Moana 2 picks up after the events of the original film. Moana is now a wayfinder and exploring the oceans looking for other people. When she receives a call from her Wayfinder ancestors, she realizes the importance of finding others more than ever. This sets her off on a new and dangerous adventure as she seeks a lost island and other ocean-going people.
Story
There is always a risk with a sequel of retreading a story path that has been trod on before. Thankfully, the story for Moana 2 continues to move forward from the story that was already told in Moana. The movie sets up where Moana is at in life now, and the relationships that she has with those around her. These turn out to be important later on in the story. The movie starts at a comfortable pace and then picks up speed as it continues along. By the end, it is a moving movie with endearing characters and relationships. It also sets the table for future stories with Moana and her people in the future… perhaps a Moana Cinematic Universe (MCU from Walt Disney Animation Studios!?) could be in the works down the line? If future stories are told as well as this one, that would be perfectly fine.
Quality
Watching Moana 2 is a beautiful experience. The colors are vibrant. The animation quality has clearly gotten better since the first film but that just accompanies the growth that Moana has had since her first adventure. The sound effects and accompanying music make for a solid viewing experience that really was enjoyable in a theatrical setting.
Characters
As with the first film, Moana and Maui are central to the story for the sequel. This time, however, there are several characters that have supporting roles. Moana’s new crew members for her new and bigger canoe are endearing and humorous. There is definitely the possibility to tell more stories with them. The adversaries in Moana 2 are interesting, threatening, and definitely added an extra risk to Moana and company for the film. The character that really stole the show, however, is Moana’s sister Simea. Voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, she is completely adorable and adds a level of heart to the story that I didn’t even realize was needed. It also definitely added to Moana’s motivation throughout the film in a beautiful way.
Music
The music for Moana 2 is solid. The songs are enjoyable. The score accompanies the film in a way that makes sense and doesn’t distract from the storytelling that is happening. The songs, while enjoyable, aren’t as iconic or memorable as those that were in Moana by Lin-Manuel Miranda. They are nice additions to the film and catchy, just not as catchy as the first film.
Final Thoughts
Moana 2 is a really enjoyable sequel to Moana. It has a reason to exist because the story it tells moves her story forward. It also creates the opportunity for more stories from Moana and her world in the future. This is a movie that I would like to see again on the big screen as it really was an enjoyable movie-going experience. It has heart, it has humor, it has purpose and it is worthy of being a Walt Disney Animation Studios theatrical film. It will also be interesting to see if this leads to more Moana films in the future. It definitely set things up for that in a way that had me intrigued to see where her story goes. This movie gets a solid hat tip! It is definitely worth seeing when it arrives in theaters.
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Mr. DAPs Hat Rating Scale
- No Hat – Didn’t meet expectations
- Hat Nod – It was ok
- Hat Tip – It was good
- Hat’s Off – Loved it!
