REVIEW: Moana 2 (2024)

Movie Reviews

One thing about me is that I love Disney movies most of the time. 2016’s Moana was exceptional even in the context of Disney movies, a particularly gorgeous, funny, and touching film, and the soundtrack rocks. Disney sequels make me nervous at the best of times, but Moana 2 started out as a TV series for Disney+ and was only announced as a movie this February, about nine months before it hit cinemas. Sometimes, a time crunch produces magical results; Beauty and the Beast, at least in the form we know it today, was made in only two years. Frozen was also rushed to production, and Toy Story 2 had to be completely redone, top to bottom, in nine months. It’s not uncommon for animated movies to take 3-6 years, so any of these could (and should) have been disasters. The thing is, Disney isn’t the studio or company it was in 1991, 1999, or even 2013. They kind of stink now. Incredibles 2 was rushed out to cinemas, losing a year of production time so Toy Story 4 could be finished. Incredibles 2 isn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen, but it disappointed me in a way that can quite literally never happen again, as I won’t ever wait 14 years to see a sequel to anything again. Moana 2 also has an entirely new slate of directors and songwriters, only maintaining one of the original film’s writers, Jared Bush (Zootopia, Encanto). John Musker and Ron Clements not directing this film, and Lin-Manuel Miranda not writing the songs, filled me with an anxiety I can’t describe. Grab your oars because we’re crossing the ocean (again). 

Moana 2 follows Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) as she searches for new people among Motu Nui’s surrounding islands. She gathers a crew: farmer Kele (David Fane), canoe builder/destroyer Loto (Rose Matafeo), and Maui superfan Moni (Hualalai Chung). Of course, Pua and Hei Hei (Alan Tudyk) are on board as well, and they encounter Maui (Dwayne Johnson) being held captive by Matangi (Awhimai Fraser). The group must save another cursed island to unite the people. 

Moana 2 is bad. I don’t mean it’s not my cup of tea or that it’s flawed but enjoyable, or even that it’s an okay movie by itself but disappoints as a sequel. Disney wouldn’t dare release this if it weren’t a sequel to an already popular movie – well, I’m not sure after Wish and Strange World. The plot is the same as the first movie, but with a couple of new obstacles added. Yet somehow, the story doesn’t feel as tight and self-contained as the first one. You really start to feel that TV-project energy in Moana 2. If they wanted a movie that badly, I’m sorry to say they probably should have started from scratch. The animation is gorgeous, the only aspect of the film that doesn’t look like it was made for Disney+. The animators clearly worked their butts off on Moana 2, and I intend no disrespect to them. Technical departments don’t get enough recognition when movies are good, but when they’re bad, we rush to blame them. It’s not fair, and the main problem with Moana 2 is its existence, its very conceit. 

The voice acting is alright, with Cravalho and Johnson hitting many of the same beats as they did in Moana. I don’t fault them for this, as Moana 2 gives Maui and Moana similar character arcs and emotional moments to the first movie. I don’t love how the character is used, especially her song, but Awhimai Fraser has the biggest impact as Matangi, at least out of the new characters. With Lin-Manuel Miranda out of the picture, Christopher Jackson doesn’t sing for Moana’s father, Chief Tui. As such, Temeura Morrison sings his own part. He’s not bad at all. I do miss how Jackson sang “And no one leaves,” leading to Moana’s big moment in “Where You Are.” But honestly, that’s one of the film’s main problems: it constantly makes one yearn for the first movie instead. Moana 2 is Great Value Moana, the Moana mom insists we already have at home. The issue is that many of us do already have Moana at home, and it’s better in almost every department. 

The songs in Moana 2 are really, really bad. Assuming this movie has to exist, why make it without Lin-Manuel Miranda? The direction is meandering, and the narrative is shaky at best, but the general audience will forgive a lot for good songs; think The Greatest Showman. There are a few reprises or leitmotifs from the first movie in Moana 2, which feels a little indulgent at the same time as making the new, bad songs stick out more. The reprise of “We Know the Way” is particularly disappointing, replacing Miranda’s voice as the great ancestor with Moana’s voice, and the instrumentation is different. I get what they were probably going for here: a passing of the torch. But it doesn’t sound as epic and highlights that the film has the same basic ending. “We’re Back” is every bit as bad as it seemed in the extended sneak peek. It isn’t catchy; the tune and words are completely forgettable. “Beyond” is “How Far I’ll Go,” but without any flow or power behind it. The words are clunky, especially at the beginning. No one will be singing this one out of the theater, not even the kids. It’s a shame because I like some of the ideas in the song, and the tune isn’t bad. It reminds me of a pop song that I can’t quite place. I won’t harp on the songs for too long, but they are the film’s weakest link if I could only choose one. Maui’s “Can I Get a Chee Hoo” and Matangi’s “Get Lost” are bad and lack any memorable tune. “Get Lost” reminds me of “Shiny” in the first movie in that it’s a complete style and tonal shift, in this case going for a funky sound. But it doesn’t work as well. 

I wouldn’t recommend Moana 2 to anyone. If you want a musical fantasy adventure to kick off the Christmas season, Wicked is better in almost every conceivable way. If your child is begging to watch Moana 2, you may want to save the money and watch something else at home; I’m sure this will hit Disney+ real quick.