In 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios took the world by surprise with its massive hit, MOANA. Based on ancient Polynesian myths, the film made instant icons out of its lead characters, and provided earworm tunes by Lin-Manuel Miranda that everyone seems to know. Eight years after Moana’s first adventure, she returns in MOANA 2.
Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), seeks to bring all the peoples of the ocean together. She reunites with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), to find the legendary island Motufetu, which was sunk by the storm god Nalo.
Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, MOANA 2 is another fun adventure across the ocean, with sea-monster battles, wild chases, unexpected allies, and voyages under the surface of the ocean…all wrapped up in ancient Polynesian lore. Not looking to repeat itself, Moana this time sets out on her journey by assembling a crew (a ship-builder, farmer, and historian), and first needs to rescue her ally Maui from the clutches of another god (Awhimai Frase). The stakes are high; Moana, through a series of visits from her ancestors, is warned that the ocean will become empty of peoples unless they can reunite at Motufetu.
The story works and is centered on Moana’s desire to save everyone and her family (including her adorable little sister), but does have its lumps. MOANA 2 was first put together as a series and then reworked into a film, and the seams are noticeable. The early goals for Moana and Maui aren’t clear, and Moana’s stepping-off point involves repetitive, revolving-door visits from the afterlife.
All that is balanced out by a boat-load of fun. The action scenes of chases and battles are very well staged and executed, and the emotional scenes and the funny scenes really work; there are plenty of LOL and tissue-grabbing moments. The crew Moana assembles is very well done, and the character beats are perfect. The animation is amazing (the water scenes are breathtakingly real), and cinematography is excellent; some of the shots are simply stunning.
The entire cast is excellent and seem to be having fun behind the scenes, but MOANA 2 does fall short in the musical numbers. The absence of Lin-Manuel Miranda is felt here (likely an omission due to the original start as a streaming series), as the songs are just okay. They are mostly forgettable, but even worse is they don’t serve much of a purpose in the film; take them away and not much changes.
MOANA 2 has its rough patches, but it is worth seeing thanks to its strong story (which is very relevant to our times), character beats, and a welcome return to Moana’s world. It’s a gorgeous film to look at, and its heart beats to that Disney magic. This is a journey that should be taken, rough seas and all.
BOTTOM LINE: See it
