Moana (2016)
On the Polynesian island of Motunui, the people revere the goddess of nature, Te Fiti. She is a living island, the embodiment of creation itself, who once brought life to the world using a pounamu stone as her heart and the source of her power. However, long ago, the mischievous and shape-shifting demigod Maui, known for his mastery of wayfinding and control over the wind and sea, stole Te Fiti’s heart. His intent was to bestow humanity with the power of creation, but this act led to disastrous consequences. Without her heart, Te Fiti disintegrated, and darkness began spreading across the world. In the aftermath, Maui was confronted by Te Kā, a vengeful volcanic demon. During the battle, Maui lost both the stolen heart and his magical fishhook, which granted him his incredible powers, to the depths of the ocean.
A thousand years passed, and the world continued to suffer from the darkness caused by Te Fiti’s missing heart. During this time, the ocean itself chose Moana, the daughter of Motunui’s Chief Tui, to restore balance by returning the heart to Te Fiti. Despite this divine selection, Moana’s parents, Chief Tui and Sina, discouraged her from pursuing the ocean, believing her destiny lay in leading her people. Instead of adventuring beyond the reef, they prepared her for the role of chief, teaching her the customs and responsibilities that would ensure the survival of Motunui’s people.
However, the island soon began to feel the effects of Te Kā’s encroaching darkness. The once-abundant fish population dwindled, vegetation started to die, and the islanders struggled to sustain their way of life. Moana, recognizing the urgent need to find solutions, suggested venturing beyond the reef in search of fish and new land. Her father, fearful of the dangers beyond the island, strictly forbade it. Undeterred, Moana attempted to navigate past the reef with her pet pig, Pua, but the powerful tides proved too strong, wrecking her canoe and forcing her to return home.
Seeing her granddaughter’s frustration, Moana’s grandmother, Tala, revealed a hidden truth about their people. She led Moana to a secret cavern filled with ancient voyaging ships and explained that their ancestors were once fearless explorers who thrived on the open ocean. However, after Maui’s theft of Te Fiti’s heart, the seas became treacherous, forcing them to abandon their wayfinding traditions and remain on the island. Tala also disclosed that Te Kā’s darkness was spreading, threatening to consume Motunui entirely. The only way to save their home was to find Maui and restore Te Fiti’s heart. Before passing away, Tala gifted Moana the pounamu stone, urging her to fulfill her destiny.
Determined to carry out her grandmother’s wishes, Moana set sail on one of the ancient camakau from the cavern, accompanied by her dimwitted pet rooster, Heihei, who unknowingly stowed away. Her voyage was met with challenges early on when a typhoon struck, leaving her shipwrecked on a remote island. There, she encountered Maui, who remained as boastful as the legends described. He proudly recounted his past feats, reveling in his identity as a hero to humanity. However, when Moana demanded he return the heart of Te Fiti, he adamantly refused and instead trapped her inside a cave before attempting to escape with her boat.
Moana, resourceful and determined, managed to break free and confronted Maui once again. This time, she forced him to acknowledge the consequences of his actions, convincing him to help her restore Te Fiti’s heart. However, before they could do so, Maui needed to retrieve his magical fishhook, which was now in the possession of Tamatoa, a greedy and vain coconut crab who resided in Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters.
Upon reaching Lalotai, the duo devised a plan. While Moana distracted Tamatoa with a clever ruse, Maui attempted to reclaim his fishhook. However, having been without it for centuries, he struggled to regain control of his shape-shifting abilities. Tamatoa easily overpowered him, and it seemed all hope was lost. But Moana’s quick thinking turned the tide in their favor, allowing them to escape with the hook. As they left the realm, Maui opened up to Moana about his past. He revealed that he had been abandoned by his human parents as an infant and was later gifted his powers by the gods as an act of divine pity. Despite his seemingly invincible exterior, he carried deep-seated insecurities, feeling that his worth was tied to his ability to help humanity. Encouraged by Moana’s unwavering faith in him, Maui slowly regained his confidence and agreed to teach her the art of wayfinding.
Together, they navigated toward Te Fiti’s island, forging a strong bond along the way. However, as they neared their destination, Te Kā emerged, determined to stop them. Moana, refusing to back down, tried to push forward, but in the process, Maui’s fishhook was severely damaged. Terrified of losing his source of power once more, Maui abandoned Moana, believing that without his hook, he was nothing. Devastated and alone, Moana felt defeated, questioning whether she was truly the chosen one. She tearfully pleaded with the ocean to find someone else to complete the mission, even relinquishing the heart. But in that moment of despair, the spirit of her grandmother appeared, reminding her of her true calling and the strength that had always been within her.
Reinvigorated, Moana retrieved the heart and set sail once more, determined to face Te Kā on her own. Just as the fiery demon moved in to attack, Maui returned, his perspective forever changed. He selflessly fought Te Kā, buying Moana the time she needed to reach Te Fiti’s island. However, when she arrived, she found that the lush, green island was missing. In a moment of realization, she saw that Te Kā and Te Fiti were one and the same—the goddess had been corrupted without her heart.
Understanding what needed to be done, Moana boldly approached the raging Te Kā, calling upon the ocean to create a clear path between them. As she held the heart aloft, she spoke directly to the corrupted goddess, assuring her that she knew who she truly was. In a breathtaking moment of trust, Te Kā allowed Moana to restore her heart. Instantly, the darkness dissipated, and Te Fiti was reborn in all her radiant glory. With her power restored, she healed the ocean, revived the islands, and reversed the damage caused by her absence.
Grateful for his role in restoring balance, Maui apologized to Te Fiti for his actions. As a gesture of forgiveness, the goddess repaired his fishhook and Moana’s boat before peacefully falling into a deep slumber, once again becoming an island. With her mission complete, Moana bid farewell to Maui and Te Fiti, setting sail back to Motunui, where she was joyfully reunited with her parents and people.
Embracing her newfound identity, Moana officially took her place as the island’s chieftess and wayfinder. In a symbolic act of leadership, she placed a shell atop the stack of stones laid by previous chiefs. Under her guidance, the people of Motunui rekindled their voyaging traditions, setting sail across the open ocean once more, with Moana proudly leading the way. And as she looked toward the horizon, she knew that her journey was only just beginning.
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