Moana 2 is an interesting movie when you know some of its history. See, it wasn’t originally a movie; it was meant to be a Disney+ animated series or miniseries that continued the adventures of Moana after the first movie. The platform it’s on is new and connects to a lot of the current methods of big studios making shows, movies, and specials for these struggling services they all have. It is also like the 90’s Renaissance period of Disney, where not only did their big animated hits get direct-to-video sequels, but they also got weekly animated series. One of the most successful was Aladdin, with its opening 5 episode arc being turned into a movie, The Return of Jafar, which not only setup the show but was also a financial success. After that, they went back to that well many times, so when the news came out that Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, decided Moana 2 was going to be a movie and not some show that they couldn’t get direct sales from first I felt this change to get back to money making dominance it’s smart to go back to what works.
Now, does Moana 2 work as a film? With the few critics I saw it with they were not too kind to it, but for me, I thought it was pretty good, with astounding animation and visual evolution that took over my brain for half the film. What I mean is that the level of detail from the hair texture and how the hair looked coming from the characters’ heads, the look of their skin with pores, sand and water fidelity, lighting on the environments and characters, and even the wetness of their eyes had me gobsmacked. It really doesn’t look like a TV show quality show. The visual aesthetics and craft on display, I feel, is better than even Inside Out 2, and that might cloud my thoughts on the film’s story. The story is simple, set three years after the first film with Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) being the star citizen of her island and her quest to find other people and society; her people give her a great title, her ancestors give her a vision to go and find a lost island that can bring many peoples together. They learn that the god Nalo cursed the island to keep the people separated. Moana creates a crew and goes on a quest, which then connects them with Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who is on his own mission connected to this.
So the songs here are not as good, which feels like a pretty universal sentiment, but I think the first big song from Moana is sung very well with some nice musical arrangements and production. The other song I like is from a new character, Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser, which builds well, is a nice bop and is quite fun. Most of the new characters are pretty good, even though they fit tropes of hero groups with nice, quirky, and funny sidekicks. The final act might be a letdown for some, and it feels kind of close to the first movie. Still, this new film has a more significant macro point about people and society compared to the more internal and micro/personal challenge in the Moana film has to overcome. At the same time, the film isn’t amazing, like The Return of Jafar, but it’s still a very entertaining and captivating film to watch. I think Moana 2 coming to theaters was a wise choice and a good elevation of the filmmakers’ hard work that I think most audiences will love and enjoy and rewatch for years to come.
Score: B
