Moana sets her mind on something and achieves it - rescuing her people. She reminds us everyday that we should go after what we really believe in, and not stop until we achieve it!
Moana isn't suitable for children under the age of 8 years. We recommend parental guidance for children aged up to 10 years because of the movie's violent and scary scenes. The main messages from this movie are to follow your dreams and be true to yourself.
The overarching message of Moana is, truly, that the worst thing to happen to you doesn't have to define you. Moana's father lives in fear due to a tragic past; Maui feels as though he is missing a critical part of himself without his hook; Te Fiti turns into a literal monster after she is attacked.
36In short, Moana is no goddess. Indeed, the movie is very much a tale about the moral education of a girl whose courage, persistence and powers are far greater than ours.
The film is about the epic adventure of an energetic, teenage girl who is keen to set sail on a daring mission to save the people on her island. On her travels, Moana meets Maui and together they cross the ocean on an action-packed voyage. This film is full of lovable characters that you route for.
The depiction of Maui the demigod, who helps Moana on her journey, is a heroic figure found throughout much of Polynesia credited with performing a range of feats for the good of humankind. Traditionally, Maui has been depicted as a lithe teenager on the verge of manhood.
Te Fiti, a powerful and benevolent deity in Polynesian mythology, possessed a heart that symbolized the power of creation. According to legend, Te Fiti used her heart to weave the islands of the Pacific Ocean, filling the world with life and beauty.
Notice the koru (spiral) symbol intimated in the sand that Moana stands on - a portal perhaps - representing new life, growth, adventure and return. This scene is ripe with symbolism and metaphor - the call to adventure, Moana as the chosen one, the start of a personal journey to paradise, an…
Over forty designs were proposed for Moana's necklace. The final appearance was chosen to represent Moana's ties to both the land and sea. The stars on the necklace represent Moana's identity as a navigator.
Symbolically, the conch is a vessel filled with the water of life and thus a womb symbol. The spiral conch-shell symbolizes infinite space that gradually expands in a clockwise direction. Thus it's the Human Journey through birth, life, resurrection, and more.
Yet Heihei plays an important role in the movie and his presence has meaning. He allows Moana to show off her true super power: her compassion and care and, ultimately, he contributes to her character growth and helps her realize her princess story.
Because the manta ray can travel far and wide, they are also seen as the “messengers of the ocean”, carrying news through the world. This ability is associated with the manta ray tattoo, a popular design since the Disney-Pixar movie “Moana”. It symbolizes freedom but also, quiet strength.
Native peoples of the Pacific resumed voyaging again a thousand years later. 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.
In Moana, Disney creators employed some creative license, but they did highlight some actual Polynesian origin myths. In “The Maui Myths,” Maori natives of Tolago (today called Tolaga) Bay, North Island, New Zealand recount Maui's mytho-history which aided in the creation of Moana.
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.
Knowing Moana had to save the island from destruction, Tala gave Moana the Heart of Te Fiti so she could give it back to the ocean. Tala knew the only thing keeping her alive for so long was the Heart of Te Fiti and without it, she would perish.
Moana's home island, Motunui, is fictional, but the production team drew a map of Moana's journey (which can be found in the book The Art of Moana) that places Motunui east of Tonga, near the real-world location of Niue. Te Fiti's island was based on Tahiti.
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.
Her village never ventures beyond the reef because of the inherent danger of the ocean. However, the island is dying, and the only solution requires venturing across the sea. Moana, defying her father, heads out in search of a solution. Along her journey, Moana encounters the demigod, Maui.
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.
As the theory points out, we know that Maui didn't have the best start in life because he was abandoned by his human parents. "They took one look and decided they did not want me," he tells Moana. "They threw me into the sea, like I was nothing."
