You don’t need to personally know a child — I, personally, know many, though crucially, am not in charge of keeping any of them alive — to know the iron-clad hold “Moana” has on our youngest generation. They love it. They love it. And who can blame them: catchy songs, colorful settings, and one heck of a plucky heroine (do not call her a princess), all of it adds up to an enduring Disney animated classic that’s fun for the whole family.
Thus: sequel. Although one with a strangely serpentine road to the big screen, no matter how obvious a slamdunk it may be, at least when it comes to blockbuster bucks. Initially conceived of and announced as a streaming series (and not to be confused with the live-action remake, which will also star Dwayne Johnson and has Auli’i Cravalho on board as a producer), “Moana 2” might not have all the shiny names of the first film (this one is helmed by a trio of first-time directors in David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, with songs by newbies Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear), but it works from a very strong foundation.
Audience members not familiar with its original incarnation might not feel the episodic pinch as much as those who do know that, at one point, “Moana 2” was indeed a TV series. As it stands, it’s easy to imagine the shape of the first five or so episodes of said series, mostly seamlessly smushed together into one story here. More confusing, however, isn’t any sense of this tale being drawn out into separate episodes, but the feeling that one of those episodes is missing. Families will likely leave the theater feeling jubilant, buoyant, and more than a bit tear-stained (as I did), but expect copious car rides home to inspire lots of questions about “what happened to…” and “wait, what about…” Maybe multiple watches will help.
And yet, much of the storytelling and world-building in “Moana 2” is indeed clever, the rare sequel that expands on its original bent in ways that genuinely make sense. The first film followed Moana (returning Cravalho) as she sought to free her people from an ancient curse that kept them from their seafaring birthright, and “Moana 2” essentially applies the “yes, and?” formula to that concept: yes, Moana has freed her people, and what about other people?
It’s been three years since Moana’s last journey, and her people and lush Polynesian village are thriving (and what a treat to see actual color and depth on the big screen this season), though she spends much of her time on the sea looking for the one thing that’s missing: others. Surely, Motunui is not the only island in the world, and Moana would so love to discover one or a dozen more. When the film opens, she (alongside returning pet sidekicks, bashful pig Pua and dim rooster Heihei) are on just such a mission, and they’re thrilled to discover a bowl that indicates an island home they’ve never seen before.
But Moana’s big dream takes on a much more urgent cast when a vision and a visit from beloved elders tell her what’s really at stake: if the Motunui people do not cast further afield and find others, they will perish. And while the mechanics of that don’t precisely make sense, some emotional exposition helps: turns out, the people of Motunui used to be connected to many other islands, cultures, and communities, but an evil and vengeful god sank the island that served as the mystical channel between them all. If Moana’s people are at risk of extinction because they’re separated from the rest of the world, everyone else is probably also in danger. Sounds like a job for our plucky star.
What, you may be wondering by now, of her very big sidekick, the overly confident demigod Maui (voiced by Johnson)? When the film kicks off, Moana and her clan haven’t seen the big guy in a while, mostly because we soon learn he’s being held hostage by Nalo, the same mean god who sank the mystical island of Motufetu. What a coinky-dink! Eventually, of course, these two will be reunited, and the snap of their “super bestie”-ship remains a delight. It is, however, unfortunate how long we have to wait for that reunion.
Never fear, Jared Bush and Ledoux Miller’s script builds in plenty of new buds to go traveling with Moana, Pua, and Heihei, including superfan Moni (Hualālai Chung), whipsmart Loto (Rose Matafeo), and dismissive old farmer Kele (David Fane), who all join up to crew Moana’s canoe on what often becomes a very scary adventure. Along the way, they even add a Kakamora to their ranks (the fierce little coconut pirates from the first film get their very own backstory). Not as important: a giant clam and the inscrutable Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) who may or may not be working for the evil Nalo.
Despite all this seeming exposition — we haven’t even mentioned Moana’s kicky little sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda)! — once the crew sets sail, the mission is simple enough. They must find Maui, who can use his magical fishhook to yank Motufetu out of the ocean, and Moana can then step on it, ending the curse that has kept it hidden and the people of the sea separated from each other.
You know what helps drive an animated adventure forward? Songs! And while “Moana 2” might not be rife with all the instant hits of the first film, there are plenty of bangers on offer here, including the Cravalho-voiced showstopper “Beyond,” the fun and frisky “What Could Be Better Than This?,” and Johnson’s silly “Can I Get a Chee Ho?” Mostly, they delight because they help push the story along, on its own spirited wavelength. It’s always a tough ask to improve upon an original, but “Moana 2” is a sprightly addition to this sea-faring legacy. It does something nearly impossible in our sequel-glutted world: made me want further adventures. “Moana 3,” ahoy?
Grade: B
Walt Disney Pictures will release “Moana 2” in theaters on Wednesday, November 27.
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