'Moana' a lushly visualized Walt Disney musical adventure

Just when you think Walt Disney's animators couldn't possibly match 2016's earlier imaginative trip to the fantastic "Zootopia," now comes "Moana," a contemporary musical adventure that defies a few antiquated Disney conventions while exploiting a few others that still work.

The catchy, clever songs - co-written by "Hamilton" wunderkind Lin-Manuel Miranda - don't quite match the memory-etching tunes from "Frozen." But they bond with composer Mark Mancina's score and Samoan musician Opetaia Tavita Foa'i's vivid artistry to complete a lively musical picture as seductively immersive as the eyeball-arresting, computer-generated 3-D visuals that shoot to new heights of zowie!

The story begins in the Polynesian village of Motunui where the chief, Tui (Temuera Morrison), warns his little daughter Moana (pronounced "Moe-ahna") that nobody can go beyond the great reef, even though her curiosity draws her there.

Early on, we know Moana is special. The sea itself (marvelously rendered in sparkling crystalline beauty) moves aside for her and later assists her as a supernatural ally.

Moana becomes a strong-willed teen princess (voiced by Hawaiian newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, gifted with a lyrically robust, enchanting voice and engaging personality). She is determined to break a long-term curse put upon her people after a naughty, giant-hook-brandishing demigod named Maui (a charming, self-effacing Dwayne Johnson) stole the "heart" of the island goddess.

Facing dire situations, Moana defies her father by sailing beyond the reef, assisted by the powerful ocean and her multicolored pet chicken Heihei (Alan Tudyk), a bug-eyed comic sidekick.

Moana soon teams up with Maui, a burly mountain of muscles adorned with animated tattoos. Together, they face off with a conventional Disney arch-villain, a fiery lava god, Chernabog.

Disney's obligatory romantic subplot disappears here. Moana and Maui become good friends on their adventure, one that affirms the courage and leadership qualities the teen will doubtlessly employ once she returns to her appreciative homeland.

"Moana" finally and firmly corrects the criticism heaped on earlier Disney projects, especially "Aladdin," accused by critics of angelo-izing the look of ethnic characters and their stories to appeal to white audiences. Johnson hails from a Polynesian background, with Morrison, Rachel House (Moana's wise grandmother) and Jemaine Clement (a crabby character named Tamatoa) all New Zealand Maori.

Parts of "Moana" recycle vintage Disney bits. Others utterly surprise us.

"I did not see that coming!" Maui mutters.

Neither did we.