I didn’t know what to expect when I went to see “Moana.” The previews were pretty vague, but I think that seems to be a trend with Disney now: only showing concepts, not the basis of the plot.

Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) continues the admirable pattern of recent Disney princesses: she’s a much more realistic and rounded character. Moana is definitely a princess people could be proud to have little girls look up to. She doesn’t just sleep and sing; she is fiercely determined, independent but also kind. She even claims she’s “not a princess” when Maui (Dwayne Johnson) quite comically calls her a typical heroine with an animal companion.

Of course, I have to knock the film down a bit more for the cliches. I know it’s a children’s film, but I’m kind-of sick of the “you came back” trope. And in a desperate attempt to make Maui’s character a bit more developed, an obviously rushed backstory was put in that could’ve been better placed, acted and developed. To be fair though, Johnson didn’t have a lot to work with.

However, just like the lantern scene from “Tangled,” the graphics were beautiful. I was in awe. From the plain island scenery to unique scenes with elements of luminescence, the animation was stellar.

As excited as I was to see that Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and writer of “Hamilton,” had a role in the music of the film, I ended up rather disappointed. Disney songs are notorious for being upbeat, with catchy melodies that you love until the little ones start singing them every waking moment of their lives (hint hint “Frozen”). Although there was one catchy tune, “You’re Welcome” performed by Dwayne Johnson, the rest of the score was kind-of underwhelming and repetitive. “Shiny” has to go down as possibly the lamest Disney villain song in history. Pretty fitting to accompany the lamest villain.

I don’t know if this is a spoiler, but…“Moana’s” greatest strength as a film is in what it lacks: a love interest. The movie doesn’t try to build some cheesy romantic subplot, and I have to appreciate that. After all, the girl is obviously in her teens. She doesn’t need to be shipped off to marriage; the open ocean is hers to take alone. The movie is her journey of self-discovery, and that’s all it needs to be.

“Moana” is cute, but not quite on par with the other Disney princess movies of this generation. It’s still worth a watch though.

B-