Moana, a South Seas musical set in ancient Polynesia, was the first children's movie to enter my wheelhouse once it became clear that Wolf and Annabelle, then 4 years old, were going to be a major part of my life. (I was told to expect Frozen, but I still haven't seen that one; Moana, on the other hand, I have watched more times than I can count.

And you know what? I really like it. Moana, the bold daughter of an island chieftain who fears the sea, wins your heart from the minute she toddles onto the screen as the only child who enjoys her grandmother's scary mythological stories. The story we see -- and, hence, the one that will matter to the plot -- is the creation tale of the island goddess Te Fiti, whose literal heart was stolen by the puckish demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson), bringing about a thousand years of growing darkness that will, Gramma Tala (Rachel House) says, eventually destroy their home.

Toddler Moana quickly proves her boldness and her desire to explore the ocean, even at an early age. (The ocean itself, with playful waves, proves to be an ally in this.) But her father, Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison) forbids it.

Moana grows into a young woman (Auli'i Cravalho) who increasingly believes the future of her island -- and its people, who are threatened with starvation -- lies beyond the reefs that protect them. When her grandmother, who encouraged Moana to pursue her dream, dies, the girl steals a small boat and, with a glowing green stone and a stowaway rooster, sets sail for the horizon and Maui, who she believes lives in exile and is the only one who can restore Te Fiti's heart.

Adventures commence.

This is a pretty awesome film, from characters to plot, animation to music.

Cravalho, in the lead role, has the most dramatic and poignant songs, but for my money the most memorable come from Maui (Johnson surprises me, even though his singing voice isn't his strongest suit) and a giant crab named Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement).

Cravalho's Moana is lively, perky and stubborn, resolute in her desire to fix the world. Maui, on the other hand, appears at first to be the film's antagonist but ends up being lovable, fun and pretty darn indispensable.

The animation is fluid and colorful, gorgeously capturing the Polynesian islands.

And the plot is another strong story in which a young woman makes her way without relying on male characters to save her (without mocking the men, either). The adventure is fast-moving, funny, exciting and -- with the exception of a strange side plot involving pirate coconuts -- a lot of fun.

I even sometimes find myself humming the music.