Ever since it was announced back in 2013, I was always in high anticipation for this. At first, it was announced to be scheduled for release in 2018, but thankfully, it was moved up to November 2016. Last year,
Variety wrote that the opening would be reminiscent of the "Circle of Life" opening of
The Lion King, which really raised my expectations. From the trailers and television spots that I've seen so far, the animation continues the painterly style of
Tangled and
Frozen, and I was impressed how fluid the water was rendered to appear in the international trailer.
I have a strong feeling that this will be the best film from Ron Clements and John Musker since
Aladdin. Hopefully, this time around, they will be more respectful of Polynesian mythology than they were with Greek mythology for
Hercules. I am also hopeful than Lin-Manuel Miranda's songs and Mark Mancina (who also worked on the music of
Lion King) will be memorable and great to listen to. As for no love interest for Moana, I can live without it since it may give the film a breath of fresh air though I generally find romance, more often than not when not forced, deepens the story and characters depending on how strong the writing is.
So, I'm crossing my fingers that this will not disappoint since I do plan to see it in theaters.