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MOANA
September 5, 2020  | By David Bianculli

Freeform, 9:25 p.m. ET

 
This 2016 animated musical Disney film is delightful, and proudly presents its own modern Polynesian fable, in which an island chieftain’s only daughter takes it upon herself to remove a curse that has descended upon their land. She finds the demigod responsible, then embarks with him on a journey to restore his heart – by restoring someone else’s. Auli’i Cravalho is a determined and indefatigable heroine as Moana (Disney released this movie three years after Frozen, and clearly had learned all it needed to know from that experience) – and the surprise scene-stealer is Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock, who’s a total riot as Maui the demigod, and has a fabulous song solo, too. Among the others giving voice to the characters are two actors and singers with very diverse backgrounds. The voice of Sina is provided by Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls, and the voice of Tamatoa is provided by Jemaine Clement, one-half of the comedy folk-rock duo Flight of the Conchords.
 
 
 
 
 
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