Highly anticipated Disney film Moana 2, directed by Dana Ledoux Miller, David Derick Jr., and Jason Hand, released to theaters Nov. 27. Continuing the storyline from the first Moana movie in 2016, Moana receives a call from her ancestors to journey across the ocean and locate the lost island of Motufetū. While a lack of emotional depth makes the movie less intriguing than its predecessor, Moana 2 has many successes and a fun soundtrack.
Moana 2 has a run time of 100 minutes and a similar plot to the prequel. Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) ventures across the sea with Maui (Dwayne Johnson). Moana and three of her fellow islanders follow a sign from their ancestors and leave their island to find Motufetū, an island sunken by the god Nola. This movie is PG and is free of strong language, mature themes, and violence, making it a great movie to watch with a family and suitable for young kids.
Right off the bat viewers meet three new islanders who come on the voyage with Moana. Kele (David Fane) is a comedic elderly farmer from Moana’s island, Moni (Hualālai Chung) is a clumsy storyteller and Loto (Rose Matafeo) is an engineer full of energy. Each character helps Moana on her journey and adds personality to the movie.
To start, Kele was tough to please but with a little grace and devotion to reunite his ancestors he became a perfect fit for his team. Moni’s bubbly personality and loving heart helped guide Moana when things didn’t go as planned, and with the help of Loto’s overloading emotions, they created a perfectly balanced group.
With great perseverance and a love for her village, Moana set off on her task to lift Motufetū from the depths of the ocean with the help of her crew, and demigod Maui. Failing to reunite her ancestors with one another would lead to isolation so it was up to her to save the destiny of her people.
On Moana’s voyage through the Pacific Ocean, the visuals capture the breathtaking Polynesian islands of Hawaii, Tonga, and Tahiti. Bright teal waves and dramatic lush mountains bring the film to life, leaving viewers visually mesmerized.
As anticipated, Moana 2 kept with the musical genre by incorporating songs composed by Mark Mancina, Emily Bear, and Opetaia Foa’i. However, to some fans’ disappointment, composer Lin Manuel Miranda was too busy to return to the franchise, so his music was not included. While the music in the first Moana movie was more emotional, the sequel’s soundtrack was lighter and more playful, successfully engaging a younger audience.
This movie attracts all ages because of the deeper ancestral story it tells as Moana voyages across the ocean but it is also a fun adventure that anyone can enjoy. With amazing visuals, fun songs to sing along with, and a witty storyline, Moana 2 earns a four out of five feathers.
