Some enjoy the movie but believe Maui should have been portrayed as a warrior. As a proud Polynesian woman, it's not often that you see a film like Moana come out. It headlines our Pasifika culture, and it's lead by our Polynesian artists in the industry.

Polynesian perspectives on Disney's Moana are diverse, ranging from high-fidelity appreciation for the representation to significant cultural critique. Many Polynesians felt a sense of pride seeing their wayfinding heritage, traditional tattoos, and the pounamu stone featured on a global stage, especially through the work of the "Oceanic Story Trust." However, the film faced backlash for its portrayal of the demigod Maui, whom some described as an offensive, "overweight" caricature of a sacred figure usually depicted as a lithe, powerful youth. Others noted that the film "homogenized" distinct cultures—Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, and Hawaiian—into a single fictional island, Motunui. While many Pacific Islanders enjoy the film as a fun animated musical that inspired a new generation of pride, there is a consistent "high-fidelity" call for Western studios to respect the nuances between different island nations rather than treating the vast Pacific as a single, interchangeable aesthetic.