Moana

Adding a Polynesian princess to the legacy of animated big-screen heroines, Moana is a delightfully breezy adventure that caters to children without forgetting about their parents.

Between the lively musical numbers and a story that delves into the value of legends and traditions as part of an enduring cultural fabric among Pacific Islanders, the film feels like a refreshing change from the glut of animated efforts more concerned with pandering to short attention spans than telling a coherent and compelling story.

It transports us to the Pacific Ocean, where Moana (voiced by Aulii Cravalho) is an outspoken teenager who desires to sail the ocean but is dissuaded by her cautious father (Temuera Morrison).

Then Moana gains knowledge of a fish shortage that threatens the livelihood of her village, and rumors that it’s caused by the stolen heart of a goddess.

Moana takes it upon herself, along with a clumsy chicken sidekick, to use her novice boating skills to track down the supposed thief — a demigod named Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who doesn’t care much about the girl’s misfortune. So she must convince him that a reluctant partnership could be mutually beneficial.

There aren’t a ton of surprises along the way. From the moment her father cautions Moana, “no one goes beyond the reef,” you know exactly where she’s headed. It deals with familiar coming-of-age themes navigated by a strong-willed and precocious protagonist, with some quirky supporting characters — some of the anthropomorphic animal variety — to supply the obligatory comic relief.

Although the second act in the screenplay by Jared Bush (Zootopia) meanders through some contrived episodes of seafaring peril, many kids will identify with the simple lessons of courage and following your heart. And it’s nice that Moana is a smart girl with big-picture goals that boil down to more than just cutesy romance.

The directing tandem of Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin), in their first CGI project after three decades of success in hand-drawn features, offers some colorful and crisply detailed animation, featuring some lush tropical landscapes and elaborate body decorations.

Meanwhile, the soundtrack co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda features a handful of catchy songs, including an amusing upbeat track from Johnson, that give the material a throwback charm.

Heartfelt if not overly sophisticated, Moana is a crowd-pleaser that’s worthwhile for more than just boosting holiday toy sales.

Rated PG, 103 minutes.