Is ‘Moana 2’ a Worthy-to-watch Sequel?
Please note: this review contains spoilers.
When Disney Studios released “Moana” in 2016, it became an instant hit with its fun characters, stunning animation, and catchy songs. Movie sequels often have a hard time recreating the magic of the original and often fall short. While “Moana 2” fits into this category, it is still an enjoyable watch.
If you’re a big fan of animated Disney and Pixar films, chances are you will see “Moana 2” if you haven’t already. Released this past November, “Moana 2” has been a big hit at the box offices, particularly among families and younger audiences, making $300 million in America and $600 million internationally. While its plot and music aren’t as memorable as the original, the beautiful animation and new characters make it a movie worth watching.
Once again, “Moana 2” stars voice actors Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui alongside new voice actors Hualālai Chung as Moni, Rose Matafeo as Loto, David Fane as Kele, and Awhimai Fraser as Matangi. The movie is fast-paced and packed with lots of action. Just like in “Moana,” the quality and fluidity of the animation, especially of the water, is incredible.
One reason the original Moana was so successful is because its soundtrack was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the well-known musical Hamilton. He wrote the hit songs “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome” for the first movie, which combined have a total of over 1.3 billion streams on Spotify.
The music in the sequel is written by the singer-songwriter duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Their attempt to create a big hit song like “You’re Welcome” wasn’t a big success. “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” is not memorable, in part due to the lyrics and overall cheesy style. Besides the song “Beyond,” the soundtrack isn’t as special or memorable. While the movie still has many other good qualities, a better soundtrack could have made it much more memorable.
The original focuses on young Moana’s journey of restoring the heart of Te Fiti, the goddess of nature, after being chosen by the ocean. Moana finds Maui and together, they face many challenges and villains, such as the Kakamora and Tamatoa. Eventually, the two run into Te Kā, who is Te Fiti’s corrupted self without her heart. Moana, upon realizing this, returns the heart, allowing Te Fiti to heal the oceans and lands.
In “Moana 2”, 19-year-old Moana reunites with Maui and voyages as a wayfinder in search of the legendary island, Motufetu, after seeing a vision from her ancestor. Alongside her are people from her village, each with their individual strengths: Loto the craftswoman, Moni the storyteller, and Kele the farmer. Of course, Heihei, the rooster, joins the journey once again, but this time, with a new addition, the pig, Pua. These new characters have unique skills that make the film more engaging for the audience, especially considering the first movie focused primarily on Moana and Maui. Another new and important character is Simea, Moana’s younger sister. Their sibling relationship adds to Moana’s character development, as she struggles to find a balance between her family relationships and her sense of adventure.
Almost every movie has at least one villain. In “Moana 2”, Maui’s search for Motufetu involves him fighting Matangi, who is portrayed as a villain until she meets Moana. Matangi makes it clear that she works for Nalo, but her conflicting actions make her a mysterious character. When Moana encounters Matangi, she helps Moana more than harming her by encouraging her to get lost and trust her instincts. By the end of the movie, the real villain seems to be Nalo, the god of storms, who doesn’t want the people of the ocean to be connected. This is seen through his cursing and guarding of Motufetu with a storm barrier of clouds, lightning, and tornadoes.
“Moana 2” is worth seeing. While it might have not been as memorable as the first one, it is still a decent movie with incredible animation. Overall, it feels like Disney played it safe in trying to recreate the best aspects of the first film. It fell a little short because of the songs. But, if you love Disney movies, chances are you won’t be too disappointed, as the movie still carries a positive message about courage, teamwork, and friendship.
