Moana's father and Tamatoa speak New Zealand English (NZE), which, though potentially unfamiliar to some, may be associated with a British, rather than “foreign” accent (defined as that of a non-native English speaker). Gramma Tala is the only principle character who speaks SE with a foreign accent.
Moana's very name means “ocean” in many Polynesian languages, and the name Tala, the name of Moana's grandmother, means “story” in Samoan. The song “We Know the Way” features lyrics in both Samoan and Tokelauan, a Polynesian language that only about 3,000 people in the world speak today.
Tamatoa is not a figure from traditional Polynesian mythology; he was created specifically for the movie “Moana.” 10. Will Tamatoa return in any future “Moana” sequels? As of now, there are no official plans for a “Moana” sequel, so it remains uncertain if Tamatoa will make a comeback in any future films.
During one of their battles, Maui ripped off one of Tamatoa's legs which, according to Maui, plays a part in the giant crab's hatred for him. Despite his own physical prowess, Tamatoa fears Maui when the latter is equipped with his magical fish hook.
Even though Tamatoa is able to overpower Maui, he is no match for the strong-willed and clever teen, Moana, who tricks the crab into relinquishing the magical hook.
It is sung by Tamatoa as he arrogantly flaunts what he believes to be his most beautiful qualities, particularly his shiny shell. Moana kicks off the song as a distraction to buy Maui time to reclaim his fish hook, but Tamatoa eventually discovers this, setting off a battle between the two titans.
Moana's father and Tamatoa speak New Zealand English (NZE), which, though potentially unfamiliar to some, may be associated with a British, rather than “foreign” accent (defined as that of a non-native English speaker). Gramma Tala is the only principle character who speaks SE with a foreign accent.
Release. Moana 2 is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 27, 2024. A sneak peek at the film is set to screen at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 14, 2024.
Meaning:Warrior child; Trophy. With Pacific Island origins, Tamatoa is a unique boy's name. When traced through its Samoan origins, the name means “warrior child,” while it interestingly means “trophy” when looked at through its Maori links.
Some enjoy the movie but believe Maui should have been portrayed as a warrior. "As a proud Polynesian woman, it's not often that you see a film like Moana come out. It headlines our Pasifika culture, and it's lead by our Polynesian artists in the industry.
Moana's other major setting is the mythical island of Te Fiti, home of the entity of the same name who “used her life-giving heart to spread the gift of life across the world, creating multiple islands inhabited by flora, fauna, and humans” and then “laid herself to rest and formed her body into an island.”
He is quite monstrous in both size and attitude, one of his most well-known traits being his sadistic, heartless and unpleasant habit of eating anyone around him, be they humans, sea creatures, or even gods — he even admitted to eating his own grandmother.
Whilst the character is entirely fictional, it's interesting to note that the name Tamatoa actually means “trophy” in the Maori language. This is very apt because Tamatoa is all about collecting treasure and souvenirs from the people he has defeated.
Zendaya is not confirmed to be a part of the live-action Moana remake cast. Few updates have happened since Dwayne Johnson's announcement of a live-action Moana movie in 2023. The cast has not been announced, but Auli'i Cravalho (original voice of Moana) has been revealed to be sitting out of the film.
Just before Moana and Maui see Tomatoa, Maui mentions that he ripped off Tomatoa's leg. In Finding Dory, Hank (the octopus) only had seven tentacles because they couldn't animate eight.
If you listen closely to one of Lin-Manuel Miranda's original songs in Disney's new animated film Moana, you'll hear a tribute to both David Bowie and The Little Mermaid. That song is “Shiny,” written by Miranda and performed by Flight of the Conchords star Jermaine Clement.
There is a post-credit scene where Tamatoa the Crab (Jemaine Clement) explains he's still stuck on his back and is still upside down and he needs a little push then he breaks the fourth wall by telling the audience that if he was named Sebastian and if he had a cool Jamaican accent we would help turn him over.
