Question: If you’re a movie studio, what do you do when your movie makes over $687 million at the worldwide box office? Answer: You make a sequel, of course!
Yes, even if your movie is part of the Walt Disney Animated Classics collection – a collection of movies that don’t really need sequels – follow-ups seem inevitable these days… BECAUSE OF MONEY. Heck, earning big bucks is the reason we got Ralph Breaks the Internet back in 2018, as well as Frozen II in 2019, and it’s the reason why this week we are getting Moana 2.
Yes, the $687 million movie I mentioned above was 2016’s Moana, which was a sizeable hit for Disney eight years ago and now in 2024 we have a follow-up. Directed by David Derrick Jr, Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, and featuring the voice talents of Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Scherzinger, Moana 2 picks up a few years after its predecessor and is now playing in UK and US cinemas
In the movie, spurred on from her previous adventure, Moana now spends her days exploring new islands. Her hope is to meet other people who are connected to the ocean.
One day, Moana receives a vision from her ancestor, Tautai Vasa. The vision is about the evil storm god, Nalo, who was responsible for sinking a mystical island known as Motufetu.
Motufetu is important for connecting people across the islands, but Motufetu sits at the bottom of the ocean. Without it, her home island of Motunui is in trouble and this means Moana needs to act fast!
Keen to find Motufetu, Moana sets off with a crew from Motunui. Along the way, she crosses paths with her old pal, Maui, who is also seeking Motufetu.
If I was to compile a list the best Walt Disney Animated Classics released in the past ten years, alongside Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto, would sit Moana. The 2016 movie was a whole heap of fun, and not only featured some colourful characters and superb animation, it also boasted a fantastic collection of songs including the delightful ‘How Far I’ll Go’ and the infectious ‘You’re Welcome’.
When it comes to Moana 2, I’m sorry to say this film would not be amongst the list of best Walt Disney Animated Classics of the past ten years. While the film is enjoyable enough, and does still benefit from colourful characters and superb animation, the songs aren’t quite there and neither is the story.
In fact, if I was to put this film with any previous Disney movies, it would be nestled alongside the aforementioned Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen II. Because, as with those films, while Moana 2 is OK, ultimately it feels unnecessary and all of the great stuff is in the original film.
So much so, Moana 2 feels like both a re-run of what has come before and a composite piece of ideas that have been done better. There is definitely an air of familiarity, only sadly it feels like a lesser version this time around.
On the plus side, Moana 2 isn’t terrible and young audiences should find it perfectly acceptable. It doesn’t have the re-watchability that Moana has, so parents be warned for when this film ultimately lands on Disney+, but the voice cast is good, it looks top-notch, and all the fan-favourite players are present and correct (Maui, Heihei, Pua, etc).
As for anything new, well, there are new characters, but none of them feel all that interesting. A collection of coconut people are the best thing, and that’s about it.
I could drag Moana 2 for being a bit too reliant on goodwill for the first film, and for being derivative (including songs that sound similar but aren’t as catchy), but I think it’s best to just acknowledge it and let it go. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this film, it just doesn’t quite catch as intended and it feels like a runner-up to what was served up before.
So, yeah, it’s fine and watchable and all that jazz, but it’s nothing special. It’s certainly not must-see Disney.
If the kids want to see Moana 2 then so be it, they will probably have a good time. If the kids aren’t that fussed, wait until this one lands on Disney+.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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