Vaiana 2

"Moana 2" has to be one of the most unexpected sequels in recent memory. It only came to my attention earlier this year when Disney announced they retooled a TV show that continues the original film's story into a theatrically released sequel. That's not even mentioning that they're releasing a live-action remake in 2026. The original "Moana" is an incredible film with spectacular voice acting from Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson as Moana and Maui, dazzling animation, iconic songs in "How Far I'll Go" and "You're Welcome," a legendary side-character in Schaffrillas...I mean Tamatoa and an engaging narrative. I was curious to see how a sequel would work, and after seeing it, I realized one hard truth: I'm not the target audience.

For the positives, the voice acting is still remarkable, with Cravalho and Johnson again delivering energetic performances. Even though the story is not the strongest, which we'll get to, their work manages to get me somewhat invested.

Of course, the animation is phenomenal. Disney films have always been known for their terrific animation, so it goes without saying that "Moana 2" is no different.

While this film does not have as many memorable songs as the first, "Can I Get A Chee Hoo?" is hands down the standout. The song doesn't reach the heights of the powerful "How Far I'll Go." I don't think it will become as well-known as that song, but I enjoyed it.

For the remaining positives, three solid jokes landed here, its mid-credit scene was delightful, and the film is not that long. Sadly, negatives prevail and weigh down the experience - for me, at least.

Although the runtime was short, I was bored even more than "Gladiator II." Many factors I'll mention possibly led to me thinking the movie was tedious, but its pacing left me dissatisfied.

I also felt the villain fell flat, not as much as The Rock's other release this month, "Red One." I won't reveal who it is to avoid spoilers, but I didn't feel the threat from the film's antagonist.

So I don't over-critique it, I'll bring up one more point: I felt the narrative was weak. The setup of Moana going on an adventure to unite the islands seems simple at first, but the overall handling of that story comes across as convoluted. Said convolution leaves me with no investment in potentially emotional moments.

Overall, "Moana 2" didn't work for me. I don't think it was unnecessary, but it didn't entirely justify its existence. It's simple and inoffensive yet oddly forgettable, so it's a fine enough trip to the movies. However, I'm not recommending this in favor of "Wicked" for the Thanksgiving holiday season.

Technically, outside of issues with the story, the animation remains stunning, the voice acting is stellar, and the music is well-done yet average from my perspective, so the technical score is an 8/10.

For the enjoyment score, it is a standard sequel that has enjoyment but a standard sequel that is undeniably weaker than its counterpart. For me, the enjoyment score is a 5/10. Again, it is okay and will leave you interested to an extent, but I'd recommend waiting until Disney+.

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.

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.

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!

Moana 1 was so magical and with Lin Manuel Miranda's Soundtrack, it was one of the best kids movies. Not to mention, there is a lot of cultural context about collective societies. Unfortunately, part 2 didn't keep me interested at all. I kept waiting for it to get better. This movie proves that a financial success is meaningless. It's not an indicator of a great film. It's just what was playing that weekend when you want to take your children to see a movie. The new characters lacked any depth. There wasn't half of the emotion of the first part. Grandma was missed dearly. I cried in the first Moana, a couple of times. I couldn't wait to get out of this short film. I wanted my money back.