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Moana poster

Movies that feel likeMoana (2016)

In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.

If you loved Moana, the closest films we have are Hercules (1997), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015) and Madagascar (2005). All three share Moana's epic and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is ParaNorman (2012).

🍅 96% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.6 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. John Muskerepicwittyplayfulwarmcozywhimsical
8 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max · Hulu · Disney Plus

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If Moana hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Moana 2 (2024)

Hercules poster
Hercules
1997 · dir. John Musker
🍅 83%★ 7.3animation · family · fantasyDisney+

John Musker directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: Trades the play of Moana for an angle of its own

Bestowed with superhuman strength, a young mortal named Hercules sets out to prove himself a hero in the eyes of his father, the great god Zeus. Along with his friends Pegasus, a flying horse, and Phil, a personal trainer, Hercules is tricked by the hilarious, hotheaded villain Hades, who's plotting to take over Mount Olympus!

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water poster
🍅 80%★ 6adventure · animation · comedyParamount+

An ocean quest powered by pure cartoon optimism

The difference: Absurdist gag barrage — mythic feeling not included

Evil pirate Burger Beard is in search of the final page of a magical book that makes any evil plan he writes in it come true, but the final page happens to be the Krabby Patty secret formula. When Burger Beard endangers Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Squidward, Sandy, and Plankton must embark on a quest to retrieve the recipe and save their city...a quest that takes them to the surface world and transforms them into superheroes.

Madagascar poster
Madagascar
2005 · dir. Eric Darnell
🍅 55%★ 6.9adventure · animation · comedy

An island adventure about figuring out where you belong

The difference: Zoo-animal shtick — jokes carry it, not heart or myth

Four animal friends get a taste of the wild life when they break out of captivity at the Central Park Zoo and wash ashore on the island of Madagascar.

Zootopia poster
Zootopia
2016 · dir. Byron Howard
🍅 98%★ 8animation · adventure · familyDisney+

A driven newcomer proving everyone wrong about what she can be

The difference: Urban buddy-mystery — clever over stirring, no big songs

Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny on Zootopia's police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case - even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve the mystery.

Penguins of Madagascar poster
Penguins of Madagascar
2014 · dir. Simon J. Smith
🍅 74%★ 6.6family · animation · adventure

A plucky team on a globe-spanning caper

The difference: Nonstop spy spoofery — zero mythic weight

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private join forces with undercover organization The North Wind to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world as we know it.

Toy Story 4 poster
Toy Story 4
2019 · dir. Josh Cooley
🍅 96%★ 7.6family · comedy · animationDisney+

Epic and witty in the same breath

Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, devoted to taking care of his kid—whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But after Bonnie creates a reluctant new toy called "Forky", a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends challenges everything Woody believes about loyalty, purpose, and what it truly means to be a toy.

The Angry Birds Movie poster
The Angry Birds Movie
2016 · dir. Clay Kaytis
🍅 44%★ 6.3animation · adventure · comedyParamount+

Island misfits rising when their home comes under threat

The difference: App-brand gag machine — nothing sacred, nothing stirring

An island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red, a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck, and the volatile Bomb have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.

Storks poster
Storks
2016 · dir. Doug Sweetland
🍅 65%★ 6.8adventure · animation · comedy

An unlikely duo on a mission that teaches them what matters

The difference: Frenetic delivery-gag plotting — no cultural soul

Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for a global internet retail giant. Junior, the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl...

Rio poster
Rio
2011 · dir. Carlos Saldanha
🍅 72%★ 6.9animation · adventure · comedyDisney+

A musical journey of self-discovery in a lush tropical world

The difference: Carnival energy over legend — stakes stay small

Captured by smugglers when he was just a hatchling, a macaw named Blu never learned to fly and lives a happily domesticated life in Minnesota with his human friend, Linda. Blu is thought to be the last of his kind, but when word comes that Jewel, a lone female, lives in Rio de Janeiro, Blu and Linda go to meet her. Animal smugglers kidnap Blu and Jewel, but the pair soon escape and begin a perilous adventure back to freedom -- and Linda.

Trolls poster
Trolls
2016 · dir. Mike Mitchell
🍅 76%★ 6.4adventure · animation · comedy

Song-driven positivity on a colorful rescue quest

The difference: Pop-covers sugar rush — bright but weightless

After the monstrous Bergens invade Troll Village, Princess Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and overly-cautious, curmudgeonly outcast Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends. Their mission is full of adventure and mishaps, as this mismatched duo try to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done.

Mulan II poster
Mulan II
2004 · dir. Darrell Rooney
★ 5.7animation · comedy · familyDisney+

A determined heroine balancing duty against her own path

The difference: Direct-to-video sequel — a steep drop in craft

Fa Mulan gets the surprise of her young life when her love, Captain Li Shang asks for her hand in marriage. Before the two can have their happily ever after, the Emperor assigns them a secret mission, to escort three princesses to Chang'an, China. Mushu is determined to drive a wedge between the couple after he learns that he will lose his guardian job if Mulan marries into the Li family.

ParaNorman poster
ParaNorman
2012 · dir. Sam Fell
🍅 89%★ 7family · animation · adventureMaxHulu

Common ground: curse

In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock can speak to the dead, but no one other than his eccentric new friend believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's eccentric uncle tells him of a ritual he must perform to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch centuries ago.

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The best-reviewed films that share Moana’s defining feeling.