‘Solid’ but Moana is ‘a hard act to follow’

The Moana sequel is “as intense as a Disneyland roller coaster,” but lacks the fun and refreshing originality of its predecessor.

Moana is one of Disney’s best cartoons of all time. You don’t have to take my word for it. On the review aggregation site “Rotten Tomatoes”, Ranked 6th out of a total of 73 listings. This is the highest number among the studio’s animated feature films, but last year’s “Wish” has fallen significantly to 65th place.

One of the reasons Moana has garnered so much acclaim is its radical originality. Rather than being an adaptation of European fairy tales, it’s a fun homage to Polynesian mythology and, in Disney terms, an exploration of uncharted territory. It also features sparkling, bright and colorful animation, a thrilling story, original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and two of Disney’s most beloved characters, Moana herself, the bold but confident daughter of the island chieftain. (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) are proud demigods with wardrobe-sized tattoos.

Therefore, it is a difficult act to follow. Making a worthy Moana sequel might not have been like this Impossible to rival Paddington 2but it was always difficult. On the other hand, the first movie ended with Moana leading her people to the sea to become travelers like her ancestors, so there is logic in making a sequel about their journey. The premise is that Moana has been traveling alone since we last saw her, but she hasn’t met anyone yet. She then hears about an island named Motofetu. This island was a gathering place for underwater civilizations before it was cursed by a wicked god. If Moana can find Motofetu, she may make new friends and business partners. (She might also reduce the risk of inbreeding, which is an implicit but certainly significant threat to the tribe.) Needless to say, that means she has to find Maui first. do.

Although it’s a solid quest-adventure setting, it’s clear early on that Moana 2 isn’t as exciting or revelatory as Moana. The comedy is broader and sillier, the missions less urgent, and the songs say little of anything important about the characters or situations. Often times, they seem to be inserted into movies simply because you can’t have a musical without a musical number every 10 minutes. While much of the staff from the first film returns, Moana 2 also features new directors (David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller) and new songwriters, including TikTok sensation Abigail. – Barlow and Emily Bear have joined. Their songs have a familiar Moana sound, but none are as catchy or witty as songs like “How Far I’ll Go,” “Shiny,” and “You’re Welcome,” which Miranda wrote for the original film. It is not rich in At the screening I attended, people left the theater singing his songs rather than the new movie, which is not a good sign.

Of course, it’s not uncommon for sequels to fall short of the previous film, but how Moana 2 falls short is indicative of the way it’s developed. In February of this year, Disney’s CEO announced the following: Remade as a feature film. The small screen origins of this project may explain why, to me, the characters look smoother and waxier than they did in 2016, as if they were action figures. The TV script includes a standard-issue quirky coffin (voiced by Rose Matafeo) and one of the goblins from the first movie who wears coconut shells as armor and looks just like them. The introduction of a gang of sidekicks may also be explained as they have rappelled from Mad Max Fury Road. I can see how helpful these supporting characters were throughout the series, but none of them were good enough to be in the movies, and some of them just didn’t deserve it at all. And why find space on a small wooden boat for an old vegetable farmer and his pigs when they make a dangerous voyage?

And then there’s the structure. Although the plot is cohesive as a complete, action-packed story, some episodes still seem to stick together, each one more outlandish than the last. I think a magical hyperdimensional portal is involved, but I’m not entirely sure what’s going on between the various gods, ghosts, spirits, and giant fish monsters that Moana encounters. I must confess that I did not understand. What’s especially puzzling about this film, which lacks the focus of its predecessor, is that the main villain is barely shown. All we see is the lightning bolt he throws at Moana and Maui. However, in a bonus scene during the end credits, he finally appears and vows to take revenge on Moana along with several other supernatural villains. Is this the first time a Disney animated film has borrowed the Marvel gimmick of using one sequel as a setup for another? It certainly ruins any sense that Moana 2 is some sort of special or unique event. I’ll make it.

Despite all the moaning Moana has to offer, it’s still a quality production, with a Disneyland roller coaster feel that’s sure to be enjoyed, especially by young children. Ironically, if this had been a TV series, viewers might have been raving about how great it was. But as a movie, Moana 2 is nowhere near the top of any list of Disney’s best.

Moana 2 will be released in theaters in the US on November 27th and in the UK on November 29th.