MOANA is not at all what I thought it was...

[@kzcreationzmore]

To be fair, I think adding the shell and not leaving any room for more stones was the point. Moana marked the end of life confined to the island as they begin voyaging again. They aren’t going back to the island, so there is no need for the stones anymore.

[@Artesfol]

Yeah! Right on the next scene, they leave the island! It's like everyone just stops the movie at the shell scene because nobody mentions that part

[@f5tornado831]

I think some of them stayed

[@TheRata1998]

Yeah they did. Not everyone leaves. Thats the whole purpose of voyaging is to spread your people to new lands and increase your territory/influence leaving some behind to run the show. ​@f5tornado831

[@SimoraCheeks1]

It's not that they're not going back. It's that they're not exclusively bound to it anymore. They have found their nomadic roots, but the island is still considered home, as the song clearly states.

[@chrisblanc663]

Yup

[@24chibimanga]

The backstory of Maui being abandoned as a child is part of his story in Polynesian culture. It's not just something Disney threw in. Like yah maybe they could've omitted it since it is a Disney movie, but I'm glad they kept it.

[@skylarkiwi]

Yess i am glad someone commented this (I am from NZ)

[@AnnaYoung-r4q]

@@skylarkiwi they are definitely not going to touch the way he dies...

[@watermelonwarrior239]

@@AnnaYoung-r4q 😬😬😬

[@marchernandez4596]

Yeah, I like children's stories with suffering and death. Sets them for real life, just like Hansel and Gretel.

[@HermitKing731]

Dont look up how Maui dies. man, would love to see Disney animate THAT.

[@trinaq]

I appreciated that Moana didn't have a love interest. So many stories seem to tack on a romance, when it isn't really necessary, and the main adventure is much more exciting. Moana and Maui have a great platonic bond, and help each other to grow.

[@laurafabianmarrero]

He is like an older brother

[@dreamychocolateone]

I get what u mean cuz yeah that was a new concept for Disney but maybe I’m js a sucker for romance, but after so many disney movies afterwards not having a love interest, it’s getting old 😭😭 they seem to js not add a love interest to go along with the girlboss protagonist and not js to make something new and interesting

[@skinnytoadd1820]

I’ve hated this since I was a little kid. You don’t need the “forever after” ending in every time. It seems so forced in a lot of movies

[@Whatevertoaster]

Erm what the sigma

[@azural8347]

She's like 15 anyway,the wild age gaps was for the classic princesses😭

[@TwiggyHetfield27]

Honestly the grandma was amazing. In most of these movies you have the main character be like "i have to do this it's my destiny!" And the parents or someone else saying "No we stick to our ways/ you're too young" But the grandma apologizes telling her "i shouldn't have put all this pressure on you. If you want go home I'll be with you" and like THAT made me cry! Accountability from an adult in a Disney movie!?! Gasp!

[@pketr5]

Ah yes. I have watched that Lindsay Ellis video about Pocahontas (and how Moana was a thematical improvement over it).

[@ViJoker1]

AND she also doesn't do the "do it because no one else can" speech. She doesn't force her or pep talk her into continuing. She accepts and embraces Moana's feelings of helplessness and defeat, saying "it's alright, it really was a big task, I'm sorry I asked it of you". Like, yeah, some things are very very difficult, no matter how necessary they are, and it is okay to try and fail. I think her grandma was amazing, not just in recognizing she gave a heavy burden, but also in being so supportive even when Moana doesn't manage to carry it. And it is that support that gives Moana the strenght she needed to overcome the situation.

[@Anna-i4r8y]

I love how all the Disney grandmothers know how bad their children are as parents, and they’re sneaky and try to free their grandchildren

[@MyNameGoesHere]

Yeah the grandma is my favorite person. Like she's the village crazy but she's not ugly or disfigured or evil or like insanely chaotic. She is just who she is which is eccentric and that's a given. Idk if she is supposed to represent people with mental illnesses but we'll take her in our fold.

[@TwiggyHetfield27]

@MyNameGoesHere I love how she's leans into the "village crazy lady" shtick. She's the definition of chaotic good. "The ocean chose YOU. I thought that was a dream? NOPE! I was there!" Her line about coming back as a manta ray "or else I picked the wrong tattoo" made me laugh.

[@darththeo]

Moana wasn't chosen because she was an important person, she was chosen by her actions as a child. She saved a young sea turtle and showed bravely entering the ocean as it opened up to show her shells. Moana is chosen because she show traits of a hero at a young age. It did not matter she was the chief's daughter.

[@benzaiten933]

another scene would be when the grandmother told the creation story to the little children, Moana was the only one who was smiling and was captivated, while the others were frightened and started crying.

[@applefarm6126]

Usually it does.

[@whyiamafs]

And she helped the turtle

[@cinjinn2667]

moana was soo good but i wasnt expecting a sequel since it felt complete

[@callnight1441]

It was gonna be a series, but they then decided to turn the series into a movie instead

[@delaneyr9940]

Yeah, I agree. The whole movie and ending was so satisfying that I felt it didn't really need a sequel

[@ThatGuyGloomy]

Disney is gonna Disney😂

[@richardbaines5740]

I know right I usually like sequels but this just felt like if you give forest gump a sequel

[@Siegbert85]

So, this must being old feel like now... I thought Moana was nothing special. Saw it once, forgot it immediately

[@Jonathan_Collins]

The funniest part about how good the Rock does on "You're welcome" is that when he sang along to it at home, his daughter told him to be quiet because the guy in the movie sounded better. 😂

[@trinaq]

@@Jonathan_Collins Haha, that's hilarious, children help to keep us humble. 😁

[@matthewmourning9264]

That’s because of autotune lol

[@p-__]

My farts are better than Alex’s farts 💨

[@fumoffu_l]

@@matthewmourning9264 It's not auto tune, it's mastering. Literally all music recording does this. They sing each part of the son individually dozens of times, and they use and re use the best takes. When you hear the chorus of a recorded song, you're actually hearing one recording of the chorus edited into the master however many times the chorus comes up in the song. Even amazing singers will sound better on recording, because you're only hearing their absolute best.

[@hunterlawrence3573]

Even funnier was that clip where he showed his daughter the clip from the movie, and she refused to believe her father was the voice actor!

[@Totalwh0r3]

I think the crab song was kinda important because it leads to learning more about Maui and how vulnerable he is about his past

[@cherrymilk6161]

exactly the “the crab scene had no importance” take was so off to me..

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

I think you actually could say it wasn't as needed because later on Maui himself explains his own origins which the song already explained. We kind of got double explained about his past. So... tbh, whilst I wouldn't say it was 'unnecessary'. It definitely could've been reworked to flow slightly better if they wanted to keep the next scene where Maui opens up. Maybe make Maui's past vaguer in the song? The realm of monsters was shortened quite a bit by the creators. So, maybe that's why that part can feel a little out of place compared to the others. Although I'd personally argue that Kakamora scene was MORE pointless than the one Meyers claims was pointless. Like if the coconut pirates was cut... I don't think we'd miss anything.

[@Hickory958]

​@@JustAnotherPerson4UHe only opens up because Moana pestered him, and she only pestered him about that particular tattoo BECAUSE Tamatoa calls attention to it. Without Tamatoa, Maui's backstory would narratively come out of nowhere. We needed to set up Maui being vulnerable AND being humbled. That way, he has reason to mention his past and also temper his ego enough to finally follow Moana's lead as well as accept her help.

[@7rollface]

Also, it slaps.

[@glimmerthesilkwing6067]

When he said the song was mid it hurt me to the core

[@MysticMermaidVA]

I loved the instant tone shift from “ENCANTO 😲” To “wish😒”

[@ErinChappel]

Encanto is amazing. Wish sucks.

[@the_magicas]

Accurate.

[@andrewdominguez8593]

Why are you talking about Encanto like this video is about Moana NOT Encanto and wish so why are you mentioning Encanto like what I don't get it like do you not get the concept

[@joelbond7440]

@@andrewdominguez8593Watch the whole video, my guy

[@qwerty_qwerty]

@@andrewdominguez8593 because there's a part of the video where encanto is mentioned

[@Marenthyu]

"I'm the village crazy lady, that's my job." Based line.

[@krismas6857]

My new motto.

[@Tuatara-o7d]

When my family was watching Moana for the first time, my mom heard that line and called it her dream job.

[@squeakykean]

14:53 That’s the point, actually. They’re voyagers again, so Moana put a shell on the rocks to end the tradition. They don’t need to count the generations they’ve been on the island anymore because they’re not going to be living solely on that island anymore.

[@justcogitating]

Yeah, except everyone else was happy on the island-- Moana was the only one who wanted to be a voyager. Pretty selfish of her to make everyone leave the island in order to live her dream.

[@LucyAdroit]

@@justcogitating Even so, the stones are for the "royals", so even if no one else went anywhere and she did it still works.

[@Silentgrace11]

@@justcogitating That's kind of like saying that everyone was happy on the space ship in Wall-E. Sure, they were happy, at least in part because they didn't know any different. It was a part of their history that was erased and hidden away. Most people will remain happy with the status quo if they don't know or think any better - that doesn't mean the status quo shouldn't be challenged just for the arbitrary happiness of those around them. There would be some that would definitely continue to want to stay on the island out of preexisting fear and misconceptions, or even just out of familiarity, but many would likely seize the opportunity, whether it's out of seeing the success Moana found from it, out of curiosity, out of loyalty to their leaders, or frankly out of fear from the fact that literally their crops were rotting and they couldn't find much fish in the reef anymore. Even if the root cause of that is resolved, I have no doubt that there would be some people that would be nervous staying on the island when even the leaders are theoretically being like "fuck this we're out of here." Those that remain will either consider themselves a grounded part of the voyaging group and follow their new traditions, or create a tradition of their own that doesn't require the original stack of rocks. The rocks will be retained as a mark of history, rather than a tradition to be followed.

[@joeshanklin2791]

People joke about her placing the seashell but never notice the jerk chieftain from five generations back who placed a slanted stone on the pile or the chieftain from four generations back who stacked a second stone that slants in the same direction or worse yet the chieftain from three generations back who placed a much smaller stone making it even more difficult for future chieftains to stack theirs on top.

[@squeakykean]

@@justcogitating The only reason why they were “happy” on the island was because they were too scared of the slowing decay of the world. However, with Moana and Maui restoring Te Fiti’s heart, the world was restored. Voyaging-in the movie because I can’t speak for actual Polynesians-was a big part of their culture. And the only reason why they stopped was because of a past chief forbidding it for the people’s safety. But now with the world restored, isn’t it logical to bring back that part of their lost culture? Plus, in the flashback about Moana’s dad, we find out that he wanted to venture beyond the reef too. So it wasn’t just Moana who wanted to be voyagers again, it’s just that everybody lost hope and courage because of how dangerous and life-threatening the ocean was at the time. And if we look at everyone’s faces at the end of the movie, they all look happy to be voyagers. If that’s STILL not enough, if we originally go back to the song about Moana’s ancestors being voyagers, there’s scenes of the ancestors voyaging back to past islands and meeting other parts of their tribe already there. So, we can assume that the people who wanted to stay on the island stayed. Moana didn’t selfishly force her tribe to move, she just brought everyone who wanted to voyage again. That’s why I said “they’re not going to be living solely on that island anymore” in my original comment. But still, even if a few people stayed on the island, it makes sense for Moana to end the tradition of placing a stone. The chief isn’t going to be staying on that one island anymore, they’re going to be moving around. They don’t need to move that one island higher, since they’ll be traveling to different islands as voyagers.

[@TacticalHatchet]

I will say this movie did treat The Rock like an actual actor and had him give an actual acting performance.

[@susivarga7303]

*his voice

[@callmefleet]

Maui still has a lot of artifacts from Dwayne Johnson but it's still gotta be one of his most unique roles

[@mjacwest]

Maui is a good character with some depth to his personality/story beyond doing the eyebrow thing and having pecs. I like the little Rock-isms because it suits his character as he's meant to be a bit full of himself and cocky and a show off, but inside he is self-concious and doesn't believe in himself. He did a great job imo and I think he should do more voice acting work and character work that branches out more

[@phoebusapollo8365]

It’s interesting because usually the criticism for Rock’s characters is that they’re nothing *but* confident and competent, the Disney Film had him play the confident role just like other roles (if a bit more blustery and loud) but this time it’s a shell that is hiding vulnerability. A bit overdone of a character trope but the Rock has a lot of charm and the animators put in the work so it all still works

[@sugarysaturn3597]

Personally I felt that the crab scene was way more fun and necessary than the coconut pirate side plot. Also aside from How Far I'll Go and You're Welcome, Shiny was the only other memorable song IMO. Also Jermaine Clement is a total gem.

[@arieltallen5732]

Agreed, I think it could have been way more minor or more tied to the realm of monsters to feel more fulfilled. I get they’re trying to show other people are after the stone now which increases danger but it only happens like once lol

[@dickottel]

I totally don't remember the crab song, only the different variations of HFIG (I love the later ones with grandma's ghost)

[@benzaiten933]

I also enjoyed this song and never quite understood why it was so maligned. I mean even if we say this scene wasn't that necessary, the song itself was fine. and as you've said, that strange coconut pirates (what even are they?!) scene felt far more out of the left field and only served as an action scene, while with the crab Maui at least had to retrieve his hook.

[@PedroBenolielBonito]

Say what about We Know The Way???

[@trippingandbrowsing1269]

@@PedroBenolielBonito right, like what are these people on, We Know The Way was a complete banger in the traditional language

[@PizzaHutCEO]

10:20 NOBODY let Schaffrillis Productions get his hands on this video lmao

[@FlareChaser]

Was thinking the same thing

[@yalebass]

he’s screaming

[@thaliafuqua1579]

The way I gasped when he called it mid

[@LuLu-Sil]

The restoring the heart to Te Fiti actually made me cry (deeply traumatized person 🙋🏻‍♀️) "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. " 😭

[@smartcakes303]

I cry every time I watch moana, and I will still cry at the end. Such a beautiful cultural movie

[@mkewl209]

As a cis-het male who was never punished for showing his emotions, I always cry during the part you described. It's so beautiful and and powerful that I can't help it. When my son grows up, he will know it's ok to feel.

[@MyNameGoesHere]

There's like 3 songs in total in my life that will guaranteed that I will cry: never grow up, better days, and this one. But yeah this is an amazing song.

[@CAiNiAC]

You guys need help that this movie can't give 😂

[@videohistory722]

Fun fact about newborn turtles: a big thing that's always made clear is that if you're going to help them find the water, you absolutely cannot carry them there. They have to find it on their own. The scene at the beginning is essentially how Moanas journey ends up going out on the ocean. She may have been pointed in the right direction, but ultimately she had to do it on her own.

[@tirea277]

Why can’t you carry them? Just curious

[@videohistory722]

@@tirea277 something about risking imprinting and the oils in the hands damaging their bodies

[@royafarahsa3617]

because they need to learn to do it themselves so they would "know the way" when its time for them to lay their own eggs. ​@@tirea277

[@stevencraeynest7729]

@@tirea277 I've always been told it's because they have to remember the beach they started from, and the longer it takes them to get to the water, the more they'll remember

[@TheBlkKat]

​@@tirea277 I've heard also that it helps for them to build up their flippers. I recall in a documentary or research video, might be dated info as it has been a while, that conservation efforts used to put baby turtles directly into the ocean but that was causing issues with them surviving the current so now the effort is focused on closing off beaches during nesting season, setting up fence guides to direct hatchlings in the right direction and essentially be bodyguards against gulls and such to maximize the number of babies that make it

[@EndlessPiplup]

So in regards to Moana being so special that sailing the ocean isn’t a big deal cause she was destined for it…that’s kinda not the case. At least not in its entirety. Her being a princess doesn’t help her, it’s holding her back. Being the most important person on the island is trapping her more than anyone else, because she is “destined” to rule her people and is the ONE person who REALLY can’t leave without consequences. Her heritage consisting of voyagers doesn’t give her the ability to sail, the movie makes a point that she initially sucks at it. It only gives her information that sailing is possible as her ancestors did it and were seemingly successful. The ocean choosing her mostly sums up to giving her the Heart and not letting her die during the storm that washed her up in Maui’s island. Along with letting her walk to Te Ka. Moana is facing inner conflict of what she is “destined to do,” aka become chief, vs what she feels called to do. She determines her own destiny. When she rejects the ocean, it accepts this rejection. She has to fight to get its approval back. Moana is given external affirmation that her dreams are possible, but SHE is the one to execute them. That’s the heart of the movie, and why it is so empowering to little girls. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

[@LifeIsMusic227]

Beautiful 😢

[@iclynnx]

I loved your Ted talk, you're absolutely correct too

[@ewormXD]

While I definitely don't think Moana is the Mariest of Sues, not by a long shot, the entire "chosen one" thing really drags the story down for me. Moana already WANTS to sail and she's already being prevented from doing so. The conflict is there, so to me, it feels like the main reason for the "destiny" thing was to assure the viewers that no, the protagonist is not just abandoning her family against their will, she's the chosen one, you see, it's everyone else that's wrong, not her. The grandma could've bestowed upon Moana, clearly interested in the myths and legends from childhood, the magical green stone and even told her about what it is. Moana would treat it like yet another legend, but then she sails away from the island, defying her family both to try to find fish for her people (selfless) and to satisfy her sailing cravings (selfish). Getting swept into a storm, she barely survives, but finds herself who knows how far away. Not giving up, she does her best to learn sailing, gets help from a stranger she meets (who seems very interested in her grandma's green stone for some reason), and together they end up closing the book on the story her grandma had told her so long ago. A combination of Moana's selfish wants and her selfless attempts to help her people ends up sending her on a whirlwind sea-voyaging adventure tied to the mysterious stories of old. THAT would be a story of Moana "determining her destiny", at least way more so than this existing story, about Moana being TOLD what her destiny is and… doing it, because that's already kinda what she wanted to do anyway, how convenient. Seriously, a "you're destined for X" story should have X be the LAST thing that character wants and/or is capable of. The point is for the protagonist to overcome as much as possible on their way to the goal, very much including themselves. Moana being introduced as the chief's daughter who dreams of sailing, but being told not to, is fine… until she's told "nah, honey, you're objectively right here, go ahead and do what you want, you'll even be a hero for it". Also, the ocean feels like "plot armor", only making Moana seem more like a Mary Sue, since the world itself is literally on her side. Oh geez, I sure hope she's never in any danger or else the ocean will just save her and even carry her exactly where she needs to be. The stakes have never been lower.

[@LaDeGafitas]

​@@ewormXDI strongly disagree. I read her being "The Chosen One" not as if she's destined to do it so she'll be ok no matter what, it's because since she was a child she showed more interest than others in exploring outside an island that nobody had left in years. Her grandma can clearly communicate with the ocean and they knew they needed that kind of spirit if they wanted to give Te-Fiti her heart back. She has been chosen not because she's destined to do it, but because she showed the right spirit and they really needed someone who could complete the task, which meant risking her life multiple times, learning how to sail, etc. She had a little help from the ocean, since everything is alive. It was a great way to represent that, by giving it an actual personality and making it one of the main characters in the movie. It's just doing its part to help Moana in her quest, but she had to learn a lot and persevere to achieve her goal, it wasn't all handed to her.

[@Silentgrace11]

I think it should also be added that it was greatly implied that her father likely was previously chosen by the ocean, having similar aspirations and recognizing the heart if I recall correctly. The difference is that in losing his friend in his failed attempt, he refused the call, and closed himself away. The ocean accepted this decision and waited until another came along who was willing to. Being "the chosen" is never about absolutely being guaranteed you can achieve it. It's about being the person that has a level of willingness to try - whether you succeed is ultimately on your merit, but the ocean will at least keep helping you if you continue to try.

[@bobbysyblik68]

Alex Myers is trying to incur the wrath of a certain Crab Man by dissing Shiny

[@nick_plays22]

Its gay

[@TristanBailey]

It’s great song. I see him more as massive golham

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

Schafferdodillas is gonna be big med

[@lylelylecrocodile2538]

@@nick_plays22 still using the good ol' g-a-y as an insult I see

[@knitwitchpgh]

​@@nick_plays22 Damn straight it is. Its gay and fabulous.

[@pinkitten1712]

I’m sorry but I have to disagree. When I first listen to Tamatoa song Shiny. My mouth dropped. Such a good song and such a good character to sing it. It’s just all brilliant

[@Jxanicee]

10:48 Maui didn’t forget how to use his powers. His powers were broken

[@airacummins5076]

And he got the hook FROM TAFITI

[@spencergeorge4077]

@@airacummins5076 I think he got them from the gods as a whole, I think it’s only the new hook that comes from her

[@chaoticcollisions5328]

@@spencergeorge4077your right

[@chaoticcollisions5328]

He was in a slump so a bit of both had to remember who he was

[@GojiraDino675]

10:16 Oh your gonna upset a certain film reviewer that likes that particular crab (and song) very much…

[@twigcullen1964]

Schaffrillas production right?

[@GojiraDino675]

@@twigcullen1964 ye

[@YOBOYMFMOON]

DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE GAME OF LIFE 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥💯💯💯

[@fumoffu_l]

Came here to say this!

[@gun31433]

Schaffrillas mentioned

[@Agirlnamedmikee]

The slow-mo scene always gives me chills 🥹

[@_StrayKidsForever_]

Same, it was si beautiful

[@darkking9528]

7:17 Here's the thing Alex, not every story has to relatable and inspiring or whatever else, a story can just be entertaining, a story can just be escapists fun.

[@vincentopperman1420]

Meh

[@WhatExcellentBoiledPo-ta-toes]

Yes! I get so annoyed when people complain about things not being relatable so they can't enjoy it. I don't relate to a lot of movies, songs or tv shows that I love but they're still entertaining good stories. Also they can be a new perspective that makes you think.

[@sen-cher]

Thank you!!!! We don't have to always see a perfect reflection of ourselves in characters to enjoy them or their stories

[@joannawinters6592]

Yes and it's narcissistic standpoint to always watch yourself

[@theblackkittie13]

How to learn about other cultures and other people if you don't watch their stories? That's what builds empathy and a feeling of kinship where we can see our similarities and celebrate our differences

[@jssp-oq6lq]

14:42 not every story has to be about the underdog making it big

[@AlbertScoot]

My favorite part is that Moana wasn't chosen to be the "The One" by the ocean. The song with the spirit of her grandmother is Moana realizing that's she's the one choosing, it could have been anyone from her island but she was the one that chose to act. It's shown that it was almost her father but he quit after the first time he failed.

[@andreasmeelie1889]

Wow! I never once thought of it that way! Mind blown!😱 Thank you! EEP!🤩

[@trinaq]

Dwayne Johnson jumped at the chance to voice Maui, loving to see his Polynesian heritage so beautifully portrayed in a major motion picture. He emotionally admitted to crying tears of joy over it during the production.

[@apollo6988]

right??? polynesian culture is so under represented if you live outside of the cook islands or nz. giving the rock a chance to actually act and represent a part of his heritage that people just completely brush over is so nice to see as a kiwi. and it was done well! we need more of it! dwayne johnson should be in more roles that give him a chance to actually shine as an actor and embrace his heritage instead of the same typical stoic, bland gruff character all the time

[@b19wing]

@@apollo6988exactlyyyy

[@iclynnx]

I honestly don't get the dislike for Dwayne, he seems like a sweet father and pretty chill guy. He's not a bad actor either.

[@vedwalker3974]

@@iclynnx I'm not against D.J., but if news from his co-stars on F&F and Red One are any indicator... if he was a student in school, I'd write on his progress report "Does not work well with others." Plus, it's very likely what was leaked of his contracts, like how he can't ever play the villain which I'm sure is a carry-over from his WWF days, derails whole productions to keep him happy. TD; DR he's a fun guy, but he doesn't play with money. *He makes it.*

[@zoerose6194]

@@apollo6988so nice to see as a kiwi I love it 😭😭

[@willowb1049]

12:55 The grandma telling Moana it isn't her fault and she can go home if she's ready gets me every time. Very refreshing for a movie to acknowledge that putting the fate of the world on a teenager's shoulders is just so unfair.

[@chaoticcollisions5328]

Exactly

[@MyNameGoesHere]

Exactly and it translates to real life too like you SHOULDN'T have to feel like you are carrying the world. But many people do. Jobs, getting married, having kids, being healthy etc etc. It can all feel too much. This is saying that all of that is okay to feel inadequate for that you don't have to follow those routes intrinsically.

[@darlingdannid]

i agree with this, but also grandma knows who moana is. she knows being told she can't do something makes her want to do it. so she affirms the limitation and offers choice, knowing her stubbornness might keep her from giving up. she lets moana decide that she is enough to overcome it. seems like a reverse psychology moment to me, but not to manipulate her, to inspire her.

[@LunarcomplexMain]

10:14 Bro is about to have Schaffrillas Productions on him lmfao

[@flyingkabosu5680]

Exactly my thought hahaha

[@balanceesss7685]

I was looking for this comment 😭

[@Starlett01230]

That’s what I was thinking lol

[@Annathecommenter]

I was hoping to see this comment

[@Fl3cheF]

Tbh he always glazed the song and the crab way to much

[@jacobpage8028]

6:51 That's part of her character arc, I think. The point is that she dreams of going out to the ocean her whole life, and then everything falls into place, and it's great at first, but she very rapidly finds that everything is not how she hoped, by nearly dying many times, and facing lots of setbacks. At her low point, she's convinced that she was just naive, that she could never do it, but then she gains self confidence again and picks herself back up. Her character arc is essentially the dunning kruger effect, she believes she can do it, then sh actually gets experience and believes she cant, and struggles to build herself back up again in the pursuit of uer dreams. This movie isnt about going for what you want, it's about facing setbacks and overcoming them.

[@mycommentingacc-hu5st]

9:28 Ok but can we just take a second to appreciate the hair physics in that scene? This movie made my 10-year-old self severely underestimate the effort involved in maintaining wavy hair 😭

[@Zad-e2z]

Fr

[@videohistory722]

Fun fact: this is actually true! Polynesians DID stop wayfinding for a period of time, and nobody knows why.

[@HelloKittyyQueen]

Perhaps you needed a break since you’re up now though

[@straddlecakes]

No one cares…

[@darlingdannid]

yeah, that was the whole inspiration/aim for the movie during the early stages: they wanted to draft an explanation for the "dark age" that could include magic. a fact i really appreciate is that the writers did a lot of research with the polynesian cultural center in hawaii, which has tons of information (and performances) from each polynesian people group.

[@VanessaSamuels-v5x]

Moana is certainly a unique film and was a very respectful film which is saying something for Disney

[@Lani_Niviah]

Yeah the directions and crew spent years visiting Oceania to inspire the story and had many Polynesian people workng on it.

[@babyllama7]

So I'm a Cook Islander, Samoan and Tahitian, so my whole life I have a big respect and love for my cultures and traditions. When this came out when I was in school, it was such a big deal, we were so happy to have a movie that felt so close to home, from the stories we grew up listening to, to seeing familiar references that represented our island culture. Yes it's not perfect (like the pointless giant crab) but it was something we could closely relate too and all of us cried watching this. We were so obsessed with this movie, me and my whole class watched this for science class and we were all just saying and singing EVERYTHING by heart coz of how much we watched this, we even had a school movie day where the entire school chose to go watch Moana in the cinemas, and we were so hyped, the cinema was just filled with laughter, crying, vibing and crying, we were do loud in there but was the time of our life's in there. Even though it's just a film, it meant so much to me and all the kids, teens and even the adults too on our lil island🤣🥰 Ko au e tamariki o te enua, te rangi, te airani.🌊🌺💙💚

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

This was amazing to read. 😊

[@benzaiten933]

comments like yours are the reason it's so very important to represent different cultures and people in movies, why it can make such a deep impact if you highlight stories from around the world.

[@Lordodragonss]

I love when this happens!

[@Princessofthedrk]

I'm at the 10:40 mark but I just wanna say, I love the Shiny song! I sit there and go "I'm shiney!" all the time.

[@itslilyquinn]

I would really like a mainland native story about turtle island and the first indigenous people in North America. It would be great to see my people getting some love that's definitely not Pocahontas

[@mjacwest]

Yeah I'd love more indigenous American stories that get the same care and cultural respect as recent disney movies. I thought Brother Bear was pretty good cultural rep but I'd love a disney princess style movie from central North America! I'm descended from Mound builder/mississipian cultures but I'm not even picky just any NA cultures represented would be great. I also would like to see indigenous Australian rep I think their songlines and culture are interesting and super underrepresented

[@Playing4fungames]

“I ate my grandma” lol makes me laugh every time 10:01

[@vstro_i]

it’s actually “i ate my grandma” haha

[@azural8347]

I will not tolerate shiny slander😭

[@whitespider584]

THANK YOU! Was thinking the exact same thing.

[@c.m.9778]

Right!

[@captaincrazycreative]

Would like your comment but it's a 222 likes

[@CharleyA73]

Fr best part of the movie!

[@Maybemeanttobelover]

fr shiny is a bop!

[@judahforshey1865]

10:20 YOU BASTARD SHINY IS THE BEST PART OF THE MOVIE LITERALLY FIGHT ME

[@TheOriginalQuam]

Found Schafrillas’s alt

[@FabioKun]

I know a certain youtuber with a very confusing and hard to write name that has some opinions about him.

[@nick_plays22]

Its gay asf

[@FurreverFaith]

My only regret is that David Bowie was not available to sing it like originally planned.

[@captaincrazycreative]

​@@FurreverFaith Oh no waaayyyyy! We were ROBBED 😭😭😭

[@SerenityM16]

Te Ka turning back into Tifiti makes so much sense when you know that after a volcanic eruption, the land becomes ultra fertile, just need the lava to cool and break down over time

[@theultimateamazingsleepyko6687]

9:55 true best character in the whole movie

[@pro-do3nz]

Real

[@TheTopGoflego]

Facts

[@BMel15]

Sir I will not have you disrespect the Shiny song, it is a GEM!

[@nick_plays22]

Its gay

[@abimifoluwamark5566]

​@nick_plays22 how

[@abimifoluwamark5566]

​@@nick_plays22how is it gay

[@gregoryfenn1462]

Gay means happy 😊

[@Lordodragonss]

Nah, it's THE SHINY! :D

[@jean-lucalexander4719]

Oh wow... Alex that was a real hot take with the Tomatoa song. Jemaine Clement killed it and is probably the second best part of the movie imo. Was it different from the rest of the film? Absolutely. But it happens in the realm of monsters where everything is very different. I think the reason it felt off is because that segment should've been longer. We get no real back story to it and only a vague line on how Tomatoa even got the hook. But like always, still loved the video.

[@heavenlydisasters]

And David Bowie did the demo, that’s why Tamatoa has heterochromia in reference. Jemaine Clement is absolutely goated. Edit for spelling

[@GaughanGirl77]

It's a boring song.

[@NotHawaiian]

*Tamatoa

[@vashsunglasses]

@@GaughanGirl77 You're a boring song.

[@arieltallen5732]

I agree, I think it should have taken more time in the realm of monsters not just a pop in, grab, pop out. Felt unfulfilled.

[@Emily-the-faerie]

Respect to the animators for making moanas body look like a realistic human girl and not a stick figure with curves

[@SecretRaven]

I mean there are women who are naturally very skinny? I agree there should be more diversity in media but let's not pretend women can't be skinny without being unhealthy. I used to be super skinny before puberty to the point teachers thought I wasn't eating, and for some people that never changes.

[@Emily-the-faerie]

​@@SecretRavenim not saying that their shouldnt be skinny animated female characters just an equal amount of them with fuller bodies

[@gothnerd887]

11:42 this is bassed on the backstory of Maui from actual Polynesian myth. His life signs were so faint his mum thought he was born dead. She made him a shaul out of her hair and held a sea burial for him. That's when the ocean sensed he was alive and reunited him with his family. Theory time: What if the villianess of Moana 2 is Maui's mum. Like her mythological counterpart didn't mean to abandon Maui, she just thought he was dead. That's gonna cause some drama.

[@spencergeorge4077]

This is his beginning, but he gets picked up and raised by his grandmother with his four brothers. He wasn’t a demigod in the stories, just a guy who prayed to the gods to bless his fishhook and used it to help others. I think him coming to terms with not being a demigod would be a great arc in the sequel

[@NedTheNoob]

1:48 Advertisement finishes here

[@samanvi5597]

Thanks

[@nvtsleepssnore]

I like you

[@zaraali870]

BROO THE ANCESTOR SONG HITS HARDDD!! Even the song where Maui relearns how to use his hook 🔥🔥

[@StylusShade]

16:16 Schaffrillas is going to have words for you, my guy.

[@videohistory722]

14:58 they left the island. There were no other future generations.

[@Artesfol]

I hate that people keep saying that in regards to the shell. They leave in the island in the next scene! It's like they just stopped to movie there

[@MadChips202]

I’m pretty sure some of them stayed behind.

[@benzaiten933]

I doubt they left it for good, they just returned to wayfinding but the island would still be their home. I mean not everyone would be fit to be out sailing all the time, they would also still need things like food, clothing and items, which you can't just pull out of the ocean. so their culture on the island still was ongoing, but Moana put a new beginning for them and future leaders wouldn't need to mark their ascent the way previous generations did.

[@spencergeorge4077]

They didn’t do the Voyage in one go, they’d go back to the nearest island, going further and further every time but they left people at every stop, that’s why there’s people that lived on each Polynesian island

[@McDonalds_Tighnari_official]

12:10 we already have that. It’s called Hercules

[@spencergeorge4077]

Except, in their myths, Hercules did it for redemption and Maui did it for his island

[@TurkishOneFurkan]

I was gonna say Polynisean mythology but that works too

[@ourabouras]

Rethinking my opinion of Alex Meyer’s after learning he didn’t like Shiny, that song slaps and was a fun little genre break in the film. Moana is also one of the few movies/stories where we have the quintessential Hero’s Journey centered on a young girl where they didn’t just take a guy’s story and put a dress on it, the journey reflected Moana’s culture and her character. And while I do wish we had more stories like this that doesn’t mean I’m excited in any way about Moana 2, a soulless cash grab that was originally intended to be an episodic tv series that was then frankensteined into a movie.

[@Lordodragonss]

AND most important thing it don't UNDERMINE male character. Both her and Maui are important.

[@ourabouras]

@ Wouldn’t agree Maui being on equal ground, story wise, is the MOST important aspect of this story at all. Polynesian culture being represented respectfully is more important, a competent female main character actually getting to have a story is more important. A male character also being treated respectfully and playing an important role in the story is great, it helps make the story stronger, but there isn’t a lack of male protagonist in media the same way there is with female protagonists.

[@ravenhopkins6643]

Lin Manuel Miranda was obsessed with the little mermaid when he was young so the whole bit about Tamatoa and his song Shiny were an homage to Sebastian vs the Chef

[@lesterwilliamsjr649]

I hope in Moana 2 they go back and explain what gave Maui the confidence to come back during the final battle in the first moive. It was so dumb that people behind the movie didn't add that scene. It's like having Toy Story 1 but removing the scene where Buzz watches the commercial on the TV which mentally breaks him (Temporarily).

[@theroyaljules39]

I think it’d be more like if they didn’t include the scene where Woody admits he was wrong but I see your point

[@Playing4fungames]

I love how lately he’s been casually showing his face 1:13

[@whoisjacinth]

Skipped the ad till I saw this comment 😂

[@excessivelyfangirlingbookw3339]

Me too. I feel like his confidence is growing and I love that for him 😊

[@Zerlyn]

Shiny is an absolute bop 😫 How dare you!

[@Chaotically_Evil]

5:52"When I d-" *Facebook Marketplace ad* "ie, I want to be born as one of these..."

[@Flex-np9rm]

I got the exact same

[@Happymonking]

Literally the same ad as well

[@Spaghettiooo]

Alex should release merch that says "But before that really quick". I would buy it in a heartbeat

[@netamelis]

"Okay, back to the show"

[@mathew85]

Tbh the" your welcome " song goes hard lol and gets stuck in your head😅

[@Rapscallion2871]

10:13 DUDE, DON'T SAY THAT, SCHAFF MIGHT BE WATCHING.

[@nick_plays22]

Its gay

[@Rapscallion2871]

@@nick_plays22 So?

[@jas2088]

As an aboriginal Australian this movie means so much to me. Although it is not my culture it is amazing to see First Nations/Indigenous cultures on the big screen. Moana is my favourite Disney movie to come out since lilo and stitch

[@Person_Not_Known]

Shiny is one of the best songs in the movie...i know this because my toddlers forced me to listen to it thousands of times for 2 years

[@laurencamila9024]

She put a shell in the rocl pile because they're going back to being travelers, they won't be tied to this island anymore

[@Jonathan_Collins]

The broadway feel in moana probably comes from the fact that the guy who wrote the songs (lin-manuel miranda) also wrote hamilton, in the heights, and 21 Chump Street.

[@rx500android]

Yup and it’s my favorite fact

[@Waking_Giant]

The point of the shell on the rock was that they are no longer bound to just that island anymore. They are once again able to be people of the ocean.

[@gladitsnotme]

The fact that he didn't get that even though it's literally the whole point of the movie makes me wonder what his IQ is. No nuance at all.

[@SwellStuff483]

8:45 Damn Alex went for the throat with that one

[@Mika_Maccabi1913]

Encanto was great, frozen 2 as well. I just found out that the "star" in Wish was supposed to be a "star-boy" and a love story for Asha, like a classic Disney movie and they changed it last second because of the success of Encanto and the "no love story no villan" angle everyone loved so much. That's why the movie feels incomplete... because it was! Anyway, I hope Moana 2 would save the day 🙏🏻

[@reannagordon]

So nice to see Alex reviewing animated movies now, something he didn’t do 6 years ago

[@nininoona]

Honestly, I agree with you on the sequel being unnecessary. The first one is so good, there's no need to add to it. The twist with Tifiti being Teka at the end, and that sequence, was so perfect.

[@benzaiten933]

but......but the money? what about milking it for the money?!

[@Diamond-gr4ur]

1:15 new alex lore just dropped. If you're comfortable, I'd love to hear more about you ferret

[@zach415]

12:11 if you want to know more about that just look into Maui’s real world mythology. Crash Course Mythology has a really good video on it. This movie actually portrays all of Maui’s feats from mythology in his song “You’re Welcome”

[@ZogDraws66]

13:05 pshhh, I'm not crying, you're crying..

[@StrawBabyStudios]

15:05 Alex: So what was ur favorite part of the movie? Me: Maui Trauma dumping Alex: That was mine too

[@benzaiten933]

mine was Moana's hair, be it wet or dry, it always looked perfect - she has some of that disney princess magic after all.

[@birdie_.]

Moana is one of the most gorgeous animations ever. That part where she splits the ocean and walks in slow motion to put the heart back is STUNNING! As much as I love this movie though it definitely does not need a sequel but alas I’ll be stuffing disneys mouth full of money and watching it anyways 😒 also DONT DISRESPECT FROZEN 2!!! It was better than the first😤

[@DailyEdits-Love]

You know her parents got down busy (for the second movie) 😂

[@laurafabianmarrero]

😂😂😂that was the plot for Moana 2

[@Elizabeth-hc3mi]

"Umm, honey... so, it's been about a month since Moanna left. She's probably dead. Want to make another one?"

[@susivarga7303]

Well, tropical island are amazing for a few weeks.... after that, not much to do.

[@mattgworlll]

Off topic to Moana but I don't get why everyone hates on Encanto. I'm Mexican, and I was so happy they made a movie that again didn't have anything to do with the main character in love, but they made it about a family who lost their way from trauma and fear, and then found themselves again. Like you're telling me that was not good? It says a lot about what Mexican families, and even other Hispanic families, have to go through to find their way in life.

[@lilac3266]

long story short encanto is popular and people love to hate on popular things

[@Lordodragonss]

Wait, people hate Encanto? what?

[@mattgworlll]

@@Lordodragonss I often hear hate on the movie and Alex (creator) kinda made it seem like he didn't like it either

[@Lordodragonss]

@@mattgworlll He showed its way better than other movies...

[@mattgworlll]

⁠@@Lordodragonss15:31 the way he sounded made it seem like it wasn't good

[@noahsteensonfilms]

15:38 forgetting strange world is so on point that it just adds to the joke

[@reaper6047]

10:26 um Alex, I think Schaffrilas might have a few words for you

[@silviasanchez648]

I think you're missing that this movie has a lot of Polynesian/Hawaiian mythology woven into it. That's what makes it interesting and fun to watch. It doesn't feel like a princess movie because it isn't!

[@AgentN-s5u]

Moana is genuinely underrated because it was a great film with amazing music. And no one seems to appreciate it

[@geardog24]

“Wait! Wait! Did you like my song?” Top 10 underrated Disney villain right there.

[@cassandramorisset1634]

All the songs in Moana are amazing 🧍🏽‍♀️

[@TheHeggens]

I think Disney was taking a chance with this one. The main reason I think is the facts that she doesn’t have a love interest, unlike every other Disney princess.

[@WeirdPeacock]

the thing is that the Wish girl was gonna have a love interest and that would have made the movie A LOT better, but marketable plushes! Its a lot of context and placement to make a good/decent movie with a love intrest

[@amusedapple4933]

@@WeirdPeacocka love interest couldn’t save a bad movie ya know?

[@videohistory722]

11:52 that's not even the half of it. All of his accomplishments he was bragging about earlier? Done under the gods orders to prove his worth.

[@spencergeorge4077]

Not under the gods. Maui was a leader of men, everything he did he did for his people. He killed an eel harassing women, he fished up islands for them to live on, he slowed the sun and caught wind so their clothes could dry, he even made birds visible to others to share their beauty with his wife. Maui loved his people so much that he often lied and stole from the gods so they could be comfortable

[@hekimaXO]

14:36 Honestly Moana in general just has same face syndrome, just like Frozen does. The only one who doesn’t look the same is the grandma but in the trailer of the sequel you can really notice it, everyone looks the exact same and the fact that they all wear tribal clothing doesn’t help distinguish them 😭

[@MegaSuper11]

Yeah, they look alike but no more than any other character, you can tell theyre supposed to look different

[@WilliamBrownMBA]

2016: "When you use a bird to write with, it's called tweeting." 2026: "Back in my day, when we used a bird to write we called it tweeting."

[@rosemary3029]

Alex:i don't like shiny Schaffrilla:i sense a disturbance

[@hunterlawrence3573]

A certain youtuber would have a few disagreements with your thoughts on Shiny XD! But in all seriousness, I really like how they use that song to add some depth to Maui's character and explain why he is the way he is. It's voiced through a character who is not sympathetic to Maui at all, only using it to mock him while he's vulnerable. It not only shows the audience and Moana that there's more to Maui than meets the eye, but also that Tamatoa is a lot smarter than he first let on, as he's able to pick apart Maui's psychology in a way none of the other characters up to this point have.

[@Pink_Lotus2009]

5:10 why did that made me laugh so hard 😂😂😂😂😂

[@laurencamila9024]

I LOVE this movie (except for a *couple* if scenes). Any time they sing in Hawaiian olud the scene of the grandma sting gray, are BEAUTIFUL

[@kurupt7154]

What scenes don’t you like ?

[@NotHawaiian]

They also sing in different tongues from different islands. The first part of the song "We Know The Way" is in Samoan and I don't know the language the chorus is in but it isn't the same.

[@AnnaYoung-r4q]

@@NotHawaiian Tokelauan

[@Aitraha]

I think one of the reasons why Moana was so successful was due to how iconic the songs became

[@Al-hart-911]

Fun yet kinda sad fact: yknow how maui is a demi-god, well historically there are two ways to be a demi-god 1) be the child of a god and a human And 2) die and be reborn again as a demi god (And no its not a reincarnation situation) implying that he drowned as a baby but the gods took pity and he was reborn, which would make the fact that he cant swim so much sadder since its water that killed him.

[@Al-hart-911]

Ofcourse this is just movie maui, I'm not too well versed in Polynesian mythology so I can't confirm anything 100% other than there is a maui

[@catty6151]

13:54) i like to imagine he’s just cursing the shit out of Tekah

[@stefanieslater8950]

Yeah it turns out what he says roughly translates to Face up to the fear. Fight the terror. To the sky above. Fight up there, high up there. Yeah! But we all know he said some racist thing to te ka

[@akasafiya1234]

8:40 i completely missed that tweeting joke when I watched the movie first 😂

[@nothingbored8137]

In my country we have voice-over without this joke😂

[@estherclementine8121]

im deadddd "the demi god of playing the same character in every movie" clock it!!!!😂

[@JH-cs5py]

Supposedly, and I stress supposedly, there was a storyboarded but un-filmed scene that came almost directly after the first attempt to get past Te Ka's barrier islands. Maui's hook is damaged, he's at a low point and when Moana tries to get him to make another attempt, he leaves. Moana chucks the Heart and feels abandoned. Cut to Maui flying over the ocean, fast as jet, the whole world beneath him...and where does he land? Right back on the island Moana found him on. He lays the hook on the ground, tries to get back into his cave and forgets that he put a rock in front of the entrance. As he tries to move it, it dawn's on him...even though he had the ability to go anywhere on Earth, now that his hook has been returned to him, he still returned to the place that had been his prison for 1000 years. He even vocalizes "Why did I come back here?", and after a pregnant few beats, he says "...because where else could I go?" He avoided his destiny, he essentially went backwards in order to avoid losing his hook permanently, but in doing so, he basically threw away his purpose, his future, much like he was discarded as a child. What kind of 'amazing demigod' like Maui chooses self-imposed exile? I kinda wish they HAD gone with that, or some variant of it...his return in the film, while expected, is pretty abrupt and doesn't have much context other than "I changed my mind". Some character-building moments would have been appreciated, certainly more than weird eyebrow kid and a two-part structure to the 'Shiny' song. Just sayin'. 🤔🤨

[@secretlyadragon4723]

My niece routinely sang the words, 'I was a sad little crab once' every time she got ready and when she came out all dressed up she would go, 'I'm so shiny', for about a solid year when this movie came out! She loved that crab song! It fit her sass perfectly.

[@orleanknight]

It sounds like you need to have your Gallbladder checked; that's two heart burn jokes in a span of 4 minutes.

[@Jayeeda_]

14:13 my fav part of the movie frfr

[@zacharymccoy7091]

Musker and Clements always deliver the most consistent great movies in the Disney movie Canon. If it weren't for their talents directing Little Mermaid, American animation in general might be completely different.

[@starsneptunexx]

I’m hoping Moana 2 won’t be another Frozen 2 disaster

[@PixarShark]

I’d love to hear little Toon Alex sobbing to Wild Robot. 😂