Disney’s “Moana” doesn’t hit theaters until the day before Thanksgiving, but you can already buy officially licensed Halloween costumes inspired by the PG-rated cartoon, a story that is based on a Polynesian myth.
One of the costumes, however, has caused a stir on social media, with detractors lamenting that it is disrespectful, if not racist.
As Variety reported on Monday, the costume for the character of the Polynesian god Maui “consist[s] of a brown bodysuit with tattoos” and has some people up in arms.
Variety sampled some of the negative reactions.
“As a Poly I support our folk involved in #MOANA. But this? NO.Our Brown Skin/Ink’s NOT a costume,” complained user @livinoffthegrid in a tweet on Sunday.
“We are not a costume. Say no to this #Moana @TheRock,” wrote Robyn Lucas on Sunday, addressing the Twitter handle for Dwayne Johnson, the actor who voices the Polynesian god Maui in the film. Mr. Johnson, who went by the stage name “The Rock” earlier in his career as a professional wrestler, is of Samoan descent on his mother’s side of the family.
Mr. Johnson has not replied to the criticism on Twitter nor did Disney respond to Variety’s requests for comment.
Earlier this year, a Samoan professional rugby player blasted Disney for the size of the Maui character in the forthcoming movie.
“Maui looking like after he fished up the islands, he deep fried ’em and and ate ’em,” snarked Eliota Fuimanono Sapolu on his Facebook page, reported KCTV5.com in June. The “[t]hree hottest men in Hollywood are Polynesian, but Disney’s Polynesian Maui is half pig, half hippo,” Mr. Sapolu also complained in the same Facebook posting.
According to the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com), the PG-rated “Moana” follows the adventures of the title character — voiced by teenage Hawaiian actress Auli’i Cravalho — as she “uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island.”
“Moana is such an amazing character. She’s brave, she is so empowered, she knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to get it, and I think that’s something that I can relate to as well,” said Miss Cravalho, according to imdb.com. “I just love watching how she goes along in this wonderful movie and grows as a person and helps her culture along the way.”
“Moana” hits U.S. theaters on Wednesday, Nov. 23, which happens to be one day after Miss Cravalho turns 16.
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