Moana 2 continues the story of a young woman who lives for seafaring exploration. Three years after she returned Te Fiti’s heart, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) now seeks other civilizations across the ocean. This stems from a mysterious warning that her island home of Motunui will succumb to isolationist ruin unless they connect their world to others. Moana recruits a small crew and sets out for waters unknown. As they drift further and further from home, the wayfinders encounter dangers and adventures they likes of which they’ve never seen. Fortunately, demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) has Moana’s back, and there’s very little they can’t accomplish when working together.
What works in Moana 2 is its enthusiastic charm. Cravalho and Johnson slip effortlessly back into their roles and immediately ooze charisma. Once again, this franchise is at its strongest when the two get opportunities to playfully rib each other. The evolution of their friendship is the heart of the film and keeps the action entertaining. Speaking of, Moana 2 is an absolute treat for the eyes especially during its most thrilling sequences. The vibrancy of Oceania is on full display with a wide spectrum of fantastically colorful creatures. The creative team infuses Moana 2 with a lot of joy in their design choices. As such, Moana 2 is very entertaining from beginning to end, giving audiences more of what worked in the first film.
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People who become frustrated when sequels rehash the narrative beats of a previous film, may be less impressed with Moana 2. This is a movie that unfortunately sits in the enormous shadow of its predecessor. As such, fairly or not, it’s almost impossible not to compare it to thefirst movie. And in this evaluation, where every aspect of Moana is exceptional, the same elements in Moana 2 are “merely” good to great. For example, “Get Lost,” and “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” are perfectly fine and fun songs. However, they’ll never reach the soaring heights of “How Far I’ll Go,” or “You’re Welcome.” All in all, Moana 2 is engaging but feels a little too familiar, and some may wish that Disney had taken the franchise to new places.
Moana 2 is a very good family film for the holiday season. While it’s unlikely to have the cultural impact of the first movie, it’s still crammed full of humor and heart. Recommended for all ages.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Toy Story 4, Shrek 3, Lightyear
Moana 2 is available to see in theaters beginning on November 26th, 2024
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