“Moana 2”, is the newest Disney sequel to come out this year. Now with directors: David G. Derrick Jr, Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller instead of the previous directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, both were known for working on the previous “Moana” movie as well as “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin”. Although many rush to fill in a seat and others remain indifferent, only one question remains. Does the movie live up to the hype or is it another passing Disney movie?
The movie demonstrates promise with an earning of $139 million for opening weekend. However, the story in itself doesn’t embody the same energy that the previous movie had. A viewer described “Moana 2” as “a retold Disney+ series” where the movie is framed in such a way that each arc of the movie was essentially a different episode connected from one another but structured in the form of a movie. Although the movie does have more-or-less decent pacing, the viewer doesn’t receive the same feeling of being engrossed in the movie as viewers did in the previous “Moana” movie.
Another detail that sets both movies apart is the chemistry between the characters, the first movie illustrates the “pull-and-push” that makes Moana and Maui, Moana and Maui. In “Moana 2” Maui doesn’t meet up with Moana until the middle of the movie which gives Moana a chance to connect with the other characters in a similar way she did with Maui. Despite the movie introducing a fresh new batch of characters as well as bringing in a few familiar faces, they only seem to be scratching the surface and not reaching that same depth of connection Moana and Muai had in the first movie. Even so, from start to finish, the viewers are able to see how the new characters interact with Moana which allows the film to maintain the same light-hearted feel that the previous movie had with funny scenes to bring down tension that grant viewers a moment to breathe between laughs.
The soundtrack is decent at best, the first film had many songs that most find recognizable at a heartbeat. From bangers like “How Far I’ll Go”, to “You’re Welcome” and “Shiny”, most individuals have heard of one of those at least once while some might not be as familiar with songs provided by “Moana 2” as the soundtrack doesn’t have the same allure that the first film has.
Last but not least, there’s not much of a straightforward message behind the second film. The first film included multiple messages throughout the movie, from embracing one’s identity, and accepting what’s dear to oneself, to acknowledging that terrible things that happen to a person don’t defy them as a person, to the importance of human impact on the environment. The most notable thing viewers can get out of the second film is not succumbing to fear and embracing culture and community which both films share in common. The second film was mostly about accomplishing the task that Moana was given while just providing enough build-up to allow the plot to progress.
“Moana 2” is a decent movie to spend your time watching, however, it is better to wait until the film comes out on streaming sites rather than going to the theater.
