I recently watched Moana 2 on Disney Plus, and I wanted to write some of my thoughts on it. I like to end things on a more positive note, so I’ll start talking about the things I disliked first before I talk about what I enjoyed about the movie.
One thing I disliked about this film is that Moana’s new crew lacked development. Besides Moni, the storyteller guy, I don’t remember any of the other’s names. That isn’t to say that they were completely useless. The boat building girl was able to help towards the film’s finale, and the old gardener helped a little at one point, and so did Moni. However, I don’t really know much about them other than their professions and personalities. Moni is sort of annoying, because he geeks out over Maui and he writes fanfic with him and Maui going on adventures, the old man is grumpy, and the young boat builder is somewhat hyperenergetic and she seems to like to come prepared.
But since the movie doesn’t delve into them much, I was left feeling like the movie could have done fine without them, or at least without Moni and maybe the old gardener. Also, I don’t know why Moana would want an old man out at sea to begin with, especially since he had no interest in going when she asked him. The man is old, so he can’t do too much, and he is probably more prone to getting injured on a journey like this.
Another thing I didn’t like is that some scenes were dragged out for humor, but it didn’t land for me. There is a scene where the coconut people shoot Moana and her crew with darts, and they can’t move. But when they agree to help the coconut people, this big green fish has to spread green goo over them in order for the toxins to wear off quickly. This was supposed to be funny, and maybe kids will think it is, but I didn’t, and the scene felt like it was going on for too long.
Finally, Moana becomes a demigod, but this is glossed over too quickly. The movie doesn’t show how her family reacts to this, or if they even know (though I can only assume they do) and the repercussions aren’t discussed or implied. I mean, if Moana is a demigod, won’t she outlive her family? What exactly does that mean for her and her people? I guess that will all be explained in Moana 3, whenever that will happen.
Now to talk about the positives.
One thing I did like about the crew is that they were resourceful when they needed to be. When their ship gets wrecked on a remote island, they use the wreckage of one of their ancestor’s ships to fix up their boat, and they did all that while Moana got a pep talk from Maui. What the crew did for Moana was really nice, and may be the best scene in the movie for me.
The animation is great, as usual. The music is okay as well. I think “Get Lost” and “Beyond” were the best songs in the movie. Maui gets a song where he gives a pep talk to Moana which is kind of catchy.
I also enjoyed the relationship between Moana and her little sister Simea. That was one of the best things about the film, and their interactions were sweet and heartwarming. Simea is probably the best side character they added for this movie.
Another side character I liked was the Warrior Kakamora who helped Moana and her crew out a little. There is a scene where Moana is trying to pull their boat out of the clam, but the Kakamora sees that the Kakamora ship would eventually be pulled into the clam along with them, so he cuts the rope to save his friends. I thought it was interesting, and it showed that he cared about his people.
Overall, the movie was fine. Moana 2 has some enjoyable scenes and songs, but it doesn’t feel complete. This movie felt more like a stepping stone for Moana 3. Some side characters weren’t fleshed out enough, a couple of scenes dragged on for too long, and the movie felt a little rushed, probably because the movie was originally going to be a TV series but last minute changes were made. I would probably give the movie 3.5 stars. However, I should note that I am in my early twenties, so young children will probably get more enjoyment out of this than I did, and I know that other adults who like Moana may love this movie as well.
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