In Moana, Heihei is a demi-god-chicken, tasked by the gods to help Moana. So Heihei is obviously an unusual chicken, but not just because he's stupid. Let's look at evidence: He is shown at the beginning when Moana is a baby, but appears the same age when she is an adult.
In Disney's 2016 animated film Moana, audiences were introduced to the lovable demi-god Maui. Maui is a shapeshifting, trickster god who comes to the aid of the film's protagonist, Moana, on her quest to save her island and family.
He, more than even Moana, represents the story at large. He represents the scared people that Moana will soon lead while the rock he's constantly trying to eat in the movie, is the island itself. He keeps pecking away at it, too dumb to stop.
When Te Kā attacks, the heart is nearly lost as it rolls to the sea, but Heihei saves it and brings it back to Moana. Soon the boat is destroyed, and Heihei is lost at sea. After the island of Te Fiti is revived, however, the ocean brings both Maui and a dazed Heihei to shore.
One of the biggest complaints against Moana (in social circles that apparently get heated over Moana) is the oceanic dearth of Pua, the cute little piglet who provides deep companionship for Moana her entire life on Motunui… only to be left behind on the island when she finally embarks on her big adventure.
"Pua the pet pig was originally going on the journey with Moana, but the issue was that in a classic hero's journey, the hero leaves all comforts behind. And so we made the difficult decision to leave poor Pua at home, so that all things of Moana's family are left behind," says Shurer.
Earlier drafts of Moana actually did feature Pua setting out on the adventure but screenwriter Jared Bush (Zootopia) felt it would be more stressful if Moana's best friend and source of comfort didn't come along. This made her journey more powerful when she succeeded.
5) In the film's novelization, Moana's age is given as 16. This makes her the only Disney princess to be voiced by an actress younger than herself. Moana was released on Cravalho's 16th birthday.
Just as Moana learns how to read the stars and sail under Maui's guidance, Heihei learns from his experience on the voyage. Before it falls into the ocean, he catches the heart of Te Fiti that Maui stole and returns it to Moana. Clearly, he now knows that the heart is to be protected rather than eaten.
Though Moana and Te Fiti aren't related by blood like Anna and Elsa, the sacrifice underscores the large role nature plays in the film. “The idea that what we perceive as the villain of the film is actually 'nature wronged' was always an idea that we had, and wanted to build toward,” Shurer said.
On December 20, Netflix removed Moana to make room for a new lineup of films for Christmas and New Year's Eve. While Moana is no longer available on Netflix, you are still able to enjoy the movie over the holidays. Amazon Prime offers Moana for purchase, and iTunes offers both a rental and a purchase option.
In the Disney film Moana, the relationship between Moana and Maui is not romantic because Moana is a sixteen year old girl and Maui is thousands of years old. This is a step up from prior Disney movies.
Moana as she appears in Moana (2016). Inspired by Polynesian mythology, Moana is depicted as the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.
Maui tends to combine the strength of his muscles and his hook to perform acts such as pulling islands from the sea and lassoing the sun. Without his hook, however, Maui cannot shapeshift. He must also swing the hook a certain way to transform into the desired animal, as evidenced during his fight with Tamatoa.
The character of Maui is played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who grew up in Hawai'i. The story of the demigod Maui stretches across the Pacific and is estimated to be over 1000 years old.
Puaʻa means “pig, swine, hog, pork.” And although it is a commonly used Hawaiian word, even in English conversation, it is often mispronounced. Say puaʻa as in kamapuaʻa. Puʻa is also another pronunciation you might hear, especially among native speakers.
Although Moana is from the fictional island Motunui some 3,000 years ago, the story and culture of Moana is based on the very real heritage and history of Polynesian islands such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti. In fact, once you start looking for ties to Polynesian culture in Moana, it's hard to stop!
