“ Malo fau and many thanks 'Aisea Matiu for your critical insights into the matter of Moana of huge common interests to us all from across the Great Moana Nui. You certainly raised a number of truly complex albeit critically significant issues vis-a-vis Disney's Moana, thereby justly providing more food for further critical thoughts.
Providing the film was based on the heroic deeds and political exploits of the great Moana hero Maui, where they were collectively a mixture of both comedies and tragedies, respectively defined as the performance arts of the funny (faiva fakaoli) and sad (faiva fakamamahi) things, with both equally entertaining in their own separate and combined ways.
Is the extremely obese, oversized Maui supposed to be funny or sad or both? Are not the totality of the comic and tragic deeds and political exploits of the famous hero Maui the stuff that are meant to be funny or sad or both and NOT at all the person of Maui, especially when he was described in the oral historical accounts solidly-built, athletic and handsome, not to mention being thoughtful, smart and inteligent?
Most, if not all, of these fine, well-thought out comedies and tragedies, where Maui led a perilous and dangerous life, ingeniously deal with the intersection or connection and separation of freedom (tau'ataina) and oppression (popula), where the former was always gained over the latter.
This runs parallel to the artistic and literary works of one of the great Greek comedians and tragedians Sophocles, as in his famous work in tragedy Oedipus the King, which reflectively addresses the intersection or connection and separation of free-will (tau'ataina) and predeterminism (popula).
As far as originality, creativity and innovation are concerned, where do the grand stories of Maui stop and where does Moana begin? Did not Disney's Moana build on the originality, creativity and innovation of the heroic deeds and political exploits of Maui or did they choice to go on their own accord and began anew?
Anyway, there is one thing we think we know, which is that the critical scrutiny by the judging panel of Disney's Moana took to both mind and heart the level of originality, creativity and ingenuity underpinning the film. ”