The Wasteland Reviewer

Moana 2 (2024) Written Review

Where did Moana 2 even come from? We all knew that they were actively working on a live action remake of Moana (the why is what makes no sense after only eight years). There were new stories also discussing an upcoming Disney+ series to expand upon the world of Moanaas well. But a decision was made to take that new streaming series, rework it, and turn it into a proper big screen sequel to the beloved original. This sounds kind of concerning seeing as we only heard about the film as recent as the spring. For a big time, animated sequel for Disney, you would expect much more build-up. The trailers even felt paper thin to the point that it felt like that upcoming film would simply be a hodgepodge of threads from the previous in-development story. 

Does Moana 2 feel like a satisfying story for a big screen film? The overall concept of this sequel is a great way to expand about the world and story of Moana. Expanding the world and taking our titular hero out onto the big seas on an adventure to connect with other human beings is effective. But the narrative feels choppy and clunky. The serialized approach makes a lot of sense when you realize that the story was meant to be a streaming series (as in episodes breaking the story up. There never feels like enough depth for most of the characters. The sisterly dynamic between Moana and her adorable younger sister is just pitch perfect. There are quite a few new members to Moana’s team but most of them are quite one-note for sure. The antagonist who has put a curse on Moana’s people is quite disappointing as there is not much depth at all to this villain. 

What made the original film so fantastic? Probably two strong answers here…music and animation. With the animation this time around luckily feels like it was meant to be on the big screen all along. The details of the water, the different islands and cultures, and the big magical moments all open your heart a little bit more. The music on the other hand cannot match the original. The gorgeous visuals match the original film on that level. Unfortunately, the music is not at all. There is enough charm and talent to make these musical numbers fun to listen to, but they just don’t have the catchy nature and richness that the original film’s soundtrack had. You probably won’t be singing along too much of them later, but they do work in context of the film. They all just feel so derivative of better songs from the original film. That is all your really need…they just miss that Lin Manuel Miranda level of musicality. The music downgrade is felt strongly when music from the original is utilized and those scenes feel so powerful and impactful. 

How do the new additions add to the film? As mentioned before, the antagonist is quite forgettable and is more of a plot mechanism than an actual character. The presence of Moana’s young sister just elevates every scene that she pops up in. Moana gets four new members of her crew with each of them only having a dimension or two when it regards the writing of their characters. One is handy. One is a good farmer (if not aggressively unpleasant). One is a charming and talented artist. And then you get one of those little kakamora. Maui was not in the film as much this time around but luckily Moana is still a great character who can anchor the film for sure. There are plenty of moments that reflect ripples from the first film and they even double down on some of the gags. 

Does the voice cast bring the goods? Auli’i Cravalho is insanely talented and brings so much charm and strength to Moana. Our titular young woman seems convinced that she needs to travel the big oceans to find other people.  Cravalho feels like she is just hitting all the beats and brings so much charm to the film. Dwayne Johnson…is Maui for sure. There is not a lot of depth for Maui this time around, but it is The Rock so he makes things work with sheer force of charm and charisma. There are a few new characters, and their performers do a fine job even if they are not the most memorable or have the most depth. The adored addition of Moana’s sister Simea works so well thanks to the perfect charm of Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda. She is the heart of the film, and the rest of Moana’s family (Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rachel House) deliver some heart as well. 

Is Moana 2 a worthwhile sequel to the beloved modern Disney classic? This is obviously a series that was truncated down into a feature film. Things are a bit too loose and derivative for this to stand tall as a great sequel. Great animation and voice acting go a long way in creating a worthwhile cinematic experience. The adventures and music might not be fresh, but they are entertaining for sure. The world of Moana opens in exciting ways and gives the audience something to look forward to.