For her second adventure, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) must travel to the far seas of Oceania after receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors.
The original Moana was one of the best Disney animated flicks of the past couple of decades so I was looking forward to spending more time with this entertaining ensemble.
A lot of the magic seems to have swept ashore, though, as while this sequel still wows at times, it left me feeling underwhelmed and a bit empty.
I don’t know if it’s because a live-action Moana movie is on the way, but directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller’s follow-up often feels like an extended prelude to bigger and better things.
It’s never bad, however, and Cravalho’s heroine remains a very endearing, well-rounded character you can understand people following to the ends of the Earth.
Rooster Heihei and pig Pua continue to swipe the best laughs without saying a word and David Fane’s Kele is a cranky delight.
Moana’s bond with her little sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) is supremely sweet and historian and Maui fanboy Moni (Hualalai Chung) has a loyalty and cause to root for.
The animation is sumptuous – you can be forgiven for thinking you really are at sea several times – and the insight into Samoan culture and history is fascinating.
But I was rather disappointed with Dwayne Johnson’s Maui ; he felt largely redundant here, taking a back seat for much of the film. There’s a real lack of imposing villainy too which doesn’t lend the ocean-set finale the type of pathos its visuals deserve.
And while it’s too soon to say they won’t become fan-favourites years from now, the songs are a let down; the best musical moment comes when we get a burst of an instrumental tune from the first flick just before the end credits.
Moana 2 isn’t oceans of fun like its predecessor, but isn’t a sequel all at sea either; I just hope future projects gift the heroine the high standards she deserves.
● What are your thoughts on Moana 2? How does it compare with the original?
Pop me an email at [email protected] and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.
● Moana 2 is showing in cinemas now.
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