INTRO
I was 11 years old when the first Moana movie came out, and as soon as I watched it in theaters with my girlfriends (and my dad…sorry Dad), I was instantly captivated. I like to say that I have loved Moana since its release date because of the powerful messages hidden within a lighthearted Disney movie, especially the part where Moana saves her village without a man by her side. But in reality, I think 11-year-old me really loved the film because of Moana’s cute outfit and the catchy songs.
No matter the reasoning behind my love for the first Moana movie, I was thrilled when I heard a sequel was being made, and when Moana 2 came out over this Thanksgiving Break, I rushed to the theaters.
I hoped the little kids in the theater watching Moana enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first Moana movie. But I certainly can’t say that I loved Moana 2. Leaving the theaters, I thought maybe the dislike just stemmed from the magic of my childhood being gone. But then I scoured the internet and realized many agreed that it didn’t live up to the hype.
This is not to say that the entire movie was bad, and Disney did a great job with certain elements. So in honest movie review fashion, here is my take on the good and the bad of Moana 2.
THE BAD
I’m starting with the bad for those who still want to see Moana 2 and who will most likely remember what is talked about at the end of this article (the good) more than what is talked about in the beginning. I’ve divided the bad into 3 main categories: the plotline, the songs, and the unoriginality.
The Plotline…If You Can Call It That
In the first Moana movie, each scene felt necessary, part of a cohesive plotline. However, with Moana 2, although most of the scenes were good individually, they didn’t often match up well. Some of the important scenes also felt rushed while the unnecessary scenes felt dragged out or redundant. A reason for the lack of plot might be because of Moana 2’s original format as a TV show. According to numerous online sources, a TV series sequel was in the works on Disney+ until they decided a movie would be better. In cutting scenes and adapting the series to a movie, the Disney producers might’ve gotten sloppy in making a cohesive and exciting plotline.
The Songs…That I Can’t Remember Anymore
Just like the plotline, the songs in Moana 2 just seemed lacking. For months after the first Moana movie, I had “Where You Are” and “How Far I’ll Go” on repeat in my head. I wasn’t expecting to have as much enthusiasm for the music of Moana 2, especially since my childhood dream of being a famous singer is long gone, but I thought I would at least be humming the songs afterward and have one or two favorites. But, to my dismay, I didn’t have any favorite songs after I exited the theater because I couldn’t even remember the songs. Nothing was necessarily bad about the music throughout the movie, but it just didn’t seem to have an impact on me. This lack of catchiness might be due to Lin Manuel Miranda (the writer of the songs in the first Moana movie) not returning to write any songs for the sequel.
Out with the Old, In with the Old
A big reason for my anticipation of Moana 2 was my predictions of all the new and exciting things Disney would add to a sequel following such a popular first movie. I speculated that Disney would add new elements to this movie to make it an adequate sequel. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I’m all for originality, but Moana 2 relied on originality and had very little newness about it. From the plotlines to the characters to the jokes (and Hey Hey and Pua, but they deserved a second appearance), Moana 2 relied too heavily on being a sequel and didn’t shine as a movie all on its own. The only surprising part was what happened to Moana at the end (which I am not going to spoil). Other than this, Moana also had very little character development (besides upgrading to a new outfit, which 11-year-old-me would’ve been obsessed with).
THE GOOD
Now onto what Moana 2 did well: the animation, the message, and the emphasis on family!
Animation To Impress
One thing that Disney knows how to do well is animation. And they didn’t disappoint with either movie in the Moana series. In Moana 2, the graphics of the sea especially stood out to me which emphasized Moana’s growing confidence as a Wayfinder (basically “explorer of the ocean”). Once again, I enjoyed the animation of her grandmother’s spirit as a Stingray who visits her multiple times throughout the film. Also, although the songs were uneventful in regards to their lyrics and melodies, the compilation of scenes during these songs showcased really colorful and often whimsical animation.
Disney Tugging at the Heart Strings…
I feel like Moana 2 having a heartfelt message is probably a given since Disney is also an expert in curating messages that are often deep and emotional. Although the message of this movie is subjective, I found the message to revolve around bravery and courage in the face of unknown circumstances. Moana learns that getting lost is not always a bad thing; it is an important message that is valuable for children and adults to hear. Likewise, Moana experiences doubt throughout the film but overcomes challenges while getting support from others, an ode to the proverb “It takes a village.”
Sassy Simea: Moana’s Mini-Me
Moana 2 features a little but feisty new character, Moana’s baby sister Simea. All but 2 feet tall, Simea is very similar to her big sister who she adores greatly. I wish their relationship had developed more throughout the film, but since Moana was busy sailing the oceans and fighting the monsters, there wasn’t much time for bonding between the sisters. Nonetheless, it was a sweet and unexpected relationship. And I appreciated that Moana’s new love was not a man, but rather a ‘little sis!’
COnCLUSION
So maybe Moana was a bit of a miss. Or maybe the first Moana movie was just so astronomically good that no Disney movie, not even a sequel, can compare (the latter is what I like to think). Nonetheless, I would encourage everyone to watch Moana 2 and decide whether it was a hit or a miss for themselves!