Following a few Thanksgiving week release bombs in a row, it is no surprise that Disney would go to a reliable well in the hopes of turning their luck around. The result is Moana 2, which has answered the call and then some with the biggest Thanksgiving week opening ever. Audiences were obviously extremely eager to return to the titular heroine and her demigod friend.
The actual product is an underwhelming mixed bag. The characters are plenty likable and it is nice to see them again, the animation is very appealing and it is still satisfying to see Disney dive deeper into another culture. Sadly, the story comes off as a thin retread, as do the songs. This is a sequel that pales in comparison to the original simply because we’ve already seen the original. It acts like it builds on it while mostly doing the same stuff.
The base is pleasant enough to be enjoyed on a surface level, as well as work as setup for future stories. It makes sense that Disney decided to play it super safe with Moana 2 (89 minutes, plus a mid-credit scene). There is no reason to try something different when doing the same things repeatedly has proven to be generally successful (see the planned summer 2026 release of a live-action remake of Moana as proof of this strategy). For their purposes, a massive hit that is okay is much preferable to a high-quality flop. It is hard to blame them for taking this path, even if I would rather the movie be better.
As we rejoin her, Moana, now a trusted way-finder for her people, is visiting various islands seeking evidence of other civilizations. After a message from her ancestors tells her where she must go to reunite the people of the ocean, Moana sets out on her most dangerous quest yet, with the help of an inexperienced crew and the all-powerful Maui.
The first Moana not only featured a lead of color, it also explored a world that Disney hadn’t even glanced at before. It included no romance, instead focusing on the love between an adventurous young woman and her culture. Her enemy was fear and selfishness, not a monster (though there were monsters). This time around, the filmmakers try to do something similar, with a somewhat more traditional villain. The stakes just feel way smaller. Where Moana’s first mission was about survival, this one is about connection. It is more theoretical and the screenplay doesn’t quite know what to do with it.
There are a couple of solid action scenes that largely come off as imitations from its predecessor and new characters that add very little. What makes Moana 2 worth a look is the pretty animation and the voice work by the returning Auli’I Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui.
Unfortunately, Maui barely has anything to do this time. The first movie was also partially his story. It was about how Moana’s plucky bravery drove Maui to redeem himself and become the hero he always considered himself to be. Here, he is mere support, there to protect his human friend. It is a waste of his talents, but this is still Johnson’s best role and it is fun to hear him in it again.
Cravalho is really good as Moana and brings a purpose that is totally absent from the story. She feels fully grown up now, a dedicated leader for her people. Her confidence is real and her motivation is equally to help her friends/family and a love of exploring. The biggest strength in this series is the commitment to allowing Moana to be her own person, not dependent on anyone else for her identity. That is definitely still true.
There isn’t necessarily anything fatally wrong with Moana 2. It is a perfectly decent holiday timewaster with a positive message. It is also nothing we all haven’t seen done better before.
3 out of 5
Voice Cast:
Auli’I Cravalho as Moana
Dwayne Johnson as Maui
Hualālai Chung as Moni
Rose Matafeo as Loto
David Fane as Kele
Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller
Screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller
Comments