3,011 / 5,623 (46%)
Moana captured audiences with the story of a younger island girl journeying throughout the ocean to revive the guts of Te Fiti. Her journey with the cocky however charismatic demi-god Maui turned a part of the lexicon of households throughout the nation with the help of catchy earworms penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda. With a largely new artistic crew on the helm, how far can Moana’s return voyage go?
Zooming forward a number of years, Moana is a revered wayfinder (and massive sister), and Maui is out demi-godding. Her search now could be to reconnect the folks of the ocean, to seek out proof of their existence, and to reunite all of them. Since she is a proto-princess, this would possibly seem to be nationbuilding, and at first look our precocious Moana does flip her eyes towards increasing her kingdom, however in fact Disney avoids the geopolitical concerns. As an alternative, with a crew of associates together with a pig, a carpenter, a neighborhood historian, and an aged farmer, Moana units sail to a somewhat bland story.
Moana 2 was initially greenlit as a Disney+ collection, which helps clarify its unambitious scope, unimaginative new characters, and middling unique songs. The brand new director group makes use of Moana’s plot as a template and usually rehashes its steps as Moana & Firm overcome every impediment to battle the ultimate boss. Solely this rendition lacks a serious character arc, too snug to push its viewers or characters into any new terrain. Whereas the 2016 movie led to self-discovery for Moana, Maui, Te Kā, and Moana’s complete folks, the 2024 model lacks a definite imaginative and prescient for its characters. As charming as they’re, it merely places them via the paces like a throwaway tv episode loved over a TV dinner and as rapidly forgotten.
Nonetheless, all will not be misplaced. Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are a tremendous duo who convey their animated characters absolutely to life. The songs of Moana 2 are boppy if unmemorable, and little chuckles happen all through. However anybody hoping to expertise the tidal wave of leisure and coronary heart that was the unique Moana can be upset with this languid sequel.
