3,011 / 5,623 (46%)
Moana captured audiences with the tale of a young island woman journeying across the sea to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Her adventure with the cocky but charismatic demi-god Maui became part of the lexicon of families across the country with the aid of catchy earworms penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda. With a largely new creative team at the helm, how far can Moana’s return voyage go?
Zooming ahead a few years, Moana is a respected wayfinder (and big sister), and Maui is out demi-godding. Her search now is to reconnect the people of the ocean, to find proof of their existence, and to reunite them all. Since she is a proto-princess, this might seem like nationbuilding, and at first glance our precocious Moana does turn her eyes toward expanding her kingdom, but of course Disney avoids the geopolitical considerations. Instead, with a team of friends including a pig, a carpenter, a local historian, and an elderly farmer, Moana sets sail to a rather bland tale.
Moana 2 was initially greenlit as a Disney+ series, which helps explain its unambitious scope, unimaginative new characters, and middling original songs. The new director group uses Moana’s plot as a template and generally rehashes its steps as Moana & Company overcome each obstacle to battle the final boss. Only this rendition lacks a major character arc, too comfortable to push its audience or characters into any new terrain. Whereas the 2016 film brought about self-discovery for Moana, Maui, Te Kā, and Moana’s whole people, the 2024 version lacks a distinct vision for its characters. As charming as they are, it simply puts them through the paces like a throwaway television episode enjoyed over a TV dinner and as quickly forgotten.
Still, all is not lost. Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are an amazing duo who bring their animated characters fully to life. The songs of Moana 2 are boppy if unmemorable, and little chuckles occur throughout. But anyone hoping to experience the tidal wave of entertainment and heart that was the original Moana will be disappointed with this languid sequel.
