REVIEW — “Moana 2”

Filled with magical action and fantastical fun, Moana 2 is a splash of Disney joy that floats in familiar waters.

Though not a princess (even though a lot of people think she is), Moana of Motunui (Auli’i Cravalho) is now a wayfinder and beloved heroine to her people after defeating Te Kā and restoring the heart of Te Fiti three years earlier. She even has a group of flocking fangirls, the Moanabees, who idolize her and mimic her every hairflip.

However, a storm is brewing and the dangers of division and isolation threaten her island. Called by her ancestors beyond the line where the sky meets the sea, Moana is bestowed the matai title of Tautai after her ancestor, Tautai Vasa, and tasked to preserve the sanctity of her homeland by voyaging the sea to search for other tribes. Along with her pig Pua, rooster Heihei (Alan Tudyk), and a misfit band of villagers, Moana must follow the sky and brave the storm on a quest to reconnect her people, bridging their past and present to the future that lies beyond.
On the way, she reunites with tattooed demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) who offers more winking catchphrases, pop culture references and meta callbacks that help the story hit its comedic beats, even if they feel out of place in an ancient aquatic saga.

While Moana is being called out into the open sea by her ancestors, there is also an emotional pull that calls her back home. Actors Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rachel House return to voice Moana’s various family members; however, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda really stands out as Moana‘s little sister, Simea. An adorable (and merchandisable) addition to the film, her young mini-Moana is full of energy and adds much needed heart to the story by strengthening Moana’s bond to her home. Other new characters like engineer Loto (Rose Matafeo), farmer Kele (David Fane) and muscle-bound storyteller/Maui fanboy Moni (Hualālai Chung) are a little underdeveloped and, aside from offering a few comedic lines, kind of get in Moana’s way (until one of them invents kite-surfing).

Directed by Dana Ledoux Miller, Jason Hand, and David Derrick Jr. from a story by Jared Bush, Miller, and Bek Smith, the sequel was originally conceived as a Disney+ series before being fleshed out into a big-screen feature film release. Unfortunately, the resulting group effort rides a wave of sameness that once again follows Moana as she leaves Motunui and runs across various allies and foes before facing a powerful supernatural force in a swirling finale showdown. While Moana 2 emphasizes the power of unity, connectivity and going the distance to bridge divides, the film never really goes beyond the structure of its predecessor.

The film also suffers from the absence of original songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose melodic earworms “How Far I’ll Go,” “Shiny,” and “You’re Welcome” helped 2016’s Moana become a smash hit. The new songwriting team of Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear do an admirable job at trying to re-create Miranda‘s syncopated sing-song style, especially with the upbeat “What Could Be Better Than This?” and the end credit version of the sequel’s main track, “Beyond.” Sung by Cravalho, the single is both brooding and soaring complete with tribal chants, strings, acoustic guitar, and a driving drum beat. It’s an absolute banger.

Like other recent Walt Disney Animation Studios efforts, Moana 2 also has an underwhelming and confusing villain issue. The film’s main antagonist is Nalo, a powerful demigod who hates humans and can control storms and weather. He is set up as Moana’s Thanos, working behind the scenes to gain power while he weakens human tribes and keeps them divided. Working for Nalo, is Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) a shadowy villainess with past romantic ties to Maui. Because she captures Maui and is surrounded by bats, audiences will immediately distrust her, assuming she is a villain. However, that turns out to be misleading as Matangi quickly allows Moana, Maui and the rest of the gang to escape her lair (after singing a song, natch). She then disappears from the film until she pops up alongside an in-the-flesh Nalo during a brief, trilogy-building end credits scene.

While it doesn’t sail beyond its emotionally soaring original, Moana 2 delivers another brilliantly animated, must-sea musical Disney adventure that kids and families will love. 3.5/5

Rated PG with a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, Moana 2 opens in theaters on November 27, 2024.