Cartoon Corner- Moana

I realized once I was in the theater for Moana a flaw to the whole music format- I really need to write as I watch the movie to do this.  Sooooo yeah, I’ve been waiting for the blu-ray to work on it.  Hopefully I can remember my original impressions for various bits in addition to all the song material.



Where You Are- A bit generic, the crowd aspect can turn into a murmur really.  Although come to think of it that works?  The continual pace of everyday life easing away the dreams and desires of youth.  The needs of the crowd keep you grounded, draw you back in, very nice parallel all around.
(Alternate joke: a responsibility montage is the fastest way to contrast Moana’s desires with her sense of duty)

How Far I'll Go- A bit weak for this particular song.  Of course, that’s probably on purpose.  To be continued~

We Know the Way- Yeah, this is the premise song.  Clear drive, nice melody, just very enjoyable without being overbearing.

How Far I'll Go (Reprise)- First iteration, wavering voice and youthful indecision.  Second iteration, I Want Song.

Hiiiiii Alan Tudyk.

You're Welcome- The Rock playing himself is a thing I have to love.  He definitely isn’t at home with the whole song part, but otherwise a brag song is pretty perfect.  Also a great way to incorporate the actual mythology they’re drawing from.

Ah, the coconut pirates.  I think this is when I really started to love the movie.  Adorable but also horrible, a mix that keeps coming up after this really.
I mean like the pee joke they throw in.  Also y’know how the whole Heart thing turns out, but I think I’d be letting y’all down if I didn’t mention they have a perfectly timed pee joke.

Shiny- Yes Tomatoa.  I liked the song.
Okay so I dunno that I have much to add to this?  It’s pretty up front about being not!David Bowie.  I like the sly reference to Maui’s backstory except they go into that in detail like five minutes later so it loses something to introduce it like this.

I Am Moana- I distinctly remember being in the theater and tearing up a little bit when the ancestors showed up.  Something about the entire movie’s emphasis on the voyaging history of the Polynesian people really struck a chord with me.  I dunno.  I guess… people need a new frontier.  Without new places to travel and lands to explore and fire the imagination, can we really stay human?  Or do we become consumed by our fears and imagined unknowns?
What I’m saying is, get our asses to Mars.

Know Who You Are- Totally sappy, but hey, the instrumental payoff has some badass visuals to go with it.  It works.

We Know the Way (Reprise)- Teensy little coda.  Needs to be there for the mirror, but yeah, nothing special.

I remember liking this more than Zootopia, which I think I’ll stick to, but it’s not as stark a divide as I was thinking.  It could just be that I’m such an easy grader in the theater, especially for this sort of movie that’s high on feels and skews a bit younger.

Rating- 8/10.  Lowish end of the grade, but feels right.