by John Tillyard, Contributing Writer
Another year, another in the steadily growing list of sequels from Disney Animation Studios. Interestingly, before 2011, the studio had only made one sequel, The Rescuers Down Under; smaller studios in the Disney corporation had made all other sequels to their films. However, in recent years, Disney has massively embraced making big-budget films based on existing IPs. They’ve produced countless live action remakes of their animated films, and Moana 2 will be the first of three sequels released by the studio over the next four years.
In this followup to the 2016 tale of a young Polynesian girl in ancient times, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) now plans to search for the island of Motunui to try and reconnect the people of the ocean. But unlike her previous adventure where she set out alone, this time Moana puts together a crew to go along with her, the talented artist Moni (Hualālai Chung), who is something of a fanboy for the shape-shifting demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), brainy girl Loto (Rose Matafeo), and old and grumpy farmer Kele (David Fane).
So with a group joining Moana this time, along with the returning chicken Heihei (Alan Tudyk) and pig Pua, there is much more of an opportunity for good camaraderie and shenanigans. It’s also nice that the story gets straight into Moana’s adventure on the ocean. I have always felt that the weakest part of the original is how long it takes for Moana to set out.
The visuals are also on par with those of the original; there is nothing quite as stunning as the climax of the first one. Still, Moana 2 contains many beautiful shots that you could easily see as wallpaper on your computer.
But almost every other aspect of this experience is inferior to the original. The new characters make for a nice change of pace and slightly different types of humor, but they don’t offer up much beyond just the primary job assigned to them on the voyage. There is a more juvenile vibe to the humor here, with many gross-out gags that mostly made me cringe, and one in particular was where I had to look away from the screen. Don’t get me wrong, there are many laughs, but nothing hits in quite the same way; the novelty of Maui’s tattoo has worn off at this point, and there is much less banter between him and Moana. Even Heihei doesn’t get as many laughs this time around.
The plot is perhaps more complex than it needs to be. It works in the original because it’s so straightforward: Moana has the heart of the ocean and must return it to where Maui took it from. There is more to it, but that’s all you need to know to understand things. This time, the plot is similarly clear-cut: Moana and her crew must find an island and raise it from the bottom of the ocean. However, many more characters and conditions are involved in them doing this. There are too many characters for this plot, giving the whole narrative structure a much more cluttered feel.
Additionally, the songs are among the most forgettable I’ve ever heard in an animated Disney story. 2023’s Wishmay not have had anything I’d want to search for on Spotify, but I still remember some of the songs even a year later. Just a few hours after seeing it, I barely remember the singing in Moana 2. I never did any finger-snapping or toe-tapping in my seat while listening to these numbers; they just made me want to listen to “You’re Welcome” again. The songs provide a lot of great visuals, but are severely lacking in anything vocally interesting.
The climax is undoubtedly the most compelling sequence of the story, with an elaborate action sequence that doesn’t overstay its welcome, and a satisfying resolution for the main characters. Some might feel it’s a tad predictable and hits on the common trope that many Disney films do, but I still found it engaging. It would never top the jaw-dropping visuals of the original’s climax, but it is still a gratifying spectacle that feels like something out of a superhero film.
Regarding performances, Matafeo is a decent new addition to the cast. Cravalho is equally as solid as in the previous entry, but outside of that, no one stands out, because they aren’t given enough screen time. I was also surprised Maui doesn’t get more screen time, since he is a fan favorite. There is a distinct issue of too many cooks here, with many characters not getting the chance to be fleshed out. The film was initially planned to be a Disney+ series, which is apparent in how much world building and side characters are set up, and in the aimless nature of the story.
There is some major sequel baiting at the end, and barring a complete disaster at the box office, it’s safe to say there will be a third installment to this franchise, where we can only hope these characters will be fleshed out more. However, as far as Moana 2 is concerned, more development of the new characters was needed.
When viewed as a story alone, Moana 2 is a beautiful l experience with many good visuals and laughs. It will, however, likely leave a sour taste in the mouths of many fans of the original, because it so clearly doesn’t improve on anything. The story and characters aren’t as interesting; the songs are less memorable; the comedy is decent, but doesn’t quite have the charm of the original; the visuals are about on par but by no means better; and the story is a lot less exciting, and at times harder to follow. Like many sequels, the impact of seeing this world and these characters doesn’t have the same wow factor, because we’ve seen them before, and the new characters are left far too undefined. There is a real lack of heart at the core of this film; maybe Maui stole it!
Rating: It Was Just Okay
Moana 2 is currently playing in theaters
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