“How far will they go?”
This is a question frequently asked by people worldwide about Disney executives making sequels.
Due to the first Moana being a beloved and original Disney favorite, there were high expectations that the sequel failed to live up to.
The new film follows Moana through her journey to connect the people from all the islands together, in her new-found position as a Wayfinder.
Reappearing characters such as Maui, Heihei, and Pua are featured, as well as new side characters.
However, the new characters are boring and don’t have many traits that make them stand out or entertaining to the audience.
The new characters felt like they weren’t created with the same passion as the characters in the first movie were, they felt like they were designed as an afterthought to the overall story.
While Moana goes on her adventure, there isn’t much of a build-up, explanation, or conflict that entices viewers to care about the overall stakes of the adventure.
The plot also felt short and rushed, which resulted in an unsatisfied feeling by the end. Additionally, the songs were unsatisfying compared to adored ones such as “How Far I’ll Go” and “Where You Are” in the first movie.
Similar to Frozen 2, Moana 2 is cute and fun but is missing aspects that were what made the original movie special.
Directors Dana Miller, David Derrick, and Jason Hand created a sequel to a treasured Disney movie that leaves me wishing the sequel was never created.
Nevertheless, the visuals were well made, and I thought the representation of Polynesian culture was pleasing.
While the movie wasn’t terrible, it failed to live up to the first one.
Currently, Moana 2 is only available in theatres but will soon be released on Disney+.
