About This Quiz
In 2016, a new Disney heroine sailed into audience's hearts: Moana, the Polynesian island girl who goes on a quest to save her people. She's joined — reluctantly at first — by the cocky, vain and wise-cracking demigod Maui, whose big mistake years ago still has serious repercussions in the present. And during their journey, audiences get to hum along to a number of soaring ballads and catchy tunes.Â
Disney wanted to reproduce the success of "Frozen," and in large part they succeeded. "Moana" was a critical and commercial hit, and it no doubt inspired many young kids to pick up a pretend oar, flip their hair back and belt out "How Far I'll Go" with all the passion of the film's young star. There's something for everyone in "Moana." Boys and girls alike can admire Moana's determination and Maui's change of heart. Parents, and even plain old adults, can appreciate the film's humor, heart and stunning visuals.
If you've ever stood at the edge of the sea and looked out at the horizon, you can identify with Moana's desire to see more of this amazing world. And even if we no longer look up at the night sky to find where we're going, we can still listen to the voice inside that says to "follow the farthest star." And, like Moana, we can discover who we are. So are you ready to sail the open sea with Moana? Can you hold your own against a demigod? Start the quiz to find out!
Tala is Tui's mother, so she's Moana's grandmother. From the beginning, Tala recognizes Moana's adventurous spirit and encourages her to listen to that voice inside her. Oh, and she's hilarious!
In Maui's catchy song, he describes all the ways he benefited humans and oh so humbly says, "You're welcome!" And all the while, he's scheming how to steal Moana's boat, the stinker!
Moana shows her kind spirit even at a young age. Using a large leaf, she shields a baby sea turtle from a bird as it scuttles back into the sea. Maybe that's why the ocean chose her?
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The dimwitted chicken Heihei somehow finds himself on Moana's boat, much to his dismay. Should we maybe just ... cook him? After all, Maui's a big fellow; he needs his boat snacks.
While all the other children are crying and panicking over Tala's dramatic story, Moana is thrilled. What we want to know is, does Tala predict that Moana will one day restore the heart?
When Moana's dad senses that she's questioning her role as future chief, he takes her up to the top of a mountain to show her a pile of rocks. Will Moana add her stone and become chief, we wonder?
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Tala's back has a stingray tattoo. She tells Moana that she will come back as a stingray, and sure enough she does! We'll see Tala's spirit again at the end, when Moana needs a pep talk.
After escaping Lalotai, Maui shows some uncharacteristic humility by apologizing to Moana ... only he's turned his upper body into a shark without realizing it! Moana can't keep a straight face.
Moana says exactly what Tala instructs her to say. She even grabs Maui's ear to make sure he gets the point! Unfortunately, Maui has a stubborn streak and will take a lot of persuading!
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The heart of Te Fiti is a round stone with a spiral pattern on it. It fits in a crevice with a matching spiral pattern on the surface of Te Fiti. If only that rascally Maui hadn't stolen it!
"How Far I'll Go" sums up Moana's dilemma: her yearning to explore the sea versus her duty to stay and lead her people. It's easy for anyone with dreams to identify with the heroine here!
The restored Te Fiti repairs Maui's damaged fishhook in an act of forgiveness. That's mighty generous of the goddess who's been out of commission for a millennium — thanks to Maui!
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After being cast off by his parents, Maui was rescued by the gods and turned into a demigod. One of the gifts they gave him was a magic fishhook that allows him to shapeshift into animals.
Moana can't figure out where to place the heart, until she spots the spiral pattern on Te Ka. Then she realizes that the lava monster is a corrupted form of Te Fiti! She needs her heart back pronto!
As the final scene shows, Moana reunites with her parents and subsequently teaches them and the other villagers how to sail. At last, the people of Motunui can follow their ancestors as wayfinders!
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One thing we love about Tala (and there's many) is that she doesn't take herself too seriously! Here she pokes fun at how the other villagers — and her son in particular — must view her.
Maui earns each of his tattoos after each exploit. We'd say that his journey with Moana counts as a tattoo-worthy adventure! Moana waves at us from a boat on Maui's chest, next to Mini Maui.
Moana's dad is not so different from her. Moana's mom explains that he once tried to go sailing, but he couldn't save his friend from drowning. That's a pretty strong deterrent to leaving the island!
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As Tala explains in the opening monologue, Te Fiti's heart gives her the power to create life, which is why Maui was so keen on stealing it. He wanted to give that power to humans.
Dwayne Johnson, also known as the Rock, has the charm, acting chops and matching physique to play the formidable yet lovable Maui. He can also carry a tune, as he does to amusing effect.
Considering that the heart comes from the lush jungle island of Te Fiti, it makes sense that it would be a glowing green color. Unless Moana saves the day, will the islands ever be green again?
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Poor Maui! His self-worth is all wrapped up in his magical powers, to the extent that he angrily abandons Moana when his fishhook is damaged fighting Te Ka. Can he overcome his fears in time?
From Tamatoa's taunting song and from the tattoo on Maui's back, Moana suspects that Maui's hiding a dark secret. So in a poignant scene, he admits that his parents abandoned him as a baby.
Moana isn't scared of much, but she is nervous when she hears they're going to Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters. It appears to be the home of all sorts of creepy, colorful creatures.
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Moana's none too pleased when she ends up shipwrecked after a storm, and she lets the ocean have it. As Maui teaches her later, the ocean can't save her. She has to save herself. Tough love!
From Maui's constant boasting, Moana quickly catches on that he craves adulation. And she uses this to her advantage, telling Maui that he can be a hero once more if he restores the heart.
After the credits roll, we see that Tamatoa is still stuck on his back down in Lalotai. He says that if he was named Sebastian and "had a cool Jamaican accent," we'd totally help him out.
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As Maui explains, wayfinding is more than just the technical aspects of sailing. It's "knowing where you are by knowing where you’ve been." And of course, he only reluctantly agrees to teach Moana.
The 14-year-old Hawaiian made her acting debut as Moana, beating out hundreds of other actresses. She wowed audiences in both the English- and Hawaiian-language versions of the film!
Yes, Lin-Manuel Miranda is best known for Broadway hits like "In the Heights" and "Hamilton." But he's also lent his voice to many film and TV projects. We'll see how far he goes.
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For 1,000 years, Te Fiti's been missing her heart, and island after island has been drained of its life. Now it looks like Motunui is next, unless Moana can get Maui on board with her plan!
Tamatoa thinks Moana is offering him the heart of Te Fiti, but she's too clever for that. Instead, she covers a barnacle in glowing green algae "as a diversion" so she and Maui can make a getaway!
Eager to find help for her island, Moana sets out in a boat, but she can't make it past a big wave. She gets swept underwater and hurts her foot for good measure. Just blame it on the pig!
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Maui being Maui, he assumes Moana has come to his desert island to seek his autograph, which he carves on her oar using Heihei's beak. OK, we admit it ... we wouldn't mind a demigod's autograph!
The diminutive Kakamora look like hairy coconuts with arms and legs. Moana even thinks they're cute ... at first. It'll take Maui's sailing skills and Moana's courage to rescue the heart and escape.
Tui is a strong leader who puts the welfare of his people above his own thirst for adventure. And Sina is a devoted wife and mother who acts as a buffer between Tui and their headstrong daughter.
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For this Polynesian tale, several members of the cast were of Hawaiian, Samoan or Maori heritage. Alan Tudyk, however, who voiced Heihei and one of the villagers, is of Polish descent.
In Maui's introductory song, he sings, "I killed an eel, I buried its guts, sprouted a tree, now you got coconuts." We're not sure if this is scientifically accurate, but we're not demigods, so ...
A decapod is a type of crustacean that includes lobsters, shrimp and crabs. To be fair, Maui could easily defeat a regular decapod. It's the 50-foot ones that give him some trouble!
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"Don't trip on the taro root. That's all you need," Tui sings to Moana in an effort to get her to appreciate all she has on their island. A taro, by the way, is an edible tropical plant.