If sequels were meant to retell their previous films’ stories completely, then “Moana 2” would be perfect.
Unfortunately for this Disney follow-up, sequels are meant to be their own movie, building upon the foundations laid in films prior. The original “Moana” — with a 95% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and the title of the most streamed Disney film of all time — has established itself as one of the most influential animated films ever made. Disappointingly, “Moana 2” will not.
The film follows wayfinder Moana as she receives an unexpected call from her ancestors and must journey to the far seas of Oceania. With the film once again being centered around Moana going on a sailing adventure, it doesn’t feel like it even tried to set itself apart from its predecessor.
Nothing really changes from the first film’s story aside from side characters and locations. The reason for Moana’s journey is still her ancestors, her motivation is still getting back to her family and it all ends in another oddly large-scale final battle.
An instance of wasted potential lies in one of the lone attempts that the film makes to set itself apart. In this movie, Moana decides to bring along a crew, opening the door for the introduction and development of new characters; unfortunately, the people chosen are completely one-dimensional and forgettable. None of them have an identity or personality aside from the one for which they were brought onboard, such as growing food or maintaining the ship.
Perhaps the most upsetting aspect is that these open slots for new characters could have been used for many other more interesting choices. For instance, the film introduces Moana’s younger sister Simea, who steals every scene she’s a part of yet is limited to only about five minutes of screen time.
These slots could also have been filled with either of Moana’s parents, two people who were prominent yet mostly absent figures in the first film. “Moana 2” seems like a perfect opportunity to flesh them out and build their relationship with their daughter, but that never happens.
Another interesting choice that the film makes is to not feature a central antagonist. It’s what the original “Moana” did, making the idea of not completing the journey act as the guiding antagonistic force. It worked then, and it works somewhat well in “Moana 2,” but it does feel redundant and overly safe.
As a whole, the film also just has a very odd feel to it. It feels choppy as if the scenes are not part of one story but are just a collection of multiple side stories. This makes total sense given the fact that in less than a year, the film was reworked from a long-form TV season to a 100-minute film.
This change also resulted in the initial individual episode directors being brought on to work together on the film. With the movie being directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, the overcrowded creative process is felt.
It’s also worth noting that none of these people had ever directed a movie prior to “Moana 2.” Disney bringing on new, up-and-coming directors is undoubtedly a good thing, but perhaps it should’ve played it a little more securely on the sequel to one of its biggest films of all time.
Another unfortunate part of the entire film is how lackluster its songs are. The music in “Moana” is phenomenal, making up two of the top three most streamed Disney songs of all time on Spotify. “Moana 2” simply doesn’t have those hits, lacking the catchy and powerful music that not only keeps audiences coming back to the theater but also keeps them listening to the songs and streaming the film after its theatrical run.
All of these factors combine to create a final product that just feels all over the place. For lovers of the original “Moana” film, there is undoubtedly a certain nostalgic aspect to enjoy in the second movie; however, “Moana 2” doesn’t do nearly enough to create its own identity or set itself apart from any other mediocre Disney sequel.
