• Release year: 2024
• Director: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller.
• Producers: Christina Chen and Yvett Merino.
• Screenplay by: Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller.
• Art Direction by: Daniel Arriaga.
• Music by: Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina.

Shotgun Commentary: as hard as it is to admit, pretty amazing sequel.

Review

Moana 2 follows the chief’s daughter of Motunui as she goes on a thrilling adventure once more. Now, before getting into the review, it’s important to clear a few things up about yours truly.

First off, loved the first instalment, Moana (Auli’i Carvalho) is easily one of the funniest, most inspiring Disney princess to ever exist, even if she isn’t a princess per se. The songs were all amazing, every single one of them, and the story is superb. Secondly, not a fan of sequels, don’t trust them, never have. That is not to say that there are no good sequels out there, there are, but it is not usually the case. That being said, let’s get started with Moana 2.

Past and present

The feature follows the natural progression of Moana’s story. In the first film, she wanted to explore the world, but her dream had to be slightly postponed due to the imminent death of her island. However, now all of that is solved, so she has freedom to go out and meet other people.

Sadly, there is one problem: there are no people anywhere. A lighting strike connects her to her ancestors, who explain a curse put upon humans by an evil god, Nalo. He doesn’t want humans to connect because he believes their separation makes him stronger… The reasoning behind that? None at all, probably something along the lines of “a house divided…” and all that, but don’t think too much into it.

Of course, Moana sets sail ASAP, this time with a crew of three other people, in addition to her trusty companions Pua and Hei Hei (Alan Tudyk). The film combines past and present beautifully, making a ton of callbacks, but inserting them coherently into the new narrative. Moana visits the cave of her ancestors again, this time, with her little sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), to explain to her why her impending journey is so crucial. She also sets a conch on a newly explored island, dances with THE cringy kid from her village, etc. All the references are embedded seamlessly, spicing up the story, but keeping them from being an annoying crutch for this new narrative.

Of life and death

Still, the best aspect of the first instalment to make it into the second, after Hei Hei, naturally, is the idea of reincarnation. The death of Moana’s grandmother and her reappearance as a stingray are arguably the most emotional and beautiful moments of the first instalment. The second doubles down on these by showing, not only her grandma, but all her ancestors and their spirit animals. The use of colour and light is absolutely breathtaking, making every encounter special and incredibly powerful.

In addition to this upgrade, there are some very interesting new aspects in this second adventure. Coincidentally related to the previous theme. Following Tangled’s (2010) example, Moana 2 doesn’t shy away from death. While the results aren’t as devastating as in The Lion King (1994), the brush of the protagonists with death and, more importantly, their conversations about the possibility of their demise, feel quite refreshing. Granted, it is not the first time it has been done, but the whole portrayal of the life-death cycle has a new feeling to it. It is hopeful and endearing, instead of soul-crushing and dramatic.

People and songs

This is the tricky bit. New characters and songs can make or break a sequel. Fortunately, in this case, everything works out just how it’s supposed to. The new characters are so likeable that even a neophobe such as myself ended up loving their presence. As for the songs, the experience is similar to adapting to the new characters. You might be a sceptic, but will probably end up converted.

All the songs have some background from Moana’s (2016) soundtrack, but they are not as good as the original, which might make you steer away from the film when musical numbers come in. However, when everything seems lost, in come bangers like “Get Lost” and “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?”, and you are immediately converted to the new soundtrack as well. Those films carry the whole thing so flawlessly, so epically, that all the other songs will look perfectly fine afterwards, no critique here.

All in all, Moana 2 is a very decent sequel to a wonderful film. It follows Moana’s journey as she grows up to be a strong, adventurous woman, and a great example for all the kids that will watch her. Plus, the post-credits scene has a big Thanos in The Avengers (2012) vibes to it, so sequel ensured. The question now is, will they be able to keep it up?

Thanks to Walt Disney Studios for big screen access! Moana 2 will be released the 27th of November in the US and the 29th in UK.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Everything is better with a Hei Hei.
• You can, in fact, get emotional with a coconut.
• A great banger can save a whole soundtrack.

What’s your take? Have you watched Moana 2? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀