The newest animated Disney princess movie, Moana, is one so full of adventure and self-realization that itās easy to miss a familiar plot twist.
Auliāi Cravalho voices the 16-year-old main character Moana, a teenager who sets sail on an adventurous mission to save her island and her people. Sheās also without a romantic interest.
āWe have a beautiful heroine who is the hero of her own story,ā Cravalho told CTVās Your Morning. āAnd she doesnāt have a love interest.ā
According to Cravalho, the absence of the love interest indicates a changing of the times for Disney princess movies. The princesses are no longer defined by a romantic interest but by their journeys into self-realization.
āI think thatās so important for the young generation to find out who they are,ā said Cravalho. ā(For them) to solidify themselves in that and to speak their mind and to listen to that voice inside.ā
In this movie, thereās no prince that comes to the rescue of Moana ā like Prince Philip does for Sleeping Beauty or Prince Charming does for Cinderella. There isnāt even anyone on the island trying to vie for her affection the way Shang does with Mulan. In fact, thereās no mention of romance regarding Moana at all.
Moanaās male sidekick Maui, voiced by Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson, is a demigod who helps guide Moana on her quest to save her people, and nothing more than that.
Cravalho, also 16, was born and raised in Hawaii and sees herself as being fairly connected to the character she voices. According to Cravalho, she went to an all-Hawaiian school and is deeply rooted in her culture. The stories of Maui told in the movie are stories that she heard as bedtime stories.
āBefore working on this movie, I was a little wary,ā said Cravalho. āI think anyone would be if they heard a film was being inspired by their culture.ā
Cravalho did not initially audition for the role but was called in after the casting director saw her singing at a talent showcase.
