“Moana 2” offers a visually stunning adventure that will surely delight families this holiday season, though it falls short of the original in nearly every way.
After being visited by her ancestor in a vision, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) puts together a quirky team to sail far away and find the lost island of Motufetū to reconnect the people of the islands before it’s too late.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is back with some funny one-liners as the cocky demigod Maui, again escaping the clutches of a powerful being to help Moana. And the Kakamora coconut warriors are back, Moana is sailing to a dangerous destination, battling enormous waves in the final scenes—sound familiar?
Yes, the journey is largely the same, but the adventure isn’t as grand.
It’s disappointing how thin the characters are in “Moana 2.” Nalo, the god of storms, is the main villain of the movie, having cursed part of the ocean to sink the island Moana is looking for. But don’t expect much else about Nalo.
Other new characters are also a letdown; Moana’s new sailing buddies are given no character arc and are cropped out of most shots, and the powerful goddess Matangi teases relevance when she overpowers Maui early in the story, only for her to be left behind and forgotten altogether.
Driving to the theater, my family sang songs we remembered from the first “Moana.” Cravalho again brings her beautiful vocals as Moana, but even with the new soundtrack fresh in my ear, I can’t recall a single song from “Moana 2.”
Nothing in the sequel matches the catchy hits of the 2016 film, written by Hamilton playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. The famed composer didn’t return for “Moana 2,” instead giving his talents to providing music for the upcoming “Mufasa: The Lion King.”
While “Moana 2” delivers some lighthearted fun for younger audiences earning applause from kids and parents alike at the end—it falls short of the storytelling and musical brilliance that made the first film a standout.
3/5
Scott McDaniel is a department chair and assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College. He lives in Bargersville with his wife and three kids.
