The follow-up to the highly popular Disney animated feature, Moana, is finally here! The universally praised and beloved film starring Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave audiences everything they could possibly want from a Disney classic: catchy songs, a memorable protagonist, and a celebratory, authentic look into Polynesian mythology and culture.
The return to the world of Moana has been a long time coming. The original premiered 8 years ago and has since become a staple in the cultural consciousness. The film is the most streamed movie on Disney+ and one of the top four streamed movies on any platform over the past five years. This level of success should not be so quickly overlooked, considering the amount of competition Moana has faced from other massive movies that have been featured on various streaming platforms.
Considering this staggering accomplishment, Disney intended to capitalize on Moana’s popularity and planned to do so with a follow-up series. After serious conversations with the studio higher-ups, plans shifted towards making the sequel series into a feature film to more substantially profit from the thriving IP. Despite its valiant attempt, Moana 2 fails to live up to incredible expectations yet still delivers an enjoyable family film.
Moana 2 follows the now highly celebrated Wayfinder embarking on her journeys to find more villages and people to create a valuable connection. In a vision, she is told of a remarkable voyage that will lead her to a sunken island that will accomplish all the goals she has been so desperate to reach. In this journey, Moana gathers a small crew of colourful characters in order to liven her voyage while also having additional help that doesn’t include a small pig and a chicken. Meanwhile, Maui is on his journey, battling other gods who have taken issue with his collaboration with humans. The overly simple story hurts the film quite a bit.
So much of the first film relied on well-earned emotional moments and an uncomplicated yet powerful thematic arc. Moana 2 gives the audience an incredibly easy-to-follow blueprint that relies more on comedic moments and amusing songs that are undoubtedly entertaining but not nearly as impactful as what could’ve been. However, Moana’s character is so remarkably charming that she makes even the most mundane story entertaining. Moana’s newly appointed leadership role is centred on her kindness and understanding, which are leadership qualities not often represented in the media. Moana’s heart becomes the saving grace of the movie.
Maui, on the other hand, suffers significantly in the sequel. His character progression seems to have come to a complete halt. Maui is self-assured yet hollow and doesn’t seem to serve a real purpose other than the occasional motivation and the handling of complex tasks that only a Demigod could do. The character becomes one of the least interesting characters in the film and shockingly gets outshined by the introduction of his rival, Matangi.
Although incredibly brief, Matangi’s character was infinitely more compelling and left a noticeable impression. Her song was quick and not the most memorable, but her character offered a fascinating angle on this fantastic world. Exploring more of her character would’ve been a welcome and somewhat needed decision. The main antagonist, Nalo, also suffers from this treatment as he is relegated to a no-face, no-personality, storm cloud villain who is an emotionless obstacle for the crew to overcome.
The music of the first Moana was one of the most celebrated aspects of the film. Thankfully, Moana 2 features some enjoyable musical numbers and solid arrangements that hold their own against the original. Moana’s main theme, “Beyond,” is a very strong main ballad that is certainly worthy of attention. The others may not be as impressive, but they are undoubtedly a blast when heard in the story’s context. The team had difficult shoes to fill and were able to make a genuinely joyful Disney musical experience.
The stellar animation is another noteworthy quality of the original film, and the sequel follows that trend with some stunning work. Moana 2 is a notably well-crafted film from the colour to the amazing detail. There are, however, moments where the initial idea of a smaller-scale sequel is seen in certain shots. It’s difficult to follow in the footsteps of other recent Disney animated features, considering the amount of effort and time specifically invested in each.
Moana 2 has a lot of intention and artistic vision yet fails to take into account the massive gap between the two films. There seems to be a regression in the thematic elements and the choice to age down the film’s central focus and rely on repetitive comedic bits instead of emotionally resonant moments. Although the film’s protagonist contains so much heart and charm, the story simplifies her journey and doesn’t allow her to truly shine in a way that encompasses the range of her character.
Moana 2 is a heartfelt, enthusiastic attempt at recapturing the allure of the first film but is simply not as emotionally resonant. There is still plenty of fun to be had for the whole family and hilarious bits that are sure to get the kids rolling, but that is where most of the joy ends. The potential is present but ultimately sidestepped in favour of a more appealing, unstimulating version of the film. There is enough to be celebrated but not to create an enduring sequel.
Rating: 7/10