional Samoan warriors, wrestlers etc. strong men types though. Saw in an interview that said that his image would be relatable because most families have uncles and dads that look like that. Not to mention it is more accurate to what a strength focused body type looks like, as opposed to the bodybuilder cut abs.
It was based off his grandfather
It’s was based off his grandfather
you do realise the tattoo design is part
Samoan culture; not specific to warriors and especially not wrestlers
His grandfather was a Samoan wrestler tho so they based Maui on him
I cannot make it through this movie without crying at some point. The storytelling is just so lovely, and the songs are wonderfully written with beautiful melodies. The best of the newer era disney films in my eyes. Worth all the praise and hype.
The storytelling, the characters, the visuals, the songs... All gorgeous and sublime. Lin Manuel Miranda has proved that everything he touches turns to gold! 🥰
Wow i see you around in a lot of movie commenteries..we have the same taste,awsome...Also..I cant wait for Encanto
And yes Lin is amazing
Of all the newer aged Disney films, Moana definitely deserved all the hype it got, I'm super excited to watch this one! Cheers for another reaction vid you guys, best way to start off a ( very ) early week / Monday! 🥳
Sam: “We’re in sync.”
Stef: (automatically sings a NSync song)
Thank you for making our Sunday! 😂
Stef immediately went to where my mind was going, so I definitely am giving him brownie points for that. Lol
Lin Manuel Miranda. What else can I say? Also the actress who voice acted Moana was only 14 like what?! With a powerful voice? And the grandmother is the iconic kooky old lady like Mulan’s grandma 😂😂 Hei Hei is also funny. It’s just a good movie 😅 the scene that stood out to me was when Moana sang “Know Who You Are” to Te Fiti, explaining this is not the real her. Fucking epic 👌🏼 reminds me of Moses.
Why have I never noticed how similar Moana’s grandma and Mulan’s grandma are? And that they would totally be friends
They would totally go out together and have a blast. I can't unsee that now. They both have young spirits
It does kinda sound like let it go. I never even realize that… but I did see a mashup with go the distance that was super cool!!!
Great video boys!!
Hope Encanto is coming soon 👀
WHERE is your chamber of secrets video 😡
Yeah, that mashup was really nicely done!
Thanks my dude! Yeah, we’re doing it after Sharpays Fabulous Adventure 👌 - Sam
i love your videos
the fact that my two fav reacting channels know and respect eachother is amazing
I would love to see these two channels collab…idk if it’s possible but I think it’d be hilarious 😂😂
Maui’s design was based on The Rock’s grandfather, he was a Samoan wrestler, Peter Maivia - his father was also a wrestler but not Samoan by birth just adopted into the family when he married in. His father was Rocky Johnson, Rocky’s family actually joined the British as loyalists is the American revolution because they promised freedom to black people in America who joined them. Despite losing the war, his family were free and escaped to Canada.
The Rock has two very exciting family legacies and a beautiful lineage from 3 cultures (he’s also of Irish descent like 1/8 or 1/16 now but it’s something). I like my older wrestlers so I read up a lot years ago.
Fun fact, there really is an island that has the shape of Te Fiti lying down and it’s located in French Polynesia ! It’s Huahine and it really is a beautiful island.
is there a cave around the heart area?
Spent a couple of weeks there in 1973. Different now.
Forget comparing it to “Let it Go”-look up the mashup of “How Far I’ll Go”/“Go the Distance”
I love that mash up
One of my favourite things about Moana is that the "Long Pause" (when Polynesians inexplicably stopped voyaging, then inexplicablystarted again is a real thing that happened. I've heard some other reviewers mock that part of the plot along the lines of "So, they just stopped? That is dumb." But that's what happened. Also, I'm new to the channel, working my way through your older episodes, and I freaking adore you both. You show a lot of emotional depth and complexity when analyzing these things and always focus in on the positive messages and I am here for it.
I think my absolute favourite thing about Vaiana/Moana (besides the sheer pretty of it) is that it says, you can do both. You can want to travel far away AND want to come home. You can be an all powerful and worshipped demi-god AND yearn for acceptance from strangers. You can love your community AND believe they have to be better. You can respect your history AND try out new things. You can battle to the death with a lava monster AND you can reach out your hand in forgiveness and kindness. You can be utterly overwhelmed with the weight of your mission AND be loved and respected regardless (love you, grandma). You can be utterly lost and alone AND still be important to fight for what matters.
You can do both, without one side always being bad and one being good, without having to discard a part of yourself that is 'lesser'. All of yourself, is the strongest you
5:50 Since you guys mention Alan Tudyk and seem surprised, thought I’d mention that Tudyk is often described as Disney Animation's ‘good luck charm’ and has voiced a character in every Disney Animated film since Wreck-It Ralph in 2012!
David Bowie was originally supposed to voice Tamatoa, but he passed away before he could finish his lines. They did manage to record the song though and it's on TH-cam.
Dude thanks for the info!!!
I've seen some video essays on why the ocean made her crash in the "beginning of her journey". It was most likely because she wasn't prepared. Can't just have a boat to row with no knowledge of the sea. Just carelessly wanted to know what was over the horizon is a fools game After she discovers the history and the journey that her previous generations had, she became more knowledgeable and found her reason after her grandmother reached out to her.
I agree. Also, the original vessel she tried to cross the reef with early on wasn't a boat made for traversing the open ocean, so it makes sense that she wasn't able to get through the waves with it. Like with the storm she encounters later on her journey to find Maui's island, I think it also shows that while the ocean is a sentient character in this and is trying to assist her, it isn't completely in control of itself, and it's dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
also it shows her that the journey will be dangerous. I saw a theory that said her father was likewise chosen, and in his 'test' by the ocean he failed and his friend died. Moana couldve died in that first exploration past the reef and she learned how dangerous the ocean can be.
The grandma died after giving Moana the heart because it was keeping her alive. She knew this would happen, but she knew giving it to Moana was more important.
Also... can we talk about Alan Tudyk's brilliant performance as Hay Hay?
Yes, please do 👌 - Sam
@@themoviebud1988 you have to watch encanto it is an amazing movie that explores Columbian culture and Lin Manuel Miranda did the songs so you know it’s good
I'm Tahitian, and I just wanted to say that Disney did an amazing job at representing polynesian culture
@Hono Rine OH COUCOU
Fun fact. Originally Moana was supposed to be the only daughter with 6-9 siblings. There are deleted story board scenes showing 6 older brothers and concept art for 9 brothers. I believe her older brothers are still in the first scene with all the kids hearing grandma's story.
This is my all-time favorite movie about the theme of identity (followed closely by The Departed). My favorite part of it is the pep talk from Moana on the boat after they get Maui's hook, because of the moment when he says "All right, I love you too" to his tattoo. His tattoo-self is clearly his Highest Self throughout the whole film, right, which has always loved his flawed-self ... and it's just SO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL that once he finally chooses to see his true self as lovable, and says he loves himself, THAT'S when he finally starts turning around with a true attitude change and starts seeking his full potential again. (He still sees his value as inextricable from his talents for a while, but growth has to start somewhere.)
My other favorite thing is how big undertakings don't work the first time. Lots of adventure stories fail to be realistic about this lesson. Moana's first big departure fails, their first attempt to reach Te Fiti fails ... It's so true that you have to hit a long dark night of the soul sometimes in the course of accomplishing anything great. I love the honesty here.
It's just such wonderful amazing storytelling with such a profound message. Every character's identity-exploration is so amazing, even the ones with little to no true arc like Moana's dad or Tamatoa, with everyone being a subtly different take on ways we end up questioning who we are and having to find ourselves. I truly think this is Disney's best movie yet and one of the best stories ever told. I get new poetic depth from it with every rewatch. It's so, so good. Very glad you guys reacted to it!
I find it really funny that in advertising and merchandising Pua is much more prominent then Hai-Hai if Hai-hai is the one on the boat with her. Turns out Pigs hate water and kids like cute fluffy things.
Also from a historical stand point there was a period where Polynesians just stopped voyaging for a long time. Its currently understood as a period of strong winds so its forced them to settle. But a mythologal figure sucking the life from everything could be totally plausible too.
Just shows they did some serious research
It was all part of the big joke. It was a misdirect
Isn't pua the kind of pig breed that likes swimming? (If he wasn't traumatized lol)
My daughter has the screaming chicken toy and its annoying and funny as hell
Funfact: Here in Germany this movie was advertised as Vaiana. Even the English audio versions on streaming services here have been edited as to not confuse viewers. Why you ask? There is a porno called Moana. Now, either Disney didn't want people to be confused OR I think there's a law that movies can't have the exact same name? Not sure about that last part but the effort that went into the rebrand is definitely astounding.
Oh it’s Vaiana in France too
@@JaneMcQ100 maybe it's a european law, with the different movie titles
@@muffinmiri7299 probably, it's also callied Vaiana in Greece
No it’s because there’s an European brand with the name, I think it’s a perfume or a boutique of perfumes.
@@vappa1000 Bei „Vaiana“ liegen die Gründe für die Umbenennung jedoch anders. Kenner des Schmuddelfilmsegments können mit dem Originalnamen der Disneyheldin vielleicht etwas anfangen: Genauso heißt ein zweiteiliger TV-Film über die italienische Pornodarstellerin Moana Pozzi, die 1994 mit 33 Jahren an Krebs gestorben ist.
Zum einen wäre es natürlich unangenehm, wenn man nun statt des Kinderfilms plötzlich einen für Erwachsene erwirbt, und diesen nichts ahnend in den DVD-Player schiebt. Darüber hinaus dürfen in Deutschland und anderen Ländern zwei (oder mehrere Filme) nicht den selben Namen tragen. Also musste „Moana“ hierzulande anders heißen. Das Gleiche gilt für Italien, wo „Moana“ unter dem Namen „Oceania“ vertrieben wurde.
- source: www.shz.de/16772861 ©2022 This basically says that there's a documentary about a porn star from Italy called Moana who died of cancer.
"If my name was Sebastian, cool Jamaican accent, you'd totally help me." Underrated line...
Big up to my Jamaican crabs out there.
i really like moana as a character tbh,, shes not perfect. shes stubborn sometimes, she makes mistakes, she learns and doesnt let those destroy her.
idk if its too soon but your guys' thoughts on encanto would be awesome so i second that being on the list, its super fun imo while also tackling some very real topics and issues
I love this movie. Disney specifically chose Musker and Clements (from The Little Mermaid and Aladdin fame) to direct because they are the best team of visual story tellers they have (alive) and it shows. There is no character explaining why the ocean can't return the heart on its own, which is a valid question. They just show you that the ocean can't touch Tefiti without harming further or potentially killing her and that's a stroke of genius. To be honest when the movie was announced I was not all that interested, Disney to this point had done their pre-columbian cultures dirty and I was hesitant to see it happen again, until the directors were announced and I felt the story was on good hands.
Tamatoas song is hilarious in Danish.. they’ve translated “I’m so shiny” to “jeg er spejl blank”.. which roughly has the same meaning as “I’m dumb as bricks” 😂
Omg 😂😂 I can't remember what it said in the Spanish version but I think it wasn't very flattering either.
“She’s got crazy eyes”
I DIED😂 right the grandma does have crazy eyes, didn’t notice till Sam pointed it out.
I have a theory that Moana’s grandmother went to Maui as well and their talk is what made him change his mind.
I just think he saw this human girl with no special powers going up agains Te Ka and just had some type of realization.
The Polynesians I know absolutely loved this movie, and honestly, even as a Canadian with Scandinavian heritage, this movie was so well done that even I felt the connection to the culture. Right from the first chant in the opening credits, and the first drum beat, I had goosebumps and manically laughed and cried throughout the whole movie. It did an amazing job at making every aspect of the movie awe-inspiring and impactful, and it hit every heartstring that it was supposed to.
🥰
Hey just to tell you that the spiral wasn't there "visible" until Maui hit Te Kā with his hook for the last time before it broke. I suppose that the impact of the hit revealed the spiral like it was a wound.
This is one of few "classic" Disney films that makes me cry every single time I watch it. The village song, when the grandmother dies and when she comes back in the end. The crab song is the best of the movie and Tamatoa was Highly underused
54:33 When she hits that "I am Moana!" I still get chills.
It's the perfect culmination, at the perfect time.
Disney just totally nailed it with this movie.
The animation style is so good because it actually ressembles a lot to Polynesian sacred draping such as Tapa with very similar symbols; plus I think it is very nice what they did with the animated tattoos moving while telling stories because in our Polynesian heritage tattoos have always been representative of the individual’s life stories and identity, just like it goes with maui. I also really like the fact that the legends are told with Tapas at the beginning because the oral transmission of myths and legends is the way our ancestors passed down traditions and beliefs. Props to Disney for highlighting the merits and talents of our navigating maori ancestors !
Also, I completely love the assumption is that Jemaine Clement wrote his song, but actually Lin Manuel wrote a number perfectly in the style of a Flight of the Conchords song just for him. 12/10.
I CAME RUNNING !!!!! I DON'T KNOW IF WE DESERVE THIS BUT WE NEED IT !! .
Also , u guys need to watch encanto it's really wholesome.
Very soon 😊 - Sam
57:59 I just noticed for a second, Te kah glows green for a split second as maui hits her chest. like for a moment, Tefiti is revealed as her chest cracks away, revealing the spiril.
also, your right, the swirl wasn't there before, but maui revealed it when he struck her chest
For some reason the one detail that always stuck out to me since watching it for the first time, is how slightly patchy Maui's tattoos are, just like real ones... now that's attention to detail!
My 2 year old niece loves Moana.
Dances to it, makes us dance, was Moana for Halloween, and it’s just so cute.
I saw it in theaters and wasn’t feeling it. But after watching it with her so many times I’ve come to really like it.
I’m not able to watch the video rn due to work but I’m so glad they are watching all of these Disney movies! I love Disney and it makes me happy that y’all are enjoying them!
In case you were curious: traditional wayfinding is still used even today.
I think Let it go is way overrated...and so is frozen. I think tangled and Moana give Disney renaissance vibes and are two of the best recent Disney movies in years
Not overrated. It was an amazing scene to watch in theaters, but overplayed. When you hear something so many times you kind of don’t hear how good it is any more.
The animators had to come up with a completely new algorithm to animate the water and manipulate it the way they wanted. I wouldn't say the water in Moana is the most realistic they've ever done, but it is by far the most beautiful!
I figured out the twist before it even happened. I kept asking myself why a lava monster was so angry, so I just started listing off reasons why villains do anything.
I listed off the usuals, because they had something done to them, because they have a score to settle with someone.
And eventually I had the thought, ."...or because they had something stolen from them.", thinking of the land before time.
And it just hit me like a bolt of lightning.
The seashell on top of the rock pile at the end is more a symbol for breaking with the traditions and that it's sometimes necessary to advance. The traditions were holding her back and actually got the island into danger. The rules were originally setup to protect them but there will come the time where traditions and rules may become obsolete. So it's important to not hold tradiions above all. They need to adapt. The world is changing and those who don't go along will be left behind.
'Shiny' is probably my favorite villain song from Disney ever, 'Gaston' is a very close second. being voiced by Jemaine Clement was absolutely the perfect choice. I can't help but love that drab little crab, Tamatoa.
PS- the word Shiny looks so damn weird haha
I really adored this movie when it came out (easily the last disney movie that really spoke to me). Part of it was my whole family saw it right around the time my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer (she's doing fine, several years in remission) but needless to say the grandma in this movie dying hit all of us really hard.
I also love from an animation standpoint how Te Kā looks. (I had called the "twist" early on I was v proud of myself, i had noticed that Te Kā had a "feminine" frame lol) This might be one of few Disney Animated in 3D where I think 3D was the right choice. (can't say the same for most of the others lol)
The "I am Moana" scene never fails to make me cry. It's so powerful, both communal and self motivated.
Always nice to see you guys watching Disney movies. Hope to see more 😊
46:52 in all the versions I've heard, none of them said that his parents never wanted him (and if theres ever a continuation of this movie, I wanna see them go further into it cuz I feel like it could work) Māui was born premature and wasn't fully formed, so his mother cast him into the sea (in the Māori version, his mother Taranga cut the hair from her topknot - her tikitiki - and wrapped him in it before casting him to sea, which is where his Māori name comes from: Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, which is very similar to other cultural variations of his names) anyway, the ocean/gods (depending on the version) took him and nursed him until he became fully formed, then was found by a family relative where he was raised by his mother along with his brothers (yes he has brothers, in almost all versions of his stories)
It was such a big deal when it came out , I remember seeing so many families of different pacific islands from Melanesian/Micronesian&/Polynesian coming to the theater 🥺💖
Lmao Melanesian here and yeah, the cinema I went to was packed with islanders
Was a joy to watch, yeah, really looking forward to Encanto. One of the interesting trends that happen here and will follow in Encanto is the whole "having a complete song in the native language".
I would love to see more sailing/pirate movies. Sinbad, Pirates of the Caribbean
I'm glad Disney is branching out into different cultures, there's so many stories to be told across the world. As a Polynesian, there's a lot to relate to in Moana but it still feels veryyy much like a Disney movie. I wish Taika Waititi had stuck around, or rather that they'd given him more leeway because I think it would have felt more authentic. But Disney has their formula and it works for them. The artwork is absolutely stunning though.
When we first were on lockdown I was babysitting my nieces and they replayed this movie so many times 😩😂 Shiny was their favorite part of the whole movie and throughout the day they would just sing it.
I would also like to add to the conversation of the pacing when Maui is getting back into the groove with his magic fishhook - we don't know how far they had to sail from the Realm of Monsters to the island of Te Fiti, so although it seems off to us as the viewer, I think it actually makes sense if you figure they were potentially sailing across the ocean for months.
YES, YOU DID MOANA! I love that movie, this soundtrack is just great. Moana is so cool, I love that she will be a chief, not a princess. Plus SHE saves the world and Maui is helping. Love your commentary like always.
Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls voicing Moana’s mom was a major underutilization of her talent
When I saw this movie the first time I immediately recognized Jermaine Clements voice. I love his work so much and I actually bought a few flight of the concords songs back when I was in high school. His voice is so distinct and I’ve always had a soft spot for comedy music!
54:38 I love the detail that this time she take's the heart herself, not the sea puting her hands.
Moana:The ocean is a friend of mine.
Hei Hei falls in the ocean.
LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF 😂😂😂😂im dead🤣🤣🤣
This movie is so beautiful. The ocean, the colors...😍
I love that you can appreciate the authenticity Disney tried for once to put into this film.
I expect it is a direct result of the criticism they received from the making of "Pocahontas".
I like that this film turns away from the idea of duality.
Throughout, it demonstrates that duality is an illusion, a mental perspective. The reality is that all dualities are different sides of one unified thing.
Life and death are not mutually exclusive, but depend upon each other in order to exist and endure.
The islands rise and become fertile and sustain life from the flow and destruction of lava. Moana's home was dying from stagnation, because the upchurn of cyclic island creation and destruction renews life; it dusts the area with nutrients from below the earth's crust. Voyaging from island to island minimizes the consumption of the minerals and nutrients; it gives the islands time to recover from human impact on the environment.
I've always liked the symbolism of the spiral.
Humans live in a linear fashion, a concept that shields awareness of other options. Your choices are forwards, backwards, or stationary. So very limited. And a line divides things into polarities, dualities. Linear begins and ends, birth and death.
Circles are nice, emblematic of eternity, because they have no beginning or end. But they still divide outside and in.
Spirals looked at one way is a circle when its lines are layered one over the other. But shift your perspective, look at it from 90 degrees over, it rises. It progresses. It endures. It lays a path without an end, just diagramming change over time.
I love that the symbol of the island, the Goddess, and Her Heart is a spiral.
I feel like how far I'll go is only similar to let it go in the sense of... They're both I want songs. So. Yeah. They serve the same purpose in the story and can be belted to feel good about oneself. How far I'll go has the better reprise though ;)
Now y’all gotta do Encanto! The music is also by Lin Manuel Miranda and personally I think it’s even better. The movie itself is incredible too! It’s a very simple story and setting but amazing nonetheless.
yessss
The animation that disney has been putting out is stunning. The attention to detail from the water to the characters hair is incredible. The music is top tier too. One of my favorite movies.
What stood out to me was the attention to detail in their forming simple words. And subtle body movements & gestures that were so natural to how we simply move when we talk. On a rewatch when Moana and Maui first engage on his island, look at the attention to detail in their mouths forming words and all the subtle gestures as they talk. It's next level to anything they did before it.
Somebody put forward a very clever observation about the the song "We know the way" in comparison to how "Pocahontas" dealt with speech and translation (a bit more sparkly woo): how when the voyagers are singing in the indigenous tongue you can see them actually sing the lyrics, their mouths syncing with the actual language, and when they shift to English (or any of the international dubs) you see them smiling, running about, silently passing down sacred items and knowledge...but NOT speaking Sudden English. It's a shift from diagetic to non that makes the viewer feel included and also informed, while still preserving the authenticity of the original song. All in a moment.
I adore this freaking film so hard.
This movie is basically fixing what was wrong with Pocahontas. (Not including the historical inaccuracies.) In Pocahontas Grandmother Willow tells Pocahontas that she's obligated to prevent the violence between her people and the settlers, even though she was only one person and Kocoum's death wasn't her fault. I really love that Moana's grandmother takes responsibility for putting the load on Moana and reassures her that whatever decision she makes her grandmother supports her.
27:56 There’s a fan theory that Moana drowned that first night on the ocean, and that she could only do all the supernatural stuff because she was a spirit. Then when she returned the heart, Te Fiti resurrected her to send her home.
Movie Budz, Dylanisintrouble, and PrettyMuchIt are my favorite people who do movie commentaries. Love it!
Yesss…check out Billybinges and Aaron &Jo
@@dodaprettygirlrock I actually used to watch Aaron & Jo! Remember when Jo wasn't even in the channel name lol 😂 I'll check out Billybinges
@@dodaprettygirlrock Ughh yess another Billy fan!
@@salliejones6002 I just went to his channel and saw he watched Zenon. I'm hooked already!
@@talonfelisa thank you love ❤️
This is definitely one of the best Disney movies made in this century in my opinion. The story feels complete, it's a full hero's journey. The music is incredible, and the characters are rich. It also really activates my synesthesia lol
But I love it just as much, and sometimes more with each watch.
Your commentary made me appreciate this movie a lot more! To be fair, I was only partially paying attention the first time I watched it. A recent Disney movie I don't hear many people talk about is Onward (not a musical). You guys should check it out - I thought it was fantastic and I think you would like the story/characters.
I would love that also! One of my favorite animated movies!
@@bozovirag97 It honestly blew me away! I was just binging all the Disney movies I missed in the last few years while I was crocheting and didn't expect much from that one, but it ended up being one of my favorites!
i usually dont like watching commentators if theyve already seen the movie, but watching yall is always so chill, its like watching a movie with friends lol
Love Moana. Great story, catchy songs and beautiful animation.
I'm gonna recommend Disney's 'The Emperor's New Groove' (2000). It is such underrated movie.
I saw someone mention why the ocean didn't just return the heart itself or why it made Moana crash. The ocean is a helping hand, meant to guide her, not direct her. It's up to Moana to make the choices and have the knowledge. The ocean can't do everything for her
10:55 I don't think that's a bad thing tho. Like I get it, that song got played and hyped WAY to much until everyone except the 5yo fans was sick of it but if you put that aside Let it go was also really good.
Aside from your usual brilliant and hilarious commentary, I did like that you brought up Moana's potential godhood, because the girl has some crazy skills.
There's a theory that MatPat covered on Film Theory based in Polynesian lore that Maui and his wife Cena (Moana's mother in the movie) had a few children, including one that looked like a pig (which would make Pua her brother, hence why they don't eat him.) So there's a possibility that Moana is actually *their* daughter, which would make her a half human demigoddess of the ocean. Hence, the ocean choosing her to restore the heart.
p.s. I have always loved that the grandma is both aware of how much she asked of Moana, and that she (and her family) would still love Moana even if she decides to go home instead, that it wouldn't be conditional.
I just wanna say I just randomly came across your guys Chanel and I absolutely got obsessed and binge ur Videos hey from Melbourne:)
Thanks so much Elly from Melbourne 😊 - Sam
@@themoviebud1988 no worries thank you for putting a smile on my face and laugher every day 😀
Definitely one of my favorites ❤️ My niece watched this like a bunch of times and How Far I’ll Go was our favorite car song to belt out to (which was a great relief to her mom after she was singing let it go everyday for several months ) 😂
You guys are my favourite reaction channel and I'm just sitting here hoping for you to watch my all time favourite movie, How to Train Your Dragon.
Most of the Disney Princesses have “I want” songs. “Almost there”…”Part of your world”…”When will my life begin”….it’s part of the formula.
Omg yessss!!!! This movie is fantastic! The animation is beautiful.
the interesting thing between Te'Fiti and Te'Ka is that both have the power of creation but without the heart the power is more destructive. Over enough time lava can create new islands
PLEASE tell me you've watched Coco, that is one of the best new- aged disney movies in my opinion. Such an amazing story.
I think the How Far I’ll Go / Let It Go comparison is founded on the fact that both songs use Go ( and words that rhyme with go) for the end of its major lyrical phrases more than any part of the music or Melodie’s being similar
Shiny (the crab song sung by Jermaine Clement) was actually written by Lin Manuel Miranda, and the fact that he captured Jermaine's style so well is sick IMO.
The thing about the food yielding less and less can also be attributed to the fact that they ARE staying in one place and humans have a knack for overpopulating and being a bit like locust on the environmental population. Traveling from island to island helps nature to rebound. And the older Polynesians knew it. Being on boats also helped with population management.
The benefits of island hopping is kind of why we need to learn interplanetary travel as quickly as we can with the idea of environmentalism and not just capitalist elite tourism. Human suck at preserving our environmental resources and taking what we need because we either simply don't due to greed or our population grows too big for balanced cohabitation.
Disagree with the similarity of "Let It Go" and "How Far I'll Go". Elsa *ran away* from her duties. When things got tough she ran. She did this in the 2nd movie too, showing she learned nothing. Moana, however, is genuinely trying even when it's hard. Even her solution to fish out father is not her going "let ME leave to find somewhere better to fish" she's only advising what the fishermen do. She herself would still be staying and doing her duties. Let It Go is about Elsa going "fuck it I'm gonna run away" while How Far I'll Go is about Moana still being conflicted about her duty which she's actively trying to make peace with vs her dreams.
Big difference.
Else wasnt running away from her duties. the people were scared of her and her powers and growing up she only learned to hide them away. she wasnt accepte in the beginning and let it go is about her being able to use her powers without people judging her and her keeping them hidden. she thought she would only cause harm to others
"when things got tough she ran" yeah god forbid someone with chronic trauma who's been taught their entire life that their very existence is a threat to others finally try to go take some space after having their worst fears realized and concluding that they'll always hurt anyone who gets close to them. Because it's not like anything was hard for her during the entire fifteenish years in the interim when she was isolated and trying to stay committed to serve her people while somehow protecting her sister, surely THAT was a cakewalk. Better not give her any credit for sticking around and somehow not offing herself that whole time, just blame her for daring to go try to self-actualize for once because everyone knows everyone's only priority should always be putting everyone else first 🙄 /s
Screw you and your judgmental attitude. You obviously learned nothing from that movie. I sure hope you don't talk like that to friends with their own chronic trauma and mental health issues.
Congrats on being so absolutely perfect that you can't empathize with anyone who has real problems 🖕 (/s again, I'm actually sorry for you because people with your nasty attitudes usually are coping badly with unresolved traumas themselves and projecting vicious resentment onto others for having vulnerability that the critic is still too afraid to practice.)
Wow that is a whole lot of judgement, Elsa did not run away she was run out of town. Big difference!
One of my favorite instant classic disney movies
you guys give me late 2000s vibe and I absolutely love it
I love that you guys loved Shiny as much as I do. it's one of my favorite songs from the movie, along with How Far I'll Go. so many people say Shiny is their least favorite and I'm always dumbfounded by their lack of taste lol glad to know you guys can recognize a bop when you hear it 😃