Stop me if this sounds familiar: A Disney animation film about a bright and spirited young woman who feels stifled by outmoded expectations and dreams of exploring beyond the confines of her home.
[...] the only real advancement lately is the recent excising of a love interest — but I imagine that has more to do with modern audiences wincing at the idea of a 16-year-old heroine getting married than actual progress in developing more complex female characters.
[...] perhaps that, too, is just getting bogged down in semantics in another way and deflecting from the very wonderful and joyous "Moana," a classic Disney pic to the core, bursting with stunning visuals, good hearted humor, adventure and some truly catchy songs from "Hamilton" maestro Lin-Manuel Miranda.
[...] when things on the idyllic island start to decay, it's Moana, encouraged by her quirky grandmother Tala (Rachel House), who takes the initiative to sail away to try to return the stolen heart to the fabled island of Te Fiti and save her people.
Moana," a Walt Disney Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for "peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements.
