Moana (2016)

Last updated:
December 3, 2025

Moana (2016) is one of Disney’s most beloved modern animated adventures, blending Polynesian mythology, a coming-of-age story, and unforgettable music. Below is a complete, spoiler-filled breakdown that covers every corner of the film.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

The Legend of Te Fiti and the Heart

The film opens with Gramma Tala narrating the myth of Te Fiti, the mother island whose magical heart was stolen by the demigod Maui, unleashing darkness across the ocean. This sets up the film’s core mystery: how to restore balance to the world and push back the encroaching blight.

Moana’s Childhood Calling

Young Moana shows an immediate connection to the ocean, which chooses her by revealing the Heart of Te Fiti. Though her father, Chief Tui, insists she stay on the island of Motunui and focus on becoming their next leader, Moana feels pulled toward the forbidden ocean.

The Blight Reaches Motunui

Years later, the island begins to die. Fish disappear, coconuts rot, and the villagers fear their once-perfect home is failing. Moana discovers that these issues stem from the theft of Te Fiti’s heart. With Gramma Tala’s guidance, she sets sail to find Maui and force him to restore the heart.

Meeting Maui and the Quest for His Hook

Maui initially steals Moana’s boat and tries to abandon her several times, but she proves persistent. To defeat Te Kā, they must retrieve Maui’s magical fishhook from Tamatoa, the giant, shiny-obsessed crab. This leads to the memorable “Shiny” sequence, filled with humor and visual flair.

Confronting Te Kā

With Maui becoming both a mentor and reluctant friend, the two attempt to pass Te Kā, the volcanic demon. Maui’s hook is damaged, tensions rise, and he ultimately leaves Moana, believing his powers are worthless.

Left alone, Moana experiences self-doubt, until a spiritual encounter with Gramma Tala helps her reclaim her identity and purpose.

Movie Ending

Moana sails back toward Te Kā alone, determined to restore the heart even without Maui. In a dramatic final sequence, she realizes a crucial truth: Te Kā and Te Fiti are the same being. When the heart was stolen, Te Fiti lost her form and became a creature of rage and destruction.

Moana boldly asks the ocean to part so she can walk directly to Te Kā. In one of the film’s most powerful visuals, Moana sings her way toward the raging monster, saying “I know who you are.” Te Kā calms, allowing Moana to place the heart back into her chest.

Te Fiti transforms back into her lush, green, goddess form and restores Maui’s hook as thanks. Maui apologizes to Moana, showing real growth. Moana returns to Motunui, inspires her people to reclaim their identity as voyagers, and becomes the leader she was always meant to be.

The story ends with the people of Motunui setting sail once again, their future restored.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

Yes. There is a humorous post-credits scene featuring Tamatoa, who references a classic Disney character in a meta joke that fans of The Little Mermaid will appreciate.

Type of Movie

Moana is an animated adventure musical with strong roots in Polynesian mythology. It blends heartfelt storytelling with humor, character-driven drama, and epic world exploration.

Cast

Auli’i Cravalho as Moana
Dwayne Johnson as Maui
Rachel House as Gramma Tala
Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui
Nicole Scherzinger as Sina
Jermaine Clement as Tamatoa

Film Music and Composer

The film’s standout music is composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa’i. Songs like How Far I’ll Go, We Know the Way, and You’re Welcome became instant classics. The soundtrack blends Disney musical traditions with authentic Polynesian instrumentation and languages, giving it a unique emotional resonance.

Filming Locations

Though Moana is animated, Disney’s creative team traveled to Samoa, Tahiti, Fiji, and other islands in the Pacific to study landscapes, cultures, and traditions. These influences appear in the movie’s architecture, clothing, tattoos, dances, and even the lush rendering of the islands.
These real-world inspirations give the story a sense of authenticity and respect for Polynesian heritage.

Awards and Nominations

Nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Animated Feature & Best Original Song (How Far I’ll Go)
Won multiple Annie Awards for outstanding achievements in animation
Earned numerous critics’ awards for music and animation
While it didn’t win at the Oscars, the film is widely considered one of Disney’s strongest 2010s offerings.

Behind the Scenes Insights

The ocean was intentionally animated as a character, not just an environment.
Moana’s hair required an entirely new animation system because it played such a crucial role in her design.
Dwayne Johnson practiced singing for months, wanting You’re Welcome to sound authentic.
The creative team collaborated with the Oceanic Story Trust, a collective of Pacific Islander anthropologists, cultural experts, historians, and navigators.
Moana’s canoe is modeled after traditional Polynesian outrigger voyaging vessels, which the directors personally learned to sail.

Inspirations and References

Loosely inspired by Polynesian mythology and the real historical period known as the long pause in Pacific voyaging.
Maui is drawn from Polynesian legends, though adapted to a more comedic, family-friendly Disney tone.
Themes of navigation draw from traditional wayfinding, an ancient non-instrumental navigation system based on stars, ocean currents, and birds.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

Early drafts portrayed Moana with several siblings, but she was rewritten as an only child to strengthen her independence.
A deleted version of Maui cast him as more villainous, which was later softened.
An alternate sequence existed where Moana fought a mystical sea creature before meeting Maui.
The ending originally included a more extended “voyaging montage,” eventually shortened to streamline pacing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Moana is not based on a book, but many novelizations exist.
Differences include:

Some books expand on island life and Moana’s internal thoughts.
Maui’s backstory is elaborated on in junior novels and companion texts.
Certain scenes are extended to provide cultural context or character motivation.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Moana as a child being chosen by the ocean.
The “We Know the Way” voyaging revelation sequence.
Moana confronting Te Kā in the parted ocean.
Maui shape-shifting during You’re Welcome.
Tamatoa’s glittering, chaotic “Shiny” number.

Iconic Quotes

“The ocean chose me.”
“I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te Fiti.”
“Sometimes who we wish we were, what we wish we could do… it’s just not meant to be.” – Maui
“You know who you are.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Sven from Frozen appears briefly when Maui tries to shape-shift.
Maui’s tattoos pay homage to classical Polynesian tattoo art.
A tapa cloth in Moana’s home shows a pattern resembling the carpet from Aladdin.
The Kakamora tribe was originally written as cute—but was redesigned to be more threatening.
A boat in the background resembles the one from Lilo & Stitch’s opening.

Trivia

Moana’s name means “ocean” in several Polynesian languages.
Auli’i Cravalho was the final audition of the day and unexpectedly landed the role.
Over 900 people worked on animation for the film.
Moana is the first Polynesian Disney princess.
Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote “How Far I’ll Go” while working on Hamilton.

Why Watch?

Because Moana is one of Disney’s most emotionally resonant stories, pairing breathtaking animation with rich cultural respect. It’s a film about identity, courage, heritage, and finding your own path, with music that stays with you long after the credits roll. If you’re looking for a story that is uplifting, visually stunning, and deeply human, this is it.

Director’s Other Movies

Ron Clements & John Musker also directed:

The Little Mermaid (1989)
Aladdin (1992)
Hercules (1997)
Treasure Planet (2002)
The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Moana (2016)