Moana 2
review by Bobby Blakey
In 2016 Disney introduced fans to the world of Moana featuring the voices of Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. After the success of the film, it came as no surprise that we would be returning to the islands once again with Moana 2 bringing back the team with director David Derrick Jr. at the helm. Could this next chapter in the island saga offer up something worth discovering or will it sink to the bottom of the ocean?
Moana 2 follows Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her way-finding 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.
As someone who was not a big fan of the original film I went in with an open mind and the hopes that this one had more to offer to pull me in. Even with the first one as beautiful as it was and the idea was something I thought was great, I wanted to love the film so bad. I had high hopes that this sequel would be able to offer something new to help it be that thing that I had hoped for. I can say that I did enjoy this film more than the first one and had tons of great moments going bigger, but still not enough to fully get me invested.
It's no surprise that this film is visually stunning, bright and vibrant from beginning to end. This time around it went bigger with the visuals offering up more creatures, stunning backdrops and excellent character designs that are memorable and fun to watch. The story is just complicated enough to give you something to chew on and keeps things moving at a brisk pace and the use of the visuals and backgrounds continue to be their own part of the story.
I continue to love the culture elements that are clearly used in important and respectful ways in these films and this one is no different. It even steps up to not only evolve the characters but bring in some new elements that can further expand this universe. I was surprised how long it takes before Maui comes to be a part of the story but makes total sense and makes it more meaningful when it happens. It also allows some new characters to come front and center and give a more family adventure element to the story this time around as opposed to the solo journey.
The music is always big in these movies and while I can see the catchy nature of the songs in the first film not a fan. This time around I had a similar reaction with none of it really hitting me in the feels to pull me in. That isn’t to say that it is bad, and I have no doubt that there will be a lot of people that connect with it, but alas not me. Now in context with the story and the animation that goes along with it they were to perfection so don’t take my criticism as they fall flat, just not my thing.
The bigger scope, creatures and visuals are excellent, and I did enjoy this sequel a lot more than the original, but still kind of indifferent about both of them. No matter what my feelings are, I think it is a film that will connect with the fans of the first film and hope this isn’t the last time we see these characters. I know we have a live action coming, but hope they revisit this world in animation as well if for no other reason than the beauty it puts out in the world.
Decide for yourself and check out Moana 2 in theaters now.
