Moana

A princess of ancient Polynesia (voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) answers the mystical call of the ocean, venturing beyond the safety of her island lagoon to seek help from the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) in correcting the imbalance of nature that threatens to destroy her world. With four directors and eight writers credited, this may be a case of too many cooks; the story is paper-thin and uncompelling, but serviceable enough as a framework for some breathtaking animation. It’s a two-character show, and the stars deliver the goods with irresistible charm (not surprising from Johnson, and 16-year-old Cravalho may be a real find). Songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i are catchy while they last but quickly forgotten. So is the movie itself, but it goes down smoothly enough. J.L.