‘Moana’ vs. ‘The Little Mermaid’: Exploring Their Striking Similarities

Disney has a long history of adapting fairy tales, frequently from classic tales, with strong heroines and princesses. But as time went on, Disney started to include more culturally rich and varied stories. One well-known example is the 2016 film ‘Moana’, which is set in the ancient Polynesian islands and was influenced by Polynesian mythology. Despite having a novel idea, the movie has a lot in common with ‘The Little Mermaid’, another Disney classic.

A young female protagonist who is trying to define herself and escape her overbearing father is a major element in both ‘Moana’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’. The title character of Moana is a princess from an island nation who longs to travel and feels cut off from her tribe. Similar to this, Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid’ wants to join the human world, but her father prevents her from doing so. The main characters in both movies set out on quests for self-awareness, going against their fathers’ desires and pursuing their own interests.

Image Courtesy: Disney

Additionally, both movies use well-known character tropes and a comparable narrative framework. Ariel’s animal sidekicks, such as Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle, are similar to Moana’s friends, Pua, Hei Hei, and Maui. HeiHei’s early versions highlighted the similarities between the two stories by mirroring Sebastian’s function as Moana’s protective sidekick.

‘Moana’ is notable for its mythology and cultural portrayal, but it also strongly borrows from the Disney template that started with ‘The Little Mermaid’. Despite its efforts to innovate, Disney frequently falls back on tried-and-true clichés and well-known frameworks, as evidenced by the repeating of these fundamental components. ‘Moana’ is positioned for a follow-up in a similar way to franchises like ‘Frozen’, continuing the company’s concentration on reboots and sequels.

–Farheen Ali