Moana (Mark Mancina)

[Thor 7,466]

Couldn't find a previous thread on this.

 

I saw the movie a few days ago, at an early press screening. It premieres here in Norway in the beginning of February. I absolutely LOVED it! There's an important environmental message in it, of course, but it's mostly an envelopping story set to the Pacific islands.

 

The score and songs were great too, but I must admit I wasn't as taken with the score on album, for some reason.

 

I have a brief interview with the directors, John Musker and Ron Clements, in about 45 minutes, so I've been in a kind of "Moana Mood" for the last few days.  

[Thor 7,466]

Really? No one has seen this or heard the score?

[Bespin 8,480]

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Great songs in this.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

3 hours ago, Thor said:

Really? No one has seen this or heard the score?

It's a good score but nothing special. 

[Smeltington 1,436]

Loved the film, and I've been listening to the songs over and over. They really grow on you. The score, on the other hand, isn't on the same level. I actually rearranged the songs and score on the OST in chronological order, thinking the story felt "incomplete" with just the songs (as arranged in the first 12 album tracks). But then I ended up only listening to it that way a couple times, and just playing the songs in OST order! The score toward the last act of the film tends to drag, in particular.

 

I did like that some of the material from the songs appeared in the score, although this could have been used more. There were also a couple good moments in the score that stood on their own, like Battle of Wills.

 

But regardless of the merely adequate score, the film and songs have been so much fun, it was a great antidote to all the uninspired entries in a lot of my favorite film franchises last year.

[Thor 7,466]

Awesome! Some comments!

 

I largely agree with you, Smeltington. The score drags a bit towards the end of the album, but otherwise some great highlights. I think I need to make a playlist eventually. It's strange to me how the score felt absolutely SUPERB in the film, but less engaging on album. Maybe because I was stuck in the 'highlight' sequences.

 

I also dig the songs, including Miranda's FROZEN "soundalike" main song (wouldn't be surprised if this takes home the Oscar).

 

However, I absolutely loved the film -- one of the best animated films I've seen in years. The final confrontation, in particular, left me with a severe throat lump. But so many great setpieces and such a colourful universe. No surprise, coming from Musker and Clements. Speaking of which, the interview went well, but I only got 10 minutes up in a luxury suite here in Oslo, and they were very talkative. I managed to get some comments on THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE, THE LITTLE MERMAID, ALADDIN, HERCULES and MOANA. Had to skip my questions for TREASURE PLANET and the excellent THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, unfortunately. It'll be published next week, but I've translated it to Norwegian.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Cool!

 

Any chance of reading the interview in English?

[Thor 7,466]

15 minutes ago, Mr. Breathmask said:

Cool!

 

Any chance of reading the interview in English?

 

There's Google Translate. But I also have my hurried transcription notes from the recording device, in English. I could post them once the interview is out.

[Smeltington 1,436]

The score definitely works in the film, there just wasn't much to discover when listening to it on its own. But it was very effective at simply supporting the events onscreen. Did you have any favorite cues, Thor?

 

And I would love to read your interview notes in English when and if you're able to share them!

 

The film itself somehow managed to draw from at least half of the Disney Renaissance films in very obvious ways, but still feel fresh. And it was a joy to watch in 3D... the water effects were especially gorgeous. Nice character animation as well, and it was good to see a little 2D animation worked in there, with Maui's tattoos.

 

 

[Thor 7,466]

What impressed me was that M&C were able to draw on the maturity of the writing in PRINCESS, to create fullbodied characters and highly emotional moments without becoming unneccessarily saccharine. These guys really know what they're doing, and their films always stand apart from most of the other animated films coming out every year. Even commercial and critical 'misses' like TREASURE PLANET and HERCULES have that quality.

 

Not sure about favourite cues yet. I'll have to go through the album properly -- but definitely some of the more 'tribal' stuff. Less keen on the mickey-mousey action stuff.

[Thor 7,466]

Here is my interview:

 

http://montages.no/2017/02/en-helt-ny-jord-en-samtale-med-de-legendariske-disney-regissorene-john-musker-og-ron-clements/

 

Hopefully, Google Translate will do the trick. But if it turns out non-sensical, I can post my transcription notes.

[Kevin 22]

I saw this movie when it first came out, I found it to be rather generic with the best part of the movie being the special effects.

 

The main ballad is a lovely one. The other songs were so-so.

 

I don't remember much of the score in the movie.

[Thor 7,466]

I didn't find anything generic about it at all. A very heartwarming, engrossing narrative (the finale just breaks my heart!), beautiful scenery, wonderful music and songs and a great sense of maturity -- much like their last film THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Looks like typical Disney child fodder to me. I don't know why anyone who's not a parent would bother with this.

[Thor 7,466]

See the movie first, and then get back to me. There's plenty to enjoy for adults here, as there always is in good animated movies (from Disney or otherwise).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

They are fine pre-adolescent entertainment.

[Thor 7,466]

Sorry to hear that you've lost the child within you and the ability to be moved and entertained by high quality animation films.

[Wojo 2,453]

Steef had a miscarriage? I'm so sorry, when did this happen? 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I don't like to talk about it.

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

I just watched it today. Loved it, songs were good, score seemed fine too.

 

Now I'm confused by the different CD releases. Obviously there's the international and the European English version, due to the title change in Europe, but there's also a deluxe edition of which I can't quite make out if there's anything relevant on it that's missing on the regular releases.

 

What are the significant differences between these versions, and is there anything other than the name that's different between the US and Euro versions, and if so does it make one preferable over the other?

 

7 hours ago, Stefancos said:

They are fine pre-adolescent entertainment.

 

I find most Disney films more appearling than 90% of the super hero films and most of the mindless popcorn cinema stuff. Plus most of them are actually really good.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

They are just another market segment product line in Disney's entertainment range!

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

To be more precise: I was of course talking about Disney's main series of animated films.

[Thor 7,466]

18 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

What are the significant differences between these versions, and is there anything other than the name that's different between the US and Euro versions, and if so does it make one preferable over the other?

 

I was confused by that at first too, but it seems like the "Deluxe" version is the same as the 'regular' version, only that it has a second disc with demos, alternates, song covers etc. I have a digital copy of the Deluxe, but I quickly deleted the second disc which is mostly uninteresting to me; next in line is trying to weed down the score to a listenable format -- right now, there's too much music and too whimsical in presentation (I think it's chronological). Once that is done, though, I should have a great album, some 50 minutes, with both the songs and score.

 

I know nothing about any difference between a US and Euro version, however.

[Luke Skywalker 1,792]

14 minutes ago, Thor said:

 next in line is trying to weed down the score to a listenable format -- right now, there's too much music and too whimsical in presentation (I think it's chronological). Once that is done, though, I should have a great album, some 50 minutes, with both the songs and score.

Ahhh no no. You have to stick with the composer original intentions and swallow everything he threw you in the "listening experience 1st release OST"

 

J/K

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

22 minutes ago, Thor said:

I know nothing about any difference between a US and Euro version, however.

 

Well, the lyrics at least are different, obviously. Question is, is that all.

 

Hard to judge your criticism of the expanded version, of course. Most of the stuff on disc 2 seems irrelevant to me, but the two (iirc) instrumentals might or might not be nice to have. As far as I remember, Frozen had one of the best score tracks only on the bonus disc.

[Jay 37,287]

On 2/5/2017 at 3:29 AM, Stefancos said:

Looks like typical Disney child fodder to me. I don't know why anyone who's not a parent would bother with this.

 

What an odd thing to say.  Disney had literally been making films that both children and adults enjoy for almost a hundred years.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

In your opinion!

[Jay 37,287]

No, not really, its a pretty well established fact.  Do you actually think the company would have 61 Oscars if only children liked their films?

[Thor 7,466]

No, that's not really an opinion. Adults HAVE been enjoying these films for decades -- up to an including such critically lauded films as UP, INSIDE OUT, FROZEN and this.