Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 Disney animated movie Moana, directed by David Derrick Jr and once again stars Auli’i Cravalho and Dwyane Johnson as the voices of Moana and Maui. Moana reunites with Maui and goes on an adventure to bring back a sunken island and bring the people of the ocean together again. Moana 2 was originally going to be a Disney + series until February 2024, when they announced Moana 2 was coming out later this year. This is also coming out two years before the live-action Moana film. How does Moana 2 hold up with the original Moana and other Disney animated movies?
Moana 2 is entertaining with Moana and Maui once again charming audiences with their fun dynamic. Auli’i Cravalho and Dwyane Johnson do a terrific job voicing these characters. The animation looks great and the action of the third act was fun to watch. The songs, while not as good as the original movie, are still good. The song “Beyond” is the best new song in the film. The dynamic of Moana and her little sister is also heartwarming.
Where Moana 2 struggles are the other characters and story, which has a lot of promise but sometimes feels rushed. The third act is when the plot feels like it finally slows down. As mentioned before, this movie was originally going to be a series. Some moments feel episodic and were likely going to be fleshed out better in the original show. The other issue is the new characters. Moana and Maui are great but the new characters that Moana recruits to help her, while likable, don’t add much to the plot and feel like they were more so for the show. The movie wouldn’t have felt that much different if they weren’t in it. There was also this character named Matangi who has all this great build-up that feels like a letdown. It seems obvious that she was meant to have more development.
Overall, Moana 2 has many highs and some flaws. The two main characters are fantastic despite the other characters not being impressive. The humor is funny, and even adults will laugh. The songs, while not the best, still rock. The animation looks great. The third act makes up for an up-and-down first two acts. If they had waited an extra year to work on this instead of a live-action Moana movie that is not necessary, Moana 2 could have been better. Compared to other Disney animated sequels, like Frozen 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet, Moana 2 is more enjoyable, and the main characters did develop throughout the movie. My final grade for Moana 2 is a B-. While the first Moana film is way better, this one will entertain the kids, and adults will find some enjoyment.
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