Moana 2

Saw this with my nephew today--we're each a fan of the first one for different reasons--and both of us were whelmed. It feels like they didn't push or take any creative risks with this one. Flows like a recycled, watered-down attempt to replicate what the first movie captured so effortlessly. The emotional core is painfully missing with this one. None of the musical numbers have you at the edge of your seat like How Far I'll Go, or choking up like the Song of the Ancestors. It's beautiful enough to look at, but without a good story to ground it, it makes sense that the characters, the music and the overall experience falter. It was still as good a time as many animated films I've seen, don't get me wrong, but it pales in comparison to its predecessor.

An unmemorable movie that represents the current state of Disney. It started out as a Disney+ show and definitely feels like a pointless side quest made to add content.

Moana has no arc and there is nothing new with her. She already achieved her goal in the first film and there's little go forward with. Her plot is about finding other people, but there's no reason for her. She's lacking nothing, beloved by all, and gets everything her way already. There's no reason to root for her.

Maui also hasn't changed. He's still the same smarmy guy from the start of the first, basically undermining any meaningful development that could have been had following his terrific arc last movie. The movie does lighten up when he has friendly banter with Moana, but they're away from each other so much it's hard to care.

The other new characters don't fare much better. There's more added to the crew but they're one-dimensional rip-offs of the sidekicks from Pixar's Lightyear. They are nothing more than the fat one, the old one, the geeking out fanboy, and the brainy woman who knows more mechanical knowledge than people today could.

The villains are horribly misused. There's the bat-woman who is treated like a big deal in the first half only to disappear completely by the second. The movie builds her up as something just to fail on that promise, obviously she was intended to be a bigger deal in an intended second season. The primary villain, Nalo, falls prey to something that has killed a lot of franchises recently: a villain that's all setup and no pay off. Between Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Sony, fans are tired of seeing potential villains built up only to have to wait for a possible sequel just to pay it off. It's tired and cliched.

The songs are another disappointment as none are memorable. The first movie had one really good song and some others that grow on you after repeat viewings. Lin-Manuel Miranda's style is overused, but these songs sound like a bad imitation.

The animation looks good but only because it's the same stuff the first movie used. The only sequence worth remembering visually is the final battle in the storm. Otherwise, everything else is more of the same. Where other studios are emboldened to take animation into new styles, Disney seems content to just play it safe and reuse assets.

The movie screams that it's just going through the motions. It's enjoyable to sit through, but something that will be completely forgotten by the end of the credits.

Let's face it. The first Moana was amazing. Great soundtrack, great characters, great character arcs, and it was fun for the whole family. It was one of those movies that didn't need a sequel, because it was just perfect.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about its follow-up.

Moana 2 felt soulless. It felt as if there was no heart behind it, unlike its predecessor. Each song that was sung (except for 1 or 2) wasn't that great. They weren't catchy, and didn't make me excited for what was about to happen!

And the side characters...where do I begin?

I couldn't tell you their names, even if I tried. They felt unnecessary throughout the movie except in very few scenes. It was just all so forced. We're given basic information about them and that's it. They don't really have any character development, and if they do, I don't feel like I know them well enough to care.

There are also some plot holes. There is a scene (and to avoid spoilers I will be as vague as possible) where we're introduced to a character who has been trapped by the "villain" of the film. (Why I have quotes around villain, I'll get back to later on.) After her 5 minute introduction, she is left behind and we never find out what happens to her, even after the defeat of the villain.

To get to my point on the villain, he was barely introduced. All we get told as an audience is that he's a power hungry god and that's it. We get barely any exposition, and the final battle is so fast. It felt like so much build up for nothing.

Not a lot felt like it changed for Moana and her character by the end of the film. The stakes just barely felt like they were there.

Which also reminds me, the pacing for the movie was very off. Some scenes felt so fast while others took their time, and it gave me a weird feeling of not caring as much as the first film, although I wanted to care.

All in all, it's not the worst film ever. It's a family flick, that your kids will probably enjoy, but for me personally, it's definitely not one that I'd watch more than once.

Moana 2 is an enjoyable sequel that I saw with my 4 and 8 year old daughters. I would recommend it for anyone with children as they are likely to be held for the duration and enjoy it.

The plot contains a lot of the same formula from the original movie (and Disney Princess animated features in general). This is not an issue, but for me what slightly disappoints is feeling shortchanged on story for what feels like the setting up of a third movie. On reflection (at the end) it feels like the slower character focussed aspects of the pre-adventure scenes (although good) are making up for the lack of material during the adventure. Compared to the original where the main antagonist had a fully realised character arc with a great twist, this one makes no contribution other than to pitch the next instalment. (There is a mid-credits scene so don't leave the cinema too early)

That being said there are no weak sequences, spectacle or character moments. I like how all the characters are used, particularly Moana's sweet little sister and all the relationships portrayed between people. The underlying message of togetherness and connecting people is very worthwhile. The new slant on the Kakamora is great.

As for the songs, I think, as always, it is a matter of taste, but for me they are not as memorable as the original.

As always with Disney the animation is incredible and the voice performances are great.

Visually, the movie was super beautiful with stunning animations to rival the previous movie. There are lots of funny call backs, and fun new characters, but the story is very formulaic. It's the same movie again with more bells and whistles and worse music. The music is a major let down. The fact they didn't have Lin Manuel Miranda really showed in the music. You're welcome was written perfectly for Dwayne Johnson but this time around, his lack of singing skills really show.

I think kids will love this movie, with the cute characters and fun call backs. All the new characters open up more merchandising opportunities of course.

Frozen 1 and 2 were so uniquely different yet such strong movies all around, but I find Moana 2 is just a repeat of the same story. I had higher hopes!