Maybe it's surprising that Moana hasn't popped up on the Couch until now, especially considering we've already talked about the more recent Encanto, but the gang agrees that it's a great way to kick off our post-200 slate of episodes with gorgeous and cutting-edge animation, excellent dual protagonists, a penchant for the mythology of the Pacific Islands, and Lin Manuel Miranda's well-crafted post-Hamilton soundtrack. Perhaps the fact that we've already discussed progenitor Frozen and successor Encanto gives us a bit more perspective on this film, letting us compare the songs and the narrative strengths of these "movie-musicals"—and, perhaps, the weakness of two of its primary antagonists. Content warning: SPOILERS, strong language.
