But our fave part is her friendship with Pua the pig and Heihei the chicken. These two awesome animals are Moana's sidekicks and best friends on her island home.
Moana's animal companion Heihei seems completely useless except perhaps as a boat snack for Maui, but this little rooster has real meaning. Heihei the rooster appears to be utterly useless due to his stupidity, but Moana's sidekick has real meaning in the movie, proving Moana's super power.
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.
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.
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!
Disney's newest animated movie "Moana" includes a chicken with a low IQ named Heihei. Originally, the character was supposed to be a lot smarter. Heihei started out as "kind of a jerk."
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.
Moana's pet pig won't shy away from a high-seas adventure. The chosen one, Moana, takes a break from being Chief of Motunui and relaxes with her pals Pua and Hei Hei, in this Disney Traditions sculpt designed by Jim Shore.
But it's great to see that their relationship never even touches the possibility of romance. Instead, their bond is one first of adversaries, then one of comrades working together on a team. They face their own ups and downs, but Maui remains Moana's friend through it all.
(also sometimes spelled Hei Hei) is a major character in Moana. He is a rooster that unintentionally joins Moana and Maui on their journey across the ocean.
Family size, too, was cut down. The young heroine Moana wasn't always the only child seen onscreen. She had six brothers, including one brother who tormented her and another who was wise and supportive. In these versions, Moana was the best sailor among her brothers, but still overlooked by her father, Chief Tui.
Clements and Musker set the film at that point in time, about two thousand years ago, on a fictional island in the central Pacific Ocean, which drew inspiration from elements of the real-life island nations of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
It is a beautiful Hawaiian given name meaning "ocean, sea, or expanse of water." The name has been a firm favorite among Polynesian communities for years, gaining global popularity with the release of Disney's epic animated film in 2016.
Merida and Pocahontas are the only Princesses to not be seen married, or have wedding dresses in the franchise. Belle and a few others were featured in Disney's Beautiful Brides book.
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.
Tala's death is perhaps the saddest scene in Moana. After revealing to the young Moana that she has the Heart of Te Fiti, Tala's health takes a sudden turn for the worst. Despite putting on a brave face for her grandchild, she's weak and in pain.
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.
The reasons behind the change of name are not completely clear, but a tweet from Disney España gives an important clue: 'Moana' is registered as a trademark in Spain, and in a number of other European countries, hence the change to Vaiana in Europe.
