100 min | PG | November 27, 2024 | Walt Disney Pictures
Disney sends Moana back to sea with a new crew and a bigger quest. The animation is stunning. The songs are not. The sequel does enough to justify its existence without matching the original.
Moana receives a call from her ancestors to sail beyond the known waters of Oceania. A dark force called Nalo has cursed the seas and isolated the islands from each other. Moana must find a lost island called Motufetu and break the curse. She assembles a new crew of wayfinders and sets out with Maui joining later. The film began life as a Disney+ series before being reworked into a theatrical feature and that origin shows in the episodic structure. The quest moves from island to island with distinct challenges at each stop. Directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller keep the adventure moving but the narrative lacks the emotional simplicity that made the first film resonate.
Auli’i Cravalho returns to voice Moana with the same warmth and determination that defined the character. Moana is older and carries the responsibility of her people. Cravalho plays the maturity without losing the stubbornness. Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui with the same boisterous energy but reduced screen time. The new crew members are designed to expand the ensemble. Loto is an engineer. Moni is a strongman. Kele is a historian. They add comic energy and practical skills to the voyage. The standout new character is Matangi, a trickster goddess of storms voiced with playful menace. The villain Nalo is more concept than character and the film suffers for it.
The animation is the film’s strongest element. Walt Disney Animation Studios pushes the ocean rendering further than the first film. The water is luminous and alive. The storm sequences are visually spectacular. The underwater sequences introduce new visual palettes that expand the world. The character animation maintains the expressive warmth of the original. The action set pieces are more elaborate and more varied than the first film. The songs by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear replace Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work and the drop in quality is noticeable. The new songs are competent and forgettable. None approach the catchiness or emotional specificity of “How Far I’ll Go” or “You’re Welcome.” The score by Mark Mancina maintains continuity with the original.
The film is a product of Disney’s sequel machine and it has the strengths and weaknesses of that machine. The animation is world-class. The voice performances are engaging. The adventure is entertaining. But the emotional stakes are lower and the songs are weaker and the villain is thinner. The first Moana told a story about a girl finding her identity through her ancestors’ legacy. This sequel tells a story about a girl doing more of that. The craftsmanship is evident. The necessity is not. Disney will make a billion dollars because the brand is strong and the character is beloved and families will show up during Thanksgiving week. The film rewards that showing up without surprising it.