‘Moana 2’ missed the mark

By Danielle Cherry

Eight years after the original motion picture was released, fans are welcomed back into Moana’s world, following new and old characters on a new adventure to reunite the community of the oceanic world by finding the Island of Tautai Vasa.

Beginning the film, I was excited to see where Moana’s story would go, how she would develop as a person and where this plot would be headed. Yet I was let down as the story had a very similar flow to the first film. 

From the get-go, Moana acted differently. Following her success in the first film, her influence spread throughout Motunui, impacted the people. The young girls all dress like her, treating Moana like an idol glorifying every moment. Moana is seemingly unaware of the change in the way that the townspeople view her. 

At the same time, she has a newfound confidence in who she is, singing her new role on the island in “We’re Back,” a beautiful number that throws the viewer back into the adventurous world of the ocean. Throughout the film, Moana grapples to maintain her confidence in who she is, encountering obstacles that make her question her ability once more. 

Everyone remembers the famous hits from the first movie “How Far I’ll Go,” and “You’re Welcome.” The second film attempts to recreate the dramatic beginning of the first film with the song “Beyond.” Auliʻi Cravalho sings beautifully, hitting notes never heard before in a Disney animated film, yet the song falls short. Unfortunately, the songs in the film are not on the same level as those of the first, potentially because of Lin-Manual Miranda’s absence from the musical process. 

Despite the beginning of the movie feeling like a replica of the first film, the plot slowly began to develop. New characters built up the story, creating a team to surround Moana, bringing an unexpected smile to my face. I fell in love with one of the new additions to the team: Kele, an old man who hates every part of the journey till the end. His divisiveness towards Moana and negativity about the whole adventure was surprisingly hilarious and a neat take on the typical response to an adventure.

I felt the team dynamic really supported the film. Most Disney movies follow an individual heroine and maybe a sidekick. Adding in new characters to support Moana made for some new favorite moments. Moni is another new character who is obsessed with Maui. 

Admittedly I saw myself in Moni, and his fan obsession, which led to him idolizing Maui. Moni spent the movie drawing out his ideal moments with his hero, Maui. But as the saying goes, he should not have met his hero. 

The plot of “Moana 2” was convoluted, throwing in characters like Matangi, a bat lady (for lack of a better description). Her purpose in the film plays no role in furthering the plot other than singing a catchy tune, “Get Lost” persuading Moana to search for other ways to the island of Tautai Vasa besides the direct route. 

In the midst of some confusion in the plot, I was amazed at how well the animation has developed in eight years. The detail the animators took to make Moana’s facial expression unique and quirky really blew me away. Simple details like nose scrunching and the texture of her hair, really set this movie apart from others in terms of animation. 

Something that made this movie unique was Maui’s references to the future. These moments were few, but they stood out in their comedic stance. He references a butt dial, something the characters in the movie don’t understand, but gave the audience a good laugh. Maui makes a reference to Moana being a princess, something that is never established throughout either of the films, yet fan bases refer to her as a princess. 

Another thing this movie did well was the reminiscence it contained. Numerous references to the first film were littered throughout the film. Although a bit too heavy-laden at the beginning of the film, the callbacks to the first film’s songs and moments caused a stream of laughter in the audience and memories to resurface of being a ten-year-old sitting in the theater watching Moana for the first time. 

At first, it seemed like the finale would be the same as the first film, but I was genuinely surprised at the twist at the end. In a touching moment, a character suffers a near-fatal injury, the crowd in the theater fell silent as we all watched expectantly.  

The theme of community pierces through this film, being at the heart of the mission and motivation to save the island of Motufetū. 

I love Moana, and her powerful, strong character. She always comes back to who she is and does not rely on a “prince charming” to save her. That is what drew me back to the cinema to see how she grew as a character. I was let down by her lack of development, but I still had a good time jumping back into the ocean for another adventure. 

“Moana 2” is currently in theaters 

Danielle Cherry is a freshman Communications major and writer for Cedars A&E and Sports. She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and loves a good cup of coffee.

Images courtesy of Disney