Moana 2 did not go far enough
Following its beloved original, “Moana 2” has already made 389 million dollars in box offices. However, the sequel hardly compares to the original “Moana.” “Moana 2” shows an aged Moana who receives a vision from her ancestors and sails across the ocean with a crew of three other villagers to find the island Motufetu, cursed and hidden by Nalo, to reunite the islands of wayfinders that have been isolated for years. Originally, the sequel was crafted to be a multi-episode Disney+ series but was then reworked into a full-length movie to give the same theatre experience that the original showcased.
Personally, I had mixed feelings about the release of this movie, as I am a strong believer that not every movie needs a sequel, and Moana seemed to be fairly resolved already. The first movie ends with her becoming a wayfinder, allowing the audience to conclude that the rest of her life would be occupied by sailing the seas.
Despite going in with low expectations, “Moana 2” was incredibly disappointing. The plot itself left much to be desired, with few enthralling adventure moments and more short-lived plots than an overall objective present in the whole movie. Not only was the plot incredibly similar to the original “Moana” with a fairly predictable ending, but the beloved chemistry between Moana and Maui is highly lacking in the sequel. I went into the movie anticipating seeing Moana and Maui sailing together as wayfinders, only to be disappointed by the lack of screen time that Moana and Maui actually had together.
The voice acting of “Moana 2” was nothing revolutionary compared to the original, with the same returning cast with the addition of Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Moana’s little sister and Rose Matafeo, Hualālai Chung and David Fane as the new wayfinders on Moana’s crew. The voice acting from the original cast and new members was all amazing, but still could not make up for the lack of plot.
My biggest gripe with “Moana 2” was easily the music. The music of “Moana” is instantly recognizable and award-winning, but without the musical involvement of Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Moana 2’s” soundtrack was missing the catchy adventure-filled tunes that the original provided. Although a few of the movie’s songs, notably “Beyond,” allow Auliʻi Cravalho, who plays Moana, to display her incredible voice, I cannot find myself humming along and enjoying the soundtrack as I do with the original.
Although the plot and soundtrack of the movie were underwhelming, one thing I will gladly say about the sequel is that the animation did not miss the mark. From incredibly beautiful water to a highly detailed giant clam, the animators delivered as much as I hoped they would.
Despite the appealing look of the movie, I have concluded that the many faults outweigh it. As much as I loved “Moana,” a movie ticket to see “Moana 2” is not a purchase I would justify to anyone.
