Walt Disney’s recent trailer release of the highly anticipated movie "Moana" has stirred debate over the movie’s portrayal of the Polynesian demi-god Maui. New Zealand-Tongan MP Jenny Salesa called Disney’s portrayal of Maui “overweight” and a “negative stereotype”.

The trailer of Moana, released three weeks ago has received mostly positive reviews. The movie follows a Polynesian princess named Moana as she searches for a mythical island and throughout her journey is accompanied by the demi-god Maui, who is depicted as a bulky, charismatic, upbeat and heavily tattoed character.

However, some have been less than impressed with the depiction, voicing their concerns that the Maui character stereotypes Polynesians as overweight, while others viewed Maui’s appearance as unattractive and inappropriate. Auckland MP Jenny Salesa stated on her Facebook page that Disney’s Maui resembled a “half pig, half hippo”. She added “When we look at photos of Polynesian men & women from the last 100-200 years, most of our people were not overweight and this negative stereotype of Maui is just not acceptable".

Manu Samoa Fullback, Eliota Fuimanono-Sapolu wrote his impression of Disney’s Maui on Facebook, “Maui looking like after he fished up the Islands, he deep fried em and and ate em”.

In support of Disney’s portrayal of Maui, Tongan-New Zealander Isoa Kavakimotu released a Youtube video which has since attracted more than 60,000 times. Isoa stated in the video “Maui’s body is all about function not aesthetics. If you’ve ever watched a strongman competition – competitors are pushed to their absolute peak. I have nothing against bodybuilders but on competition day bodybuilders are weak.”

“Whenever I look at Maui I do not see an obese man who’s had too much to eat at his aunty’s house and needs to stop eating immediately – I see a demigod who looks like he’s physically capable of fishing up the islands of our ancestors, physically looks like he slowed down the sun that was moving too fast, he looks like he can fight off monsters”.