[Parent’s Content Advisory at bottom of review.]
Note: After reading his review of “Moana,” the author of this article invites you to learn more about “Shadowlands and Songs of Light: An Epic Journey into Joy and Healing,” a new book that compares the writings of C. S. Lewis with the music of U2 in a life-changing journey through grief, joy, and longing for God. Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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Editor’s Note (10/17/18): A commenter left a link to a YouTube analysis of this film. As far as analyzing symbolism and themes, frankly the video does a better job than what I attempted in my review. You can view the video at this link or scroll down to the comments to find it. Initially, my intention with my review was to find general themes that might work as pivot points for someone to discuss Christ (i.e. outreach tools). The video analysis does a more accurate job of picking apart the symbolism and getting to the bottom of what the movie is trying to say.
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First order of business: if you decide to see this movie, make sure you stay until the very end of the credits. It’s worth it.
Second order of business: I recently had the chance to interview one of the animators of “Moana”–and one of the most legendary animators in Disney history–Mark Henn. Read what he has to say about “Moana” here as he provides some behind-the-scenes perspective. I also quote him in this review because he is a Christian and he offers his take on how Christians might use “Moana” to spark edifying conversations.
Now let’s get into the review of “Moana,” which is certainly one of the most visually stunning and atmospheric animated movies ever made. What Disney did with its marvelous treatment of snow-winter-ice in “Frozen” they have done again here in “Moana” with its treatment of water-tropical-ocean-waves. As Disney animator Mark Henn told me over the phone in our interview, be prepared to bring your swim trunks when you go to theater because the water animation is so real you will want to jump into the screen.
Before we go any further, if you haven’t read my reviews before here is how my unorthodox structure works:
- If the movie is good, I talk about why in the “entertainment value” section.
- I dive into the worldview and deeper layers to explore what this film is saying. I sometimes veer off into related topics.
- I talk about how to “apply” the movie. I believe movies are meant for more than just disposable consumption, but they’re things we can take with us to make our lives better.
(You might say this style of film review is based loosely on the inductive method of study: observe, interpret, and apply.)
(Observations) Entertainment Value and Film Craft
“Moana,” as I mentioned, will knock you out of your theater seat with its dazzling water animation and its tropical textures. It feels as if you’ve returned from a vacation to Tahiti by the time the credits roll. “Moana” hits all the right notes and competes with “Frozen” for the title of Best Disney Animated Movie of the 2010s. It has wonderful songwriting in it (provided by the composer of the Broadway hit “Hamilton”), it has a likable, earnest heroine in Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), Dwayne Johnson ups the likable factor of the movie even more with his funny and impressive musical portrayal of Maui (Dwayne has one of the best songs, actually, if not the catchiest), and the film even has the hilarious animal side-kick that we’ve come to expect. (In “Frozen” the comic relief was Olaf. In “Moana” it’s a seriously unintelligent but hilarious chicken named Heihei.) On top of all that, Disney isn’t afraid to make fun of itself and some of its stereotypes it has developed over the decades (including making fun of itself for always requiring an animal sidekick in its princess movies).
So as far as entertainment value goes, you are getting your money’s worth with “Moana.” The animation alone is worth the ticket. Some of the oceanic water environment scenes are still playing in my mind’s eye. It was truly a captivating and magical immersion into the story’s setting.
(Interpretation) Worldviews, Deeper Layers of Meaning, Edifying Themes:
I asked Disney animator Mark Henn what Christians might find appealing in “Moana” and he said this:
That’s a good question. It’s dealing with the Oceana/Polynesian mythology, of their world and their culture. It’s hard to say, though I think the spiritual aspect of life is a big part of this film, and I think that will hopefully resonate with Christian audiences who know that we’re in the world but we’re not of the world because we have a spiritual realm that we deal with and we live in. I think it’s going to open up some areas for conversations and maybe kids asking questions. I think those are always healthy, always good [conversations], particularly for a Christian family–i.e. understanding who Maui is as a demigod in the Polynesian culture versus what we have in Christ and all that. I think those opportunities hopefully will be taken advantage of by parents to have talks with their kids.
I certainly agree with that assessment after seeing it. It’s based loosely on mythology, and there’s not an overt Christian theme or an obvious bridge of symbolism that connects the film with a specific Christian worldview. But it does place a valuable emphasis on the spiritual aspect of life that could be a conversation starter. For example, the ocean is a character in the film, and the ocean consciously guides Moana’s destiny in a god-like way. This constant theme throughout the movie could spark a conversation about God’s role in shaping our lives and influencing events–good or bad–in a positive way that advances His purposes in the earth.
This leads to another interesting element in this film, which my wife pointed out: Moana provides an edifying example of someone who is called to a destiny that is bigger than themselves and requires great sacrifice in order to save others. Moana–and Maui, for that matter–follow that narrative course in different ways. It’s an encouraging picture of a hero character being pulled out of the bubble of their own local interests and forced to take on a mission bigger and more important than themselves on behalf of others. This general theme could be another strong conversation starter.
I’ll be honest, my initial reaction about the film’s worldview was less positive. I saw “Moana” and its subtext as more of an epic anthem to the most popular religion of our post-Christian West: the gospel of self-fulfillment and its “follow your heart/create your own meaning” vacuum that has tried so hard in recent decades to experience something transcendent within the immanent–i.e. to have all the purpose-driven thrills of religion while maintaining a secular humanistic framework. In more specific philosophical terms, I’m referring to the religion called “expressive individualism” that people such as ultra-secular humanistic philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre helped tattoo across the heartstrings of modern Western culture in the twentieth century. Many things throughout “Moana” seem to point in that direction–from the symbolism of the villain in the film (won’t give any spoilers away about that), which provides a metaphor for “finding your true self,” to Moana’s nagging desire to buck authority and go beyond the reef.
But my wife convinced me that “Moana” actually points in the opposite direction if you look carefully. It’s true the movie seems to slather the Romanticism-inspired “follow your heart” mantras over everything in the beginning, but (and I won’t give anything away) as the story progresses it’s clear that she is really obeying–not disobeying–a higher authority and “calling” on her life to accomplish something that is A) bigger and more important than her life or her heart’s impulses; and B) all for the sake of others, not herself. These elements fly in the face of the core tenets of expressive individualism. In this way “Moana” actually has a general compatibility with a Christian’s calling to follow Christ: we are to lay aside our self-centeredness and surrender to a quest story that God has written for us that is bigger than our lives and is more about saving and helping others than it is about helping ourselves.
“Moana” fits that edifying theme quite nicely, actually, in a general way.
Conclusion (and Application): Another Spectacular Disney Animated/Musical Classic with Some Spiritually Edifying Themes (If You Put In a Little Work to Highlight Them)
Assuming you see the film’s use of mythology as window dressing for deeper themes and not something that immediately discounts it (and assuming you’re not offended by characters having/getting tattoos), “Moana” does two good things for a Christian moviegoer. (Most of my audience is Christian, which is why I keep focusing on them).
First: the film provides them a compelling story and visual spectacle they won’t soon forget. It’s certainly worth the price of admission.
Lastly: although it is not overtly Christian, it offers some general themes that can easily lead into some fascinating conversations if you put in a little work to highlight some of the subtle spiritual themes. And the film is an excellent reminder that Christians should take their callings seriously and pursue it with all their hearts even if it is a difficult journey and comes at great risk or cost.
In other words, the selfless courage of Moana is something we should emulate; and, in a general way, “Moana” reminds us that we should let our mission in Christ and God’s calling over our lives define our identity, not our circumstances or failures.
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Content advisory for this PG film…
Note: The parental guidance content advisory is written from a Christian worldview. I am a person of faith with orthodox Christian beliefs like those expressed in “The Everlasting Man” by G. K. Chesterton, “Mere Christianity” by C. S. Lewis, and “The Pursuit of God” by A. W. Tozer. That being said, I do not believe that the depiction of evil, even graphic depictions of evil or negative themes in films, is in itself always immoral. I believe it depends on the context and the worldview behind the film’s depiction of evil. All that being said, I try to report the content that gives the film its rating so that you can make an informed decision about viewing the film. Some people need to know detailed information about the content, some do not, in order to make a decision. I try to provide enough detail to give you a sense of the nature of the content. If you need more detail to make a better decision, I recommend visiting PluggedIn.com, as they provide extremely detailed reports of a movie’s content.
Sexual Content/Nudity/Themes of Sexuality: None.
Crude humor: Maui talks about being struck “in the butt cheek” by a poison dart. A character pees in the water so that it floats downstream and warms another character’s hand as a prank.
Violence/Gore/Scary/Disturbing Content: Maui fights a giant lava monster, and deep sea monsters attack a character and each other. (In one case, a monster swallows whole another monster and cuts off their tongue in the process.) A huge crab tries to eat a human. A character jokes about human sacrifice to frighten another character in a comical way. A character gets crushed by a wave and thrown against coral. An old woman is seen weak and fragile on her death bed. The giant lava villain is a bit frightening. In general, the film is on par with “Brave” as far as the scare factor. It’s darker and a little scarier than “Frozen,” but if your child can handle “Brave” and its intense bear scenes, for example, then your child can handle “Moana.”
Language: None.
Alcohol/Drug/Smoking Content: None.
Thanks for this review – very helpful!
Glad to help.
The circular pattern is symbolism that connects to the cern portal And shapeshiffting is demonic.the symbolism in this movie is evil
That’s what I felt as well. No matter the meaning behind this film, Disney is always using symbolism in their films that point to the demonic. Witchcraft, sorcery, etc. To those in Christ that know better is one thing but all the kids that get involved in these films and merchandise, is opening a door for the demonic. SMH. I’ve never liked Disney for some reason and as I learned of these things in my walk with the Lord I can see why now. We have to be careful what our kids watch.
Yeah I am glad the reviewer can pick positives out of it . Christians can be so against everything that they just turn people off and that closes conversation not invites it. Yet all I saw in this film was gender confusion and role reversals and deep celebration of Hinduistic like philosophies . It’s the Satanic agenda dressed up and beautified.
Yes..i agree…why go for all the explanations as to why a christian should watch this and all the paradox similarities of how a christian should view our walk with God….what a load of wordly hogwash reasoning…exactly what satan planned when he created this movie….he is so laughing at you…now where does shift changing…demigod…magic…incartations come from.?…certainly not from my God…He warns us against these things…why then waste your reasonings and (so deep) reasonings for explaining this rubbish…my daughter watched it once…at school…without my concent…she is very aware of spiritual realm and how it operates…she is 8 years old…suddenly she is fearful…cannot sleep…i immediately knew she had watched something that created fear and she admitted watching the movie…i was horrified when i watched the trailer…defnitely not recommended for christians…unless you can weigh all your reasons against the Bible and the Spirit of Truth
That’s what I assumed also. I made the mistake of taking my niece to watch it, and all I saw was witchcraft and a so called ‘DemiGod’ didn’t God warn us about other gods, so why is this guy praising this movie? Makes me wonder if Disney brainwashed him too
Satan? seriously?
if your daughter had nightmares, or was terrified by this movie, it most likely had nothing to do with the movie, but the nonsense about Satan having a hand in everything, even Disney movies, and other fear/paranoid based delusions.
this is a perfect example of what people mean when they say we are raising a generation of snowflakes.
you even imply the school was in the wrong showing this movie “without your permission.” what school/teacher asks all the parents permission before showing a movie at school? and what teacher in their right mind would think that some crazy fundamentalist parent would have a problem with it because they believe Satan is behind making Disney movies, or think that the idea that different cultures have different beliefs, or believe in different gods would terrify a child? is there any movie that exists, especially children’s movies/fairy tales that doesn’t contradict some part of the bible?(though now that I think about it, most fairy tales are pretty biblical. I mean talking animals, moral lessons, witches, magic, evil beings; it sounds just like the bible.)
This movie is part of the satanic agenda . It’s very overt. (See my other post)
The trigger moment for Moana’s story is her tribe’s discovery that the waters around their home have been fished out, and the fertile soil is no longer delivering new bounty.
That circumstance could lead to some good conversations about how God put humans on the earth not only to “tend” it but also to “keep” it (Gen 2:15), meaning to preserve the earth for ourselves & those who will come after us.
This theme also comes out many places in Leviticus (e.g., Lev 25): Israel was commanded to let the land rest in the periodic year of Jubilee, to allow some land to remain fallow, & so on.
Great points, Andrew. Thanks for the comment.
try this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT6Qo146Ncs
you seem confused
Thanks for sending this my way. After watching it, I revised my review with a disclaimer at the beginning of it as follows:
Editor’s Note (10/17/18): A commenter left a link to a YouTube analysis of this film. As far as analyzing symbolism and themes, frankly the video does a better job than what I attempted in my review. You can view the video at this link or scroll down to the comments to find it. Initially, my intention with my review was to find general themes that might work as pivot points for someone to discuss Christ (i.e. outreach tools). The video analysis does a more accurate job of picking apart the symbolism and getting to the bottom of what the movie is trying to say.
Was on the fence – really appreciate this great review – heading out with the kids now:)
No problem, glad it helped. I hope it is a good experience for your family.
We’re making a decision to go and see this movie, and will probably decide to do so. Curious, though, what your reason was for saying this;
“In other words, the selfless courage of Moana is something we should emulate; and, in a general way, “Moana” reminds us that we should let our mission in Christ and God’s calling over our lives define our identity, not our circumstances or failures.”
Why not?
My comment you quoted is another way of saying if someone has a mission or quest that they believe they should fulfill, they shouldn’t let temporary setbacks or adverse circumstances stop them from fulfilling it. That’s what I meant by “not our circumstances or failures.” Though I suppose failures can be very positive in shaping identity if a person learns from them and uses them in a productive way.
As a born again, saved by grace, getting what I don’t deserve, Christian myself, I can tell you that our, “mission in Christ and God’s calling” is as Jesus says to the Pharisee lawyer, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40.
Simplified, Jesus is commanding us to learn everything we can about God, and then go and share that with others. In doing these two things, Christians, first and foremost, glorify God. Along with it though, not only will one experience “goodness and mercy” but more than often will encounter reviling, persecution and all manner of evil, falsely, for Christ’s sake. -Matthew 5:11. This is a Christians mission and calling and it defines God’s identity, God’s circumstances, and God’s failures. Why? “Because He first loved (suffered for) us.” – 1John 4:19b.
This is what I look for now in a movie, in the last nine years of my (54) years of life. You don’t find them very often, but I’m starting to see more, Praise God!
Amen, Gary. Excellent points. Thanks for your comment.
Came here after realizing the God-like role the ocean played in “Moana”. The ocean was there to protect her and it chose her to restore the heart, but it did not force her and gave her a choice, like God. It also did not answer her every plea, as like God, the ocean showed her that she was strong enough to overcome each and every one of her struggles, but it did guide her along the way. I thought this was a very clever aspect the creators of Moana included, even if they weren’t intentionally hinting towards God.
Definitely agree, Kylie. You point out some things about the ocean I hadn’t thought about–cool!
true. but the ocean also didn’t threaten her with horrific, merciless, endless torture and suffering while being burned alive for all eternity if she decided not to follow/obey/believe the ocean. the ocean also showed/revealed itself to Moana, so that she at least knew it existed.
For an accurate description of what the entire Bible actually teaches about Hell and God’s “judgment”–and what orthodox Christians actually believe–I’d recommend Dr. Timothy Keller’s podcast on the topic. His talk is called “Hell: Isn’t the God of Christianity an Angry God?” The message was presented to skeptics of Christianity at his church in NYC. A brief summary of it, in his own words: “The Christian understanding of hell gives us insight into the danger of our own hearts. It also gives us resources to live in peace in the world, and to know the love of God who suffered hell for us.”
I think it’s ironic how evil this movie is. Disney is so female lead , gender reversal, male submissive, and homosexual celebrative now. And they glorify every religion but Christianity and try abd make it attractive . Moana greatly disturbed me. It exemplifies Queen of Heaven’s Satanic mission to a tee. Satan is blinding the world like never before . The sinful evil and twistedness of our world is now celebrated and called, good. It’s amazing.
Great article! I think “Know Who You Are” had the most symbolism for me. When she sings to the “lava monster”:
“I have crossed the horizon to find you
I know your name
They have stolen the heart from inside you
But this does not define you
This is not who you are
You know who you are”
Wow! What a perfect depiction of Christ’s rescue and call to us. This scene gave me chills!
Thanks, Maggie! Me too, that scene hit me that way as well. Some really powerful themes embedded in there.
A few points that I’d like to get your opinion on.
1. Nothing was mentioned about the rolling a rock over the cave. This can be seen as when Jesus was placed in the tomb and rose again.
Or how about the parting of the sea?? Both these scenes could be seen as having major Christian influences. Also both these scenes could spark curiosity in our little ones to ask if that was real. This could be a perfect Segway to bringing the movie back to strong Christian values. Thoughts?
Great observations, I agree. Both scenes have great applicability to those Christian elements and would serve as useful examples in a conversation. Preachers love using illustrations to emphasize principles, and movies, even secular movies, have built-in illustrations to Christian truths–usually unintentionally without realizing it–if those movie scenes are approached/used creatively.
I have to say, especially at the very end of your review, perhaps due to your wife’s influence, you hit the mark. To me (yes, staunch Christian here, so Polynesian/pagan dribble notwithstanding), that movie was ALL ABOUT IDENTITY!!! Moana was under-confident in hers; and ironically, Maui was over-confident in his. I would liken that to a Christian being either unsure of him(her)self in their walk (i.e. their faith…) as Moana metaphorizes; or in Maui’s case, his identity is too wrapped up in HIMSELF and his accomplishments etc. (as we often do with our lives, our careers, etc) so much that they obscure our identity in CHRIST. I can see both. What screamed loudest at me (as I err more toward Maui’s sin…) was Maui’s over-confidence in his hook finds him stripped when it’s about to break. However, he gets set straight on this, re-appears and wins SANS HOOK. His line “Well, hook, no hook, I’m Maui!” drew first blood from me. That’s when the tears began. Torpedoed I was, for them rest of the film, as both characters come to their senses. Since I’ve suffered my own identity crisis of late, that movie met me in a back alley and did a number on me.
What’s totally hilarious, is that only a week or so ago (I had not seen the movie yet until a week ago), I was writing a blog entry for Ash Wednesday, and was focusing on a very similar topic (See Psalm 51, and II Cor 5 for the source), and talked about our new identities in Christ as his ambassadors, giving us new freedom. Then I watch this movie with my kid…. That’s it. Game over. Who turned on the waterworks? Get those onions outta here please!
Good job. And nice bullseye!
Haha, I’ve had many similar onion moments. Thanks very much for the comment and insightful points, really enjoyed them! THat’s what I love about movies, even “secular” ones: God is resourceful enough to use anything, even an animated film by a company that doesn’t bill itself as Christian in any way, to affect us profoundly, edify us, and change our lives.
Thanks Kevin (& everyone who has added)
This has helped a lot. I’d some concerns as my little one who loves Jesus, loves the movie. Now it’s out in DVD we are getting to watch a lot.
I struggle explaining the mother island in relation to our Creator God. I struggle with Maui changing shapes.
We love the ocean parting…Like Moses.
We love Moana’s courage, her compassion, her determination through challenges.
Love the bad crab too!! I often have told her many people on these islands love Jesus but the story is before they knew about Him.
I guess most movies/books could cause concerns. Narnia had a Jin Witch. Middle Earth had wizards and elves.
To finish with a CS quote
” Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave Knights and heroic courage” …Or in this case a brave voyager girl!
Omigoodness! Love that quote you added and how you brought up Narnia. I’m trying to find a healthy balance too. I grew up in a strict family. No Disney movies…no Halloween. Sounds crazy, but when I was sitting in the hall, missing out on all the Halloween parties all the years of my public school, not one kid ever came and sat down by me and asked me “tell me more about this Jesus”. Ya know? There’s got to be a middle ground. In it not of it. Thanks for your post. There were a lot of posts before yours…I stopped and had to double check they weren’t written by my parents lol. Disney and it’s satanic propaganda and the like. Your’s was a honest post with lots of heart! Thanks!
What about the fact that Tafiti loses her true self and becomes a lava monster. It reminded me of the evil that is fed when we turn away from God, or her “heart” as it was in the film. Although Tafiti did not make a choice to loose her heart – it was taken from her. I suppose others can be poor influences and “take one’s heart” so I guess it could fit.
I was raised on Disney movies and I’m continuing with my daughter. I’ve always been an extremely emotional/empathic person; I remember crying at Aladdin and The Lion King in the theater as a child. Moana gave me chills and turned on the waterworks right out the gate with the scene of the ocean choosing her (also had something to do with my daughter’s emotional excitement at her helping the baby sea turtle) and the heartstring-tugging continued throughout for me…I cried an embarrassingly ridiculous amount, actually. Her grandmother singing about you are your father’s daughter..the voice inside is who you are..when she passes away and Moana follows the glowing tattoo-styled stingray over the waves..and at the end my daughter immediately noticed the symbol and realized that Te Ka was actually Te Fiti all along. When the water parts and Moana fearlessly walks while singing to her, I was a sobbing mess!!!! I don’t feel the ‘worldly’ elements are harmful or brainwashing my daughter. We are to respect other cultures AND share our culture with them, not obliterate them and pretend ours was the only one to ever have existed! The music is just spot on with this one, my daughter is 3 and already knows almost every word of How Far I’ll Go! Oh and she’s also obsessed with the little mermaid so the post-credits surprise was much appreciated! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your personal experiences, Brendan. It’s definitely amazing how powerful/moving cinema can be.
I am breathing out pent up air! Thank you for your review. Growing up, we were not allowed to watch a lot of Disney movies because of their magic. Mom said magic was evil. Plain and simple. As a mother now, I find myself looking for a healthy balance. My kids have watched Moana and we have had some amazing discussions. Putting all Christian overtones aside. I was thankful for a Disney movie that had ZERO love interest. I was waiting for something to happen between Moana and Maui. It was so refreshing when it did not. Also, the other conversation we had was about obeying our parents. In the movie, Moana disobeys her dad and goes beyond the reef. In the end, everything is saved and even her dad gives his consent for disobeying (he says after she mentions going pass the reef “it suits you.”) I explained to my girls that’s not how life turns out. When you directly disobey, it will always be a lose lose situation. But once again, I have to give Disney props. She disobeys her dad and saves her people. Thank God it’s not Disney’s usual theme of disobeying dad because of a boy (i.e. Little Mermaid and Alladin) If you’re going to disobey your dad…atleast save your village (I say that joking- sarcastically) We have been watching it frequently, thanks to Netflix. Your article has promoted my heart to initiate more conversation. I wrote down a bunch from the thread. So I appreciate it so much. God bless.
Thanks, Katie, you bring out some points I hadn’t noticed, so it was cool to read your thoughts on it. I also really like how you used the movie’s not-so-perfect slightly unedifying qualities that you may have disagreed with as productive conversation starters for your kids. I also appreciated your reply to Victoria about looking for that healthy balance. That’s what I’m really striving for too–though definitely not perfect and sometimes get off balance in reviews–but my philosophy is more to subvert the media of the world like a judo wrestler and turn it around as lessons and productive conversation starters where I can work in the Gospel. Having a firm grasp of worldviews/philosophy so you see what’s behind a movie really helps (and Christian screenwriter/author Brian Godawa’s “Hollywood Worldviews” book is my guide for that as he breaks down how to watch films and analyze them and pick apart the worldviews and use the films to open conversations with others about the Gospel). Anyways, your comments were encouraging. Healthy balance is the goal for sure.
Moana a depicts the exact world we live in a world full of people who think they are a demigod and a world full of all kinds of evils. But in this film there is a chance to prepare children, teach children, to show children how the world can be, how to live in Christ, walk the walk, this film has shown hope and how to have hope, shown forgiveness and how to forgive.
I also was very moved with Moana’s fearlessness and determination in the “parting waters” scene, reminded me how determined Christ is to seek us out, to put himself in direct line of fire, all because he knows it is not who we are inside. When Jesus said of the Roman soldiers, “forgive them for they do not know what they are doing,” he was inferring they were not being their true selves, their darkness came from the lies they were told and because the glorious truth of God’s amazing grace was withheld from them. It also reminds me that a person I reach out to with the message of Christ can be potentially be a great leader, how faith grows and spreads like flourishing life even from just one person. Also, I appreciate how non-threatening Moana was to Te Ka, if it had been Maui, it would likely have been different, reminds me that when I share my faith, I have to work extra hard to become mild and meek (being a 6′-4″ competitive male, this does not come naturally)
Really appreciated this comment, Peter, very insightful and inspiring. Thanks for sharing this.
Your review and Christian perspective on Moana most intrigues me. Since having watched the movie several times with my daughter, I feel as though the Christian undertones are more vibrant each time I watch it. Although the film flaunts mythological, Polynesian overtones, from the beginning we are all from Adam and Eve; who knew God, right? If you make diamonds out of dust, like God has done to ourselves through Jesus, you will find biblical references in all religions. The same can be said in the mythology and symbolism in Moana. Let me explain. First of all, the bible says in John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Similarly, in the beginning of Moana, it is said, “In the beginning there was only ocean.” The similarities between our heavenly father and the ocean in Moana scream more than just the creations of them both. Throughout the movie, the ocean guides Moana as God guides us. God is also Te fiti, who is described as a goddess. She is loving and the embodiment of life itself. Therefore, God is in multiple forms in Moana similarly how God is also the Holy Spirit. Moana can be seen as a Christian who follows God (once again, the ocean) in a world where following God is frowned upon (as evidenced by the chieftain’s feelings of the ocean and the way the villagers follow themselves). Even Moana’s grandmother, who loves the ocean, is considered crazy. Hmm, sounds like our world today where we Christians are considered crazy in the secular world, right? Maui can be observed as the antithesis of Moana and therefore represents either an agnostic or atheistic human. He touts himself as a “demi-god” (his parents were mortal, he was raised by gods) and thinks only of himself. He says in the movie, “The Ocean only helps those who helps themselves.” I am sure we can all relate as being selfish like Maui at one point or another. Maui is a sinner, who sinned against God (taking the heart from te fiti) and since then, sin creeps from island to island, destroying everything in its path. (We could also attribute this effect to satan). In the end *spoiler alert*, Maui repents of his sins and is forgiven by God (Te fiti). Furthermore, Moana can also be considered a prophet of sorts, the scene where she walks in the parted sea reminded me of Moses. In conclusion, there is more than meets the eye (initially) when watching Moana and my lesson to you is this: always find the diamonds (God) in the dust (secular world). Always. We are meant to be a light of the world, just like Jesus and just like Moana (hey, is that who she represents too?!). Don’t be afraid in this secular world, that is what satan wants you to do. When that does happen, just remind the devil of his future. Thanks and God bless!
Fantastic insights! I was intrigued. Thanks for leaving this comment, it definitely adds to the depth of analysis for this movie.
I’ve watched this endless times with my 3-year-old son who can’t stop listening to its music. What stands out the most to me is a conversation Moana has with Maui after he struggles with Tamatoa. The gods leave you on your own to fulfill your destiny. That’s when I knew Truth prevails even in this film. How much a foil to this is our God. No contest. Our Lord reigns.