‘Moana 2’ Review: What Can I Say Except… It’s Okay?

Moana, in the eight year wake since its release, has gone down as one of Disney’s most impactful and successful animated efforts ever released. Obviously, that’s saying something, especially for Disney. It seems that essentially nobody on the face of the planet dislikes it, and that just about everyone has seen it. The songs are still relevant, the big moments commonly referenced, and the streaming numbers ever-inflated, to boot.

Sounds like prime ground for a sequel, right? Unfortunately… right. Moana 2, reworked from a television series suited for Disney +, burst onto the scene with a surprise announcement and reveal just earlier this year, after years of swirling rumors and shot-down suggestions.

On top of the sudden announcement, the advertisements for this sequel were unusually short and uninformative. It was difficult to glean much at all about the film itself; all that could really be assured up to release was returning characters, lots of water, and funny animal sidekicks. Now that the movie is out, that ends up being about all it has to offer. Perhaps the trailers were suitable previews, after all.

Not to be too harsh on the thing – there’s a clear air of inspiration, even if only between the gasping breaths of a hackneyed story – but in comparison to the first film, there’s a gaping hole right where the heart should be. To that point, much of the narrative here is an unashamed retread from better beats in the first movie.

In this one, the titular Moana must travel out onto the open ocean once more in order to defeat an evil god’s curse and restore communion to the scattered people of the sea once more. The issue is in the concept, as Moana 2 is a quest-based sequel to a character-based original.

After spending so much time with Moana (and Maui; we’ll get there) in the first movie, learning to love and care for them, simply joining them on a wacky adventure this time around isn’t enough. Going from intense, varied personal stakes in the 2016 film to none at all this time around drives a severe disconnect between the two. What is supposed to be a direct sequel ends up feeling plain, forgettable, and derivative.

Just as the first movie does, this one opens on Moana padding about her home island for the first act or-so, before a conflict calls her out to sea. After a moment of self-doubt quelled by a spiritual call (this movie repeats that bit to a tee), she finally hauls off to confront her destiny.

Where the first film found ground in the ensuing events for Moana to grow as a character, challenging her doubt and growing into her purpose, this one finds her well-suited for the journey. She sails well and moves with the ocean, unbothered by most of the dangers that plagued her the first time.

That important conflict is replaced in the second movie by a predictable cast of one-note side characters, in addition to an array of small threats that fade in and out of focus until the curse can finally be confronted in the finale.

Maui’s journey doesn’t even cross with Moana’s until much of her trek is already over; that’s the best part of the first movie (their dynamic) missing from half of this one. Despite so much borrowed material being present here, somehow the best part was still left behind.

What Moana 2 gets right is mostly non-essential, but still, kudos are kudos: the film looks and sounds brilliant. Of course, this one still isn’t a match for the first movie on either front (the music, especially, is a marked downgrade), but there’s still a lot of fun to be had with consistent, relentless comedic writing and basically catchy tunes that fit their moment.

Most of these shenanigans come during the film’s middle portion, which is spent almost entirely at sea, and serve as proper distractions while the film works to chart a way towards a more than serviceable finale. In moments like these, wherein we’re doing nothing more than jumping from set piece to set piece just for the sake of it, you can turn your brain off a bit and just enjoy the company of Moana, Maui, and the carousel of side characters.

Should you have to turn your brain off in this universe? No, definitely not, but it’s preferred to forcing yourself to suffer and not accepting the easy fun when it’s offered to you. That really is the moral of this story: taking what you can get.

While Moana 2 is deeply disappointing when judged as a follow-up to the modern classic that is the first movie, it can also be taken as a perfectly enjoyable piece of family entertainment this holiday season. The animation is fluid and clearly expensive, colors pop and characters sing. The film’s heavily emotional climax earns a few extra points for memorability as well.

It just is what it is. Have fun where you can, mourn where you must, and cut your losses before they try and ruin your memory of the first film with the upcoming live-action remake.