Moana 2

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Moana 2  is the direct sequel to Moana (2016) and follows Moana in her new role as Wayfinder for her people. Moana is searching the oceans for other people, other villages who could all unite to sustain one another. Yet she soon discovers the God of Chaos, Nalo is set on keeping the people of the ocean apart, and Moana will have to defy him to unite those forced apart.

The thing I was immediately reminded about when I started watching this film is how great a protagonist Moana is, she really sets a great standard for the young audiences who flock out to see these films. This character is adventurous; she barrels headfirst into danger and is excited at the prospect of where her travels may lead her. Moana is the heart of her people, they look to her and see hope at going further and becoming more. Which is a lofty expectation, but one that our lead character has often proven equal to. Watching this role unite unlikely allies in her own village, standing to the customs of her people and rising to lead when a new challenge is faced is a strong lead point in the first act. We reconnect with Moana in this beginning and see her as that young woman who inspires, with values we want to see taught. The way this film challenged our protagonist to be a lot more personal, this was a very introspective film for Moana and it resulted in her facing herself and challenges far greater than her once more. The film often got to be more creative in the strange avenues of adventure we took; the Kakamora confrontation, escaping the realm of Matangi and attempting to lift the island while navigating monster-infested waters were thrilling. There was a more varied lean into Pasifika history, culture and most significantly, mythology here that really added a layer of authenticity and immersion to the whole narrative.

I think the elements of production for this film will be under a lot of scrutiny after the absolutely stunning display of Moana. However, I really found myself hooked on the design of Moana 2 as well, it made a strong effort to take us into a world of vibrant colour. The animation style is vibrant, with action feeling very sharply caught and the variety of design between monstrous clam prisons, Nalo and his sea serpents and the beautiful island-raising scene are something to behold. I really adored how the soundtrack for this feature placed a bit more cultural sound within the composition, and more than that the film held true to pushing character-driven tracks.

Auli'i Cravalho, who voiced Moana, is a wonderful leading voice for these films; I love the strength of character Cravalho has really built up in the young Wayfinder. Hualalai Chung, who voiced Moni, is quite hysterical as the ultra-fanboy storykeeper; I especially enjoyed the exuberance and energy this performance injected into the film. Rose Matafeo, who voiced Loto, is a high-strung perfectionist boat crafter; Matafeo's erratic manner makes Loto stand out as another whirlwind of a character. David Fane, who voiced Kele, is immediately a character you know you will grow to love; it is a great journey seeing this grouchy old man become a firm part of the adventuring crew. Awhimai Fraser, who voiced Matangi, is a newcomer role that seems sinister but is a neat ally; her song 'Get Lost' is my favourite on the soundtrack. Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, who voiced Simea, is easily the cutest part of Moana 2; whoever decided to give Moana this precious and very tough sibling is clever indeed.

However, the best performance came from Dwayne Johnson, who voiced Maui. How much passion Johnson seems to have for this character is really surprising and heartwarming. He leans very naturally into the bravado, self-confidence and even barely checked ego of our favourite demigod. Yet, despite this character being a fun adventurer, there is a nice personal side that we get to see a lot in this sequel. Maui feels much more rounded, his initial journey with Moana has improved him as a person and he returns the lesson. Johnson really does a great job of being the voice of compassion in this, I love the scenes in which Maui lifts Moana back up. They lean on one another in a very remarkable way. The way Maui is so self-sacrificing by the end of this that he is willing to forego his demigod status to help Moana is a neat addition to his character arc.

Moana 2 slides to a halt and takes a leisurely pace at times, even when our heroes are out on their quest upon the sea. The film has long stretches where we are asked to wait for the pacing to really find itself again. This ambling to racing type of pace didn't do wonders for conveying the urgency of the quest our heroes found themselves upon. It was very clear this had been envisioned as another type of media at one point or another, the original show format feels carved out and streamlined for a one-and-done narrative. The ultimate result is a choppy pace, misguided focus on narrative elements and new sequel characters that don't have much time to develop beyond their archetypal selves.

Temuera Morrison, who voiced Chief Tui, feels like he holds a lot less to do in this film; Morrison's chief figure doesn't really sit as much of a leader in the grand scope of this film. Nicole Scherzinger, who voiced Sina, was never that important in the first film and failed to impress in the sequel; Scherzinger seems to know this with her very bland delivery. Rachel House, who voiced Gramma Tala, is really axed down for time in this one; any type of connection feels very artificially diminished between Moana and Tala in the sequel.

A faithful and exciting return to one of the best characters in modern Disney. I would give Moana 2 an 8/10.