When we last saw Moana she was riding the ocean with her family trying to find new islands to discover. Moana, when it first came out, drew me in. I loved this movie and everything that it stood for: Finding yourself, standing up to societal norms, and making new ways for yourself. It was the perfect movie for my daughter to see and Moana ranked up there with Merida from Brave. Now it has been 3 years since that adventure and Moana is still out there trying to explore all that the ocean has to offer.
It must be said that this was originally set to be a series on Disney+ so certain moments feel rushed or incomplete. A few new characters are introduced and I feel they would have been fleshed out more if we got to see them in the show. The new characters are not bad but it would have been good to get to know them better. That being said, Moana 2 does feel like a straight-to-video movie sometimes and does redeem itself during certain moments in the film.
Moana, voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho, is trying to find the island of Motufetu because she sees a vision that this is a unifying island for people out in the ocean. After a series of events on her island, Moana recruits a few of the islanders to go with her to find this island. All we know about these islanders is Moni, voiced by Hualālai Chung, is good at telling the stories of the island and is also a huge fan of Maui. Loto, voiced by Rose Matafeo, is a builder with a quirky demeanor, that has built and modified some of the boats that Moana has used. Finally, there is Kele, voiced by David Fine, who is just a grumpy older member of the island.
Maui is doing his own thing in the movie and the groups eventually meet up. The third act of the movie is where all of the action takes place and it is great to see Maui and Moana team up again. The main villain of the movie, named Nalo, is alluded to but never shown. Instead, we see their helper, Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser, who has batlike powers and is hiding the location of Nalo a secret. Again, it is great to see how the two work together for the greater good of the people of Motunui.
The songs in the movie are not the caliber of the original but are pretty good. The standouts are “Beyond”, “Get Lost”, and “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?”. These songs are the hype songs for Moana, Matangi, and Maui, and do put a little pep in your step as you are listening to them. Who knows, maybe after a few more listens the soundtrack will grow on me.
There is a mid-credit scene, like in Marvel movies, to set up something to come. I don’t want to give anything away but I am curious to see where this goes and what is next for Moana and Maui.
Final Thoughts: Moana 2 is a decent sequel to the original movie that was released in 2016. We see an older Moana in this and she is trying to do her best to explore new islands and find more people. This was originally set to be a series on Disney+ and you can feel the disjointedness in the movie. The themes of family and wanting to expand your world are great for families to discuss afterward. The songs are decent with a few standouts and make sure you stay for the mid-credit scene which may lead to more adventures for Moana.
Kid Friendly: The movie is very kid-friendly. Matangi, who works for the Nalo, is a little frightening when we are first introduced to her since she keeps in the shadows. Again the themes of family and working together are a great one for all kids to see.
Violence: There is no extreme violence in the movie. The closest we get to anything violent is in the final act when Moana and friends attempt to take down Nalo.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” reunites Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.