What is Moana about?

Animated by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, Moana is a 2016 American musical fantasy adventure film. The film's plot revolves around the Polynesian island of Motunui, where the locals revere Te Fiti, the goddess of nature. Te Fiti is a living island that, long ago, gave the ocean life with a pounamu stone as her heart and source of power.

One day, Te Fiti's heart was stolen by Maui, the shape-shifting demigod of the sea and wind and the master of wayfinding, who gave humanity the power to create. As a result, Te Fiti broke apart, and the volcanic monster Te Kā attacked Maui. Both Maui's miraculous fish hook and Te Fiti's heart sank into the ocean.

What happens in the movie Moana?

A thousand years after TeFiti’s heart was stolen and Maui was banished to a barren island, Moana, the daughter of Tui, the chief of Motunui, is selected by the ocean to give TeFiti back the once-stolen heart.

Moana's parents, Tui and Sina, aim to keep her away from the sea to prepare her for her role as the island's chief. The island is hit by blight sixteen years later, which limits the amount of fish caught and kills the vegetation.

Tui forbids Moana from going past the island's reef to find more fish and to learn about what's been going on. When Moana tries to conquer the reef, the tides overwhelm her and she is left shipwrecked.

Tala explains that the island is being destroyed by Te Kā's darkness, but it can be restored if Moana finds Maui and has him repair Te Fiti's heart. Tala presents the heart to Moana when the ocean bestows it upon her. Moana was directed to search for Maui by Tala when she became extremely ill.

Together with her dimwitted pet rooster, Heihei, Moana departs the caves on a camakau. She finds Maui, who brags about his achievements when they are shipwrecked on an island due to a cyclone. Before leaving on her boat, Maui locks her in a cave after she insists that he return the heart. After escaping, she approaches Maui, who reluctantly allows her to board the camakau.

Moana and Maui defeat the coconut pirates known as Kakamora, who attack them to steal Te Fiti's heart. Moana encourages Maui to redeem himself by giving back the heart after realizing that he is no longer a hero after he stole it and cursed the planet.

But first Maui must get his fishhook back from Tamatoa, an enormous coconut crab, in Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters. Maui gets his hook back as Moana distracts Tamatoa. However, he can't control his shape-shifting as he used to.

After escaping, Maui reveals that his first tattoo was obtained when the gods felt sorry for him and gave him his abilities after his human parents abandoned him when he was a baby. Maui regains control of his abilities and teaches Moana the technique of wayfinding after Moana comforts him and the two grow closer through their journey to Te Fiti.

When they reach the island of Te Fiti, Te Kā attacks them. Maui's hook is severely damaged as a result of Moana's refusal to go back. Maui leaves Moana and suggests that she find someone else to mend the heart because he is unwilling to lose his hook once more. Although the ocean gives in and takes the heart, Tala's spirit emerges and inspires Moana to find her own purpose.

After retrieving the heart, Moana sets sail to face Te Kā. Upon having a change of heart, Maui returns and fights Te Kā, smashing his hook in the process, buying Moana time to get to Te Fiti. Moana learns that Te Kā is Te Fiti, but corrupted without her heart, after failing to locate Te Fiti. Moana returns the heart to Te Fiti, who cures the ocean and islands of blight.

Te Fiti restores Maui's hook and Moana's boat after Maui apologizes, then she goes into a deep sleep and turns into an island. Moana returns home and rejoins her parents after saying goodbye to Maui and Te Fiti. She accepts her position as chief and wayfinder, setting a shell on top of the pile of stones that all the prior chiefs had placed, and then she and Maui lead her people back on their journey.

Also read: Where to watch Moana?