Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Auliʻi Cravalho, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, Rose Matafeo,
Temuera Morrison, Rachel House, and Hualalai Chung.
Directors: Dana Ledoux Miller, Jason Hand and David Derrick Jr.
Synopsis: Moana journeys to the far seas of Oceania after receiving an unexpected call from her
wayfinding ancestors.
Rating: 6/10
Moana 2, the sequel to Disney’s successful Polynesian-inspired adventure, conceived originally as a TV series, arrived the fall of 2024 with mixed reviews, following the original film that earned over $690 million worldwide and received Academy Award nominations.
Set years after the original, Moana 2 continues Moana’s story as a Wayfinder exploring islands around her home of Motunui. During her travels, she discovers a mysterious bowl with celestial markings that leads to a quest to find the magical island of Motu Fetu. In the past, a powerful god named Nalo sunk this island to separate and weaken humanity. To aid in her pursuit, Moana assembles a crew and embarks on a journey that leads to an epic confrontation with Nalo. This battle resulted in her death and resurrection through ancestral magic.
The film introduces seven new characters, including Moana’s younger sister, three Motunui crew members, Kotu the Kakamura, Matangi, and Nalo. Sadly, these new characters suffer from underdevelopment because most of them appear to be one-dimensional. The main villain, Nalo, is especially disappointing because the characters only fight a storm version of him, and he is unseen until the credits. While the returning characters maintain their familiar charm, the latest additions struggle to leave a lasting impression.
Unlike the original soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa’i, the sequel takes a new direction by featuring new composers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, replacing Lin-Manuel Miranda. The soundtrack alternates between pop ballads and attempts to replicate Miranda’s style, though neither quite captures the magic of the original. The movie tells its story by breaking it up into separate parts. Conflicts are introduced and resolved quite quickly, which made the plot feel choppy at times. The different story lines don’t connect smoothly with each other, making it hard to follow. While this format might have worked well for television, it doesn’t work very well for a movie, making it feel different from the original.
Overall, while Moana 2 keeps the fun and adventurous feeling of the first movie with familiar faces and new characters, it still has some problems. There are too many new characters who don’t get enough time to develop, and the story feels choppy; almost like separate TV episodes put together. This is understandable since it was first planned as a TV show, which would have probably worked better than making it into a movie. The film might appeal more to younger audiences who enjoy the franchise’s colorful characters and adventure elements. However, older fans might find the narrative structure less engaging.
