Moana 2 Movie Review: Once the one-of-a-kind Disney “not princess” proved that she was the Queen of the Sea, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho, reprising her role from the 2016 film) was about to have some new adventures. In the age of sequels, prequels, and multiverse-quels, Moana 2 is as new as it gets these days – which is to say, not very new.
As Moana sets out on a new mission, a goddess who helps her, Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), impresses her with a song that says, “There’s always another way.” However, Disney isn’t trying this.
So we get a lot of that in the really entertaining Moana, especially the Polynesian teen heroine and the arrogant demi-god she befriends Maui (Dwayne Johnson). Many new characters come on screen but only a few leave an impact. Moony (Hulalai Chung) is just a mini-Maui, and when Maui herself arrives it means nothing.
One new character you’ll want to see and hear more of is Lotto (Rose Matafeo), an inventor who keeps tinkering with his crafty, Moana-led canoe so he can encounter all the evil naughties that come to life. Attack them. But given that it is his mind that drives the motley crew assembled by Moana as far as he can, Lotto is little more than a sidekick to Moana.
The weakest link is that we don’t even get to see Nalo other than a screeching sound or a giant shadow in the sky, although if you wait for the end credits, you do get a glimpse. This is just a way of saying that there will be a Moana 3.
The greatest accomplishment of the 2016 Moana was that it gave Disney fans, especially young girls, a hero who didn’t look like they had before – it was a ‘she’ with dark, curly hair that wasn’t blonde, a Waists that had some substance, and friends that didn’t include a handsome prince.
With that established, Moana 2 needed to explore some uncharted waters. The discovery of Motufetu, a hidden island that Nola sank to ensure that the different peoples of the ocean remained separate, is really a no-brainer.
One can’t help but cheer for Moana, especially her little sister, and especially for the brief moment they share with a playful ocean. Coconut flakes provide a few laughs while they last.
But the songs are mostly dead in the water, and the jokes even more so. At one point, Maui removed the term “butt dial.” And goes on to explain: “It will make sense in 2,000 years.” Correct.
Moana 2 Movie Director: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana LeDoux Miller
Moana 2 voice cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hulalai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fenn, Avimai Fraser
Moana 2 Movie Rating: 2 stars