Moana

Following in the footsteps of Brave and Frozen, here's another Disney animated feature that puts a spirited young woman at the heart of the action. Teenager Moana (voiced and beautifully sung by Hawaiian actress Auli'i Cravalho) is a future leader of her community but has always been told never to leave the shores of her tropical isle. The sea itself has other ideas, however, beckoning Moana towards a dangerous journey, shared with shape-shifting demigod Maui (a splendid Dwayne Johnson), in which she'll confront the darkness threatening to engulf this earthly paradise. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements - responsible for old-school Disney classics The Little Mermaid and Aladdin - here pull off a remarkable feat in matching the traditional musical-led story values of a previous generation with the startling creative possibilities of today's digital technology, all the while paying tribute to Polynesian faith, culture and seafaring traditions in a way that's generously inclusive rather than tokenistic. With a captivating heroine, a startling array of gods and monsters, as well as a simply storming set of tunes, this brings together the best of Disney past and present in one knockout entertainment.