‘Moana 2’ - Movie Review

Category: Movies

Moana 2 is getting mixed reviews because it was originally designed to be a limited series on Disney+ but was truncated into a feature film. The story itself is basically in tact however there are some parts that would most likely have been explored more in a series, mainly the background of some of the characters.

This story  takes place three years after Moana met Maui and the whole adventure of the island princess began. Moana is a Wayfinder and loves exploring the ocean.

She now has a little sister (little sis) named Simea who (as I predicted when I first saw the trailers) steals the show. She is adorable and hopefully her character will be explored further in future projects, whether they are for TV or film.

Moana gets a call from her ancestors to travel the ocean to find other people. If she does not connect to other island people, Motunui will be doomed. She is told to follow a comet to her destination.

Moana sets out on this dangerous journey with her beloved pig Pua, her chicken Heihei, and three others she selected to help along the way. These three people from Motunui – Mono, Toto, and Kele – are chosen for their individual qualities, but more back story about them would have been helpful to understand why she selected them to be her crew. And it would be interesting to know why Loto has a Australian accent when no one else does.

Her task is to set foot on an island that has been cursed. It was cursed to divide the island peoples and the only way to break the curse and unite the people of the different islands is for a human to touch it. But getting there is the trick.

First they confront the Kakamora (their story is from the first film). Then Moana and her crew, along with Maui, have to escape from a giant clam and then they must traverse violent waves and storms. Maui must raise the island from the floor of the ocean where it was sent by the curse, and then Moana has to touch it, which proves to be quite a feat for both Maui and Moana.

There are some cute aspects of the film. Moana has her fan group of little girls on Motunui who dress like her and have their own pig, which they named Pua. Simea adores her big sis and wants to go with her on the journey, but being only three years old it is too dangerous for her. 

Both Pua and Heihei add cuteness to the film, as do the kids on Motunui and especially Simea.

Moana’s connection to the ocean is imperative and continues in this film. Also, the scenery is magnificent. It’s like a travel log to the South Pacific.

I saw the movie with someone who had not seen the original film. She enjoyed it but would have liked to have known more about the aspects of Moana and Maui (and the Kakamora) that were in the first film. Although it’s not necessary to have seen Moana, it does help audiences to understand the characters and situations.

Spoiler alert – Moana does die in the film but is brought back by her ancestors and is now a demigod. 

Moana 2 is not as good as the first film and there are no songs that stand out like there were in Moana. Knowing the background of how this became a film instead of a streaming series I was prepared to be very disappointed. It was better than I expected. With the exception of some deeper dives into the characters and the lack of great songs, it is a decent attempt at a sequel. Disney is noted for sequels. This is not one of their best but it is okay. And Moana is a beloved Disney Princess so her fans will most likely enjoy the continuation of her story.

Moana 2 is rated PG for action/peril.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Image courtesy Disney