Moana 2

This surprisingly good sequel manages to blend the elements that audiences loved from the first film with some interesting new ideas, providing another family friendly adventure exploring Polynesian mythology that still feels like a breath of fresh air.

Premise:  Moana has grown to become the wayfinder of the Polynesian island of Motunui, venturing further than ever before across the ocean in search of other tribes, but finding none.  When a vision from her ancestors shows her that the bitter god Nalo has separated the Oceanic people by sinking the legendary island of Motufetu, Moana assembles a crew to search for the lost island and to break Nalo’s curse.

Review:

I have to start off by explaining that Moana is probably my favourite animated Disney film of all time … so the bar was set ridiculously high for Moana 2.  And against that backdrop, it may come as no surprise to say that Moana 2 doesn’t quite hit the same heights for me as the first film did – for one, the songs are good, but not as great as in the first film, and although the plot is interesting and unpredictable, it doesn’t have the same huge emotional twist at the end that the first film had.

But saying that Moana 2 falls just short of being an instant classis is not in any way suggesting that it’s not a great film.  Just as Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning was a fantastic film even if it wasn’t quite as good as the series-best Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Moana 2 is still far better than most sequels, even if it can’t quite match the originality or surprise factor of the first film.

“…another fascinating exploration of Polynesian mythology, culture & heritage…”

Once again, Moana 2 is a film that is about as far removed from the traditional “Disney princess” formula as you can get – Moana has no interest in romance and doesn’t need a male character to save her; instead, she’s a leader to her people, who sets out on a quest to save not only her island, but the future of all the Oceanic people.  And just as with the first film, Moana 2 is a fascinating exploration of Polynesian mythology, culture and heritage, that for me adds a fascinating extra dimension to these films.

.A key element of the success of the first film was the songs, in that case co-written by composer extraordinaire Lin-Manuel Miranda.  He was unable to return for the sequel and so Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear stepped in, and it’s fair to say that the songs in the sequel don’t quite match the impact of those in the first film.  But that said, it’s still a great soundtrack that once again weaves in the Polynesian influences and delivers some great tunes: ‘Beyond’ is the big ballad for Auli'i Cravalho as Moana, ‘Get Lost’ is an inventively playful song performed by Awhimai Fraser as new character Matangi, and ‘Can I Get a Chee Hoo?’ is probably the most fun track on the soundtrack, performed by Dwayne Johnson as Maui.  But all that said, the inclusion of ‘We Know the Way’ at one point just reminds audiences how great that first soundtrack was…

“…the reunion between Moana & Maui doesn’t feel rushed or contrived…”

This sequel introduces some new characters in the form of Moana’s novice crew (voiced by Hualalai Chung, Rose Matafeo and David Fane), but their antics don’t detract from the central friendship between Moana and Maui.  That said, the reunion between Moana and Maui doesn’t feel rushed or contrived – the first half of the film cleverly keeps them separated, with Maui doing what he can to keep the mortal Moana out of the dangerous affairs of gods and demi-gods, while Moana realises she has to rely on her own instincts when Maui fails to answer her pleas for assistance.

Making a welcome return from the first film are Temuera Morrison and Nicole Scherzinger as Moana’s parents, as well as Rachel House as Moana’s grandmother, now a spirit in the form of a manta ray.  We also get to see more of the Kakamora (the coconut-like pirates), who this time are actually fleshed out a lot more – as well as the returning comic relief chicken (Heihei) and pig (Pua).

“…the real heart comes from the characters’ emotional journeys...”

Plotwise, while this doesn’t quite pack the same emotional punch as the first film, it still has plenty of surprises, and it included a fair few twists that I didn’t see coming.  But just as with the first film, the real heart comes from the characters’ emotional journeys, rather than their physical one – although the quest itself is beautifully animated and visually stunning.

This project started life as a potential TV show – but I for one am glad that Disney pivoted and made this a cinematic release, because it’s a fantastic animated movie that deserves to the seen by families on the big screen.