Film Music Central

While I love Moana very much, there is one section that threatens to derail the film (it doesn’t, but it comes very close) and that is when Moana and Maui visit Lalotai, the realm of monsters, in order to retrieve Maui’s magic fish hook. The hook is currently held by Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement), a gigantic coconut crab with a love for all things shiny (he also hates Maui with a passion). Moana is sent out as bait to distract Tamatoa while Maui grabs the hook, but as this IS a Disney film, the plan quickly turns sideways when the demi-god discovers he can’t change shape like he used to, leaving both our heroes in the clutches of Tamatoa who, at Moana’s previous urging, sings a song about why he’s so fabulous. Here’s an excerpt of the lyrics:

Well, well, well
Little Maui’s having trouble with his look
You little semi-demi-mini-god
Ouch! What a terrible performance
Get the hook! (Get it?)
You don’t swing it like you used to, man

Yet I have to give you credit for my start
And your tattoos on the outside
For just like you I made myself a work of art
I’ll never hide, I can’t, I’m too

Shiny
Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough
Strut my stuff, my stuff is so
Shiny
Send your armies but they’ll never be enough
My shell’s too tough, Maui man

For a Disney song, “Shiny” is definitely out there. According to all the trivia I’ve read, David Bowie served as inspiration for Tamatoa’s performance and vocals, though personally I don’t see the resemblance (if you do please let me know in the comments below!). Like most Disney villains, Tamatoa has a very inflated opinion of himself and has covered most of his shell in glittering treasures (including Maui’s hook). But he’s also shiny in another way: just as he prepares to eat Maui, Tamatoa reveals he’s also bio-luminescent (picture the way certain colors glow under a blacklight) and can appear quite scary when he chooses.

“Shiny” also lets a big secret slip out: Maui didn’t start out as a demi-god. He was actually born a human to mortal parents who, for whatever reason, abandoned him at birth by throwing him into the sea (pretty dark but this IS Disney we’re talking about, they’re masters at slipping in ultra-dark moments).

Far from the ones who abandoned you
Chasing the love of
These humans who made you feel wanted
You tried to be tough
But your armor’s just not hard enough

The gods took pity on baby Maui and made him a demi-god. Ever since Maui has sought the favor of humans in the misguided belief that if he just does enough, they’ll love him forever.

The song also has a number of Easter Eggs that refer back to earlier Disney films. The one’s I’ve found so far include:

Did your granny say listen to your heart? (Pocahontas)
Be who you are on the inside? (Beauty and the Beast and arguably Frozen also)
Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck (The Little Mermaid, Ariel used to get treasures from shipwrecks)
Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough (Aladdin)

I said earlier that “Shiny” almost derails the story because the segment is so….out there…compared to the rest of the film. It feels and sounds so different that it nearly takes me out of the film. That being said, I do like “Shiny,” it’s an interesting song that provides some backstory on Maui and also shows off Moana’s ingenuity (she tricks Tamatoa in beautiful fashion by appealing to his greed with a fake Heart of Te Fiti). What do you think of “Shiny”? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day 🙂

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Moana “You’re Welcome” (2016)

Moana “You’re Welcome” (2016)

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From the very first teaser, I knew I would like the character of Maui. He has everything that’s great about a Disney character: he’s funny, snarky, his tattoos have minds of their own, and he has an amazing magical accessory (in this case, a giant fish hook) that lets him change into different animals! And best of all, he’s brought to life by Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson. Maui, in my opinion, has one of the most awesome proper introductions for a character that I’ve ever seen.

See, Moana’s voyage to find Maui seems to end in disaster when her boat is caught in a storm. Moana begs the ocean for help and finds herself stranded on a desert island…but she isn’t alone! As it turns out, this is the island Maui’s been stranded on for the last thousand years (give or a take a decade) and is he ever surprised to find Moana on the island with him. Maui, shocked that Moana doesn’t know anything about him (besides the fact that he stole the Heart of Te Fiti and cursed the oceans), decides to introduce himself via a song where he says “You’re Welcome” for everything he’s ever done for the humans.

And as it turns out, Maui’s done a LOT over the last few thousand years: he made the sky, brought fire, the winds, created coconut trees, the tides, grass and he even pulled the sun closer to the Earth to make the days longer. Not only that, he’s covered in magical tattoos that represent all of his victories.

Hearing all of this, Moana is in awe of Maui and delighted as she piles her arms full of presents. Which makes the next part rather funny: as the song winds down, Maui begins dropping hints that he’s about to do something sneaky, for instance:

Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay
You’re welcome!
Well, come to think of it, I gotta go

Hey, it’s your day to say you’re welcome
‘Cause I’m gonna need that boat
I’m sailing away, away
You’re welcome!
‘Cause Maui can do anything but float

It turns out that all this time Maui has been plotting to swipe Moana’s boat (well, he is a trickster god among other things, so this isn’t exactly unusual behavior) but first he needs to get Moana out of the way, so at the very end the song’s spell suddenly breaks and she finds herself stuck in a cave, her ‘presents’ nothing but seaweed and old coconuts and Maui covering the entrance with a boulder so she can’t get away!

As I said earlier, this is one of the best character introductions I’ve ever seen: listening to this song tells you everything you need to know about Maui. He’s full of himself, sly and also eager to please (to a point anyways). And honestly, the first time I saw this film I had no idea the Rock could sing this well! I mean I knew he could sing a little but wow he’s got a great voice! This scene also contains some great 2D animation, both in the background and with Maui’s tattoos

What do you think of “You’re Welcome” and Maui’s introduction? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

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See also:

Moana “We Know the Way” (2016)

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After unsuccessfully attempting to sail beyond the reef, Moana’s grandmother Tala decides its time Moana learned about a secret. Hidden deep in a cave behind a waterfall is a fleet of huge ships, far bigger than anything used to fish in the lagoon. At Tala’s urging Moana explores the ships and beats the drum on the largest ship, somehow awakening the spirits of the ancestors who show Moana a vision from the distant past: these ships once sailed all over the ocean, traveling from one island to the next. This journey is narrated by “We Know the Way.”

We read the wind and the sky when the sun is high
We sail the length of the seas on the ocean breeze
At night, we name every star
We know where we are
We know who we are, who we are

Aue, aue
We set a course to find
A brand new island everywhere we roam
Aue, aue
We keep our island in our mind
And when it’s time to find home
We know the way

Aue, aue
We are explorers reading every sign
We tell the stories of our elders in a never-ending chain
Aue, aue
Te fenua, te mālie
Nā heko hakilia
We know the way

These ancient mariners lived for sailing the ocean, using the stars and the great ocean currents to chart their course. Everyone helps during the journey, in much the same way that everyone works together on Motonui. Their identity is completely bound with the ocean. After a certain length of time, the chief passes a special necklace (the same that Moana later wears) to a young warrior (possibly his son?) and the cycle of voyaging continues with that voyager building a new fleet of large ships.

The visual of the ships sailing on the ocean is a wonderfully rendered piece of animation. With the first shot of this massive catamaran coming over a wave, you can feel the weight of the ship in the water. Another favorite shot comes when the children watch dolphins jumping in front of the ships.

This is a part of her history that Moana has never heard, as her father has always maintained that her tribe has always lived on Motonui. She’s overwhelmed to learn that her ancestors were in fact voyagers (which means that her desire to travel on the ocean isn’t abnormal at all!), but this raises a whole new question: if they spent so long voyaging and were so happy doing it, why did they stop?

“We Know the Way” is a wonderful song that I always listen to when I need to feel better. It shows a people who find their identity in who they are as opposed to where they are (go back for example and listen to “Where You Are” and compare it to “We Know the Way.”)

What do you think of “We Know the Way?” Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day 🙂

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See also:

Moana “You’re Welcome” (2016)

Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

Alice in Wonderland “Very Good Advice” (1951)

See also:

Alice in Wonderland “In a World of My Own” (1951)

Alice in Wonderland “All in the Golden Afternoon” (1951)

Alice in Wonderland “The Un-Birthday Song” (1951)

Alice in Wonderland “The Walrus and the Carpenter” (1951)

Alice in Wonderland “Painting the Roses Red” (1951)

Hercules “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” (1997)

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In Disney’s Hercules, Megara (“Meg”) is hardly the typical Disney princess-type (I know she’s not actually a princess but she’s inserted into that character slot). Unlike other Disney princesses, like Snow White, Aurora, even Belle, Meg is cynical, snarky, rebellious, and the older I get the more I identify with her. In all seriousness, Meg’s backstory is worthy of any Disney film: she sold her soul to Hades to save her boyfriend’s life, only to be abandoned when said boyfriend left her for another woman (though personally I’ve always suspected that Hades lured the boyfriend away on purpose so he could use Meg as a slave).

With everything that’s happened to her, it’s no wonder that Meg is resistant to the idea that she’s falling in love with the god-turned-mortal Hercules. After all, allegedly Meg’s only getting close to him to find a weakness so that Hades will release her from their bargain. However, the more you watch them, the more it becomes obvious that Meg does have feelings for the hero. But once Hercules is dragged away by Phil, she quickly denies it (which naturally draws the attention of the Muses, setting up one of my favorite songs).

If there’s a prize for rotten judgment,
I guess I’ve already won that
No man is worth the aggravation
That’s ancient history
Been there, done that

Who d’you think you’re kiddin’?
He’s the earth and heaven to ya
Try to keep it hidden
Honey, we can see right through ya
Girl, you can’t conceal it
We know how you feel
And who you’re thinking of

In “I Won’t Say I’m in Love,” Meg spends nearly the entire song arguing against the Muses claims that she’s in love with Hercules. It’s an unwitting duet, as Meg doesn’t seem to realize she’s singing with the Muses, rather it’s almost like she’s replying to the thoughts in her head, though there are a few moments where Meg will turn really fast, as if she suspects there’s someone singing with her.

No chance, no way
I won’t say it, no, no

You swoon, you sigh,
Why deny it? Uh-oh

It’s too cliché
I won’t say I’m in love

The biggest thing holding Meg back is that she’s been hurt before and she doesn’t want it to happen again. It’s summed up very well in this verse:

I thought my heart had learned its lesson
It feels so good when you start out
My head is screaming “Get a grip, girl!”
Unless you’re dying to cry your heart out

You keep on denying
Who you are and how you’re feeling
Baby, we’re not buying
Hon, we saw you hit the ceiling
Face it like a grown-up
When you gonna own up
That you got, got, got it bad?

No chance, no way
I won’t say it, no, no
Give up, give in
Check the grin; you’re in love

This scene won’t play
I won’t say I’m in love
You’re doin’ flips, read our lips:
You’re in love!

You’re way off base, I won’t say it
Get off my case, I won’t say it
Girl, don’t be proud
It’s okay, you’re in love

Ohhh…
At least out loud,
I won’t say I’m in love

I think anyone who’s been in a relationship gone bad can identify with this feeling and how painful it can be. It’s no wonder Meg is resisting any idea of love. However, despite this, Meg is able to admit, to herself that “At least out loud, I won’t say I’m in love.” So by the end of the song, despite her fears, Meg is at least open to the idea of being in love again, though I don’t think she 100% realizes it until the end of the film (but that’s another story for another day).

And that’s “I Won’t Say I’m in Love.” What do you think of this song? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day 🙂

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂

See also:

Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

Hercules “Gospel Truth” (1997)

Hercules “Gospel Truth II & III” (1997)

Hercules “Go the Distance” (1997)

Hercules “One Last Hope” (1997)

Hercules “Zero to Hero” (1997)

Disturbing Disney #19: Cinderella’s dress is destroyed (1950)

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Cinderella-disneyscreencaps.com-4593.jpg

There’s no denying that Cinderella goes through some pretty awful things before her happily ever after. Her father dies; she’s treated like a servant in her own home; Lady Tremaine (her stepmother) seems determined to make sure that Cinderella gets nothing while Anastasia and Drizella (her daughters) get everything. Knowing all of this, it’s surprising when, after receiving the invitation to the royal ball, Lady Tremaine agrees that Cinderella can go, provided she has a suitable dress of course. Even as a child I knew that something horrible was coming, but it never stopped me from being shocked and upset at what happens to poor Cinderella.

As I’ve related earlier, while Cinderella is worked ragged getting her stepsisters ready for the ball, her mice and bird friends work together to brighten up a dress that belonged to Cinderella’s mother. This involves using a sash and necklace that Anastasia and Drizella threw away (but keep in mind Cinderella doesn’t know this). Finally, as the others are leaving for the ball, Cinderella races down the stairs to join them, much to their surprise.

Lady Tremaine is nothing but a woman of her word…but she can’t help pointing out a few of the details on the dress, such as the necklace (which you know she recognized as her daughter’s) saying “These beads, they make just the right touch. Don’t you think so Drizella?”

These words serve as the trigger for the disturbing portion of this scene and I must say for a long time I wasn’t able to watch this part of the film at all. Having gone through a lot of bullying as a child and teenager, seeing Cinderella basically get attacked by her stepsisters brought back a lot of painful memories, as I’m sure it does for a lot of people watching this scene. But getting back to the scene…Drizella is halfway through an insult when she realizes the necklace belonged to her, prompting her to call Cinderella a thief and rip the necklace away. Of course Cinderella doesn’t understand why Drizella is upset, she had no idea the necklace belonged to her. And upon further inspection, Anastasia realizes the sash belonged to her so she rips it away and everything devolves into a frenzy, with the two sisters ripping Cinderella’s dress apart while Lady Tremaine just watches with a smug look on her face. It’s hard to tell what Drizella and Anastasia are saying, but one line has always jumped out at me: just before Lady Tremaine stops the torment, Drizella gets right in Cinderella’s face and yells “You ungrateful little-”

Ungrateful?? This is one of the most delusional lines I’ve ever heard. Cinderella waits on her stepsisters hand and foot and just because she wants to attend the ball in a homemade dress, that makes her ungrateful? Not to mention they’re only living in this beautiful mansion because Lady Tremaine married Cinderella’s father, I suspect the house belongs to Cinderella by right. This is just abuse, plain and simple.

What bugs me also is why Lady Tremaine lets them do this. She could have very easily just told Cinderella “No, you’re not going, I lied” and then left. No, she clearly wants Cinderella to suffer as well for no reason, which really puts her up there with the worst of the Disney villains.

In the end, of course, the dress, her mother’s dress, probably one of the few things of her mother Cinderella has left, is in ruins. Satisfied that her stepdaughter won’t be going anywhere, Lady Tremaine ushers her daughters out and smugly wishes Cinderella “good night.” Even though this directly leads into Cinderella meeting the Fairy Godmother and getting her beautiful gown, I can barely stand to watch this scene for the reasons previously mentioned. It puts you on an emotional roller coaster that is hard to get away from.

What do you think about the scene where Cinderella’s dress is torn apart by her stepsisters? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and have a great day!

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Disturbing Disney #2: The truth of Pleasure Island in Pinocchio (1940)

Disturbing Disney #3: Escaping Monstro from Pinocchio (1940)

Disturbing Disney #4: Dumbo loses his mother (1941)

Disturbing Disney #5 The death of Bambi’s Mother

Disturbing Disney #6: Faline vs. the dogs (1942)

Disturbing Disney #7: Cruella wants to do WHAT??

Disturbing Disney #8: The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met (from Make Mine Music, 1946)

Disturbing Disney #9: Dr. Facilier’s Fate (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)

Disturbing Disney #10: The rat in Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Disturbing Disney #11: Clayton’s Death in Tarzan (1999)

Disturbing Disney #12: The Bear from The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Disturbing Disney #13: “Smoking them out” in The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Disturbing Disney #14: The Salt Trap in The Jungle Book (1994)

Disturbing Disney #15: Night on Bald Mountain from Fantasia (1940)

Disturbing Disney #16: King Triton destroys Ariel’s grotto

Disturbing Disney #17: Ratigan becomes a monster in The Great Mouse Detective

Disturbing Disney #18: The Queen’s assignment for her Huntsman

Disturbing Disney #20: Quasimodo is crowned ‘King of Fools’ (1996)

Moana “How Far I’ll Go (reprise)” (2016)

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Given how vigilant Moana’s father is about no one leaving the island, I was curious to see how his daughter would manage to get away. The moment arrives, rather shockingly, when Grandmother Tala is revealed to be dying (a fan theory speculates that this is because she gave the Heart of Te Fiti to Moana that had hitherto been keeping her alive all these years). Moana is deeply upset, but Tala, knowing that this is her granddaughters only chance to get away, tells her to go and find Maui. This is absolutely heartbreaking: Moana doesn’t want to leave her grandmother without properly saying goodbye, but she also wants to set things right for the island. So she heads for the boats, which starts off the reprise of “How Far I’ll Go.”

There’s a line where the sky meets the sea and it calls me
But no one knows, how far it goes
All the time wondering where I need to be is behind me
I’m on my own, to worlds unknown

There’s a surprising moment when Moana is gathering supplies at her home: her mother Sia finds her and there’s a long stretch where they just stare at each other. And without saying a word Sia shows her support by throwing in some more supplies and giving them to Moana. She’s heartbroken but she also knows this is something her daughter has to do (I have a suspicion she’s known this for a while now).

Every turn I take, every trail I track
Is a choice I make, now I can’t turn back
From the great unknown where I go alone
Where I long to be

Having selected her boat and pushed it out into the lagoon, Moana looks back at the island and then comes my favorite part of this scene. All of the lights go out in the big hut and a huge manta ray spirit comes flying into the water. The manta is wonderfully animated, shining with bioluminescence in a design that matches the tattoo Tala had. Earlier, Tala had revealed a manta ray tattoo on her back, revealing that she would come back as one when she died. Moana sees this spirit and knows its her grandmother guiding her out to sea. This moment, I admit, always brings tears to my eyes because, despite being beautiful to see, it also means that her beloved grandmother is gone.

See her light up the night in the sea, she calls me
And yes I know that I can go
There’s a moon in the sky and the wind is behind me
Soon I’ll know how far I’ll go

With the help of Tala’s spirit, Moana is guided beyond the lagoon with far less fuss than I thought there might be. I admit, when I first watched this film in the theater, I half expected to hear her father pleading for Moana to come back, but nothing of the sort happened. On another random note, I’m really glad her father didn’t follow through on his threat of burning the boats. When he said “I should’ve burned those boats years ago” I had a strong flashback to King Triton just before he destroyed the grotto in The Little Mermaid and for a moment I believed we were going to get a repeat of that scenario.

I hope you enjoyed “How Far I’ll Go (reprise)” I hope I can come back and finish the rest of the songs from Moana sooner rather than later. Let me know what you thought of this song in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Moana “You’re Welcome” (2016)