Sorry to disappoint, but “Moana 2″ fails to meet the ocean-sized expectations set by “Moana.”
“Moana 2″ tumbles into the same pitfall that’s trapped hundreds of sequels before it — the appeal of an original movie is rarely recreated in a follow-up film.
But “Moana 2″ resurrects some of the same oomph that captivated audiences in the original. Lovable characters, a fast-paced adventure plot and stunning animation all make it to the sequel intact.
The sequel’s greatest shortcoming is the music.
After watching “Moana,” Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina’s catchy tunes cycled through the brain for days to come. The music in “Moana 2,″ composed by Grammy-winning duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, doesn’t have the same impact. None of the sequel’s songs are strong enough to compete with “You’re Welcome” or “How Far I’ll Go” from the first film.
The movie is kept afloat by new and old characters. Auliʻi Cravalho reprises her role as Moana, who is now a confident young woman eager for her next adventure.
In an intense vision from her ancestors, Moana is called upon to embark on what will be her most treacherous mission yet. The mission? Break the storm god Nalo’s ancient curse and find the sunken island of Motufetu.
To pull it off, Moana rallies a group of new friends to venture into the stormy seas with her. She recruits a curmudgeonly farmer (David Fane), an eager engineer (Rose Matafeo) and a storyteller (Hualalai Chung), who are timid and inexperienced compared to Moana, but prove useful when it counts. It’s the freshest feature the sequel offers.
Heihei the chicken and Pua the pig join the crew again, and bring with them some light-hearted humor.
While Moana navigates new terrain, the movie has a tendency to take itself too seriously but ultimately gets rescued by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Maui, who provides the story with some much-needed comedic relief.
He also performs one the of best musical numbers of the entire film, “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” The boisterous tune is leveled up with ridiculous animated dance moves and a moment when Maui plays a flaming conch shell like a horn.
Maui is reluctant to join Moana on her dangerous hunt for Motufetu, but is wrangled into joining her rag-tag squad of seafarers. This is where the movie finally takes off.
Like its predecessor, “Moana 2″ is neatly wrapped up with a heartfelt message about the importance of determination and teamwork to overcome challenges that will reach young audiences.
Is ‘Moana 2′ worth watching?
Following the success of “Inside Out 2,” “Dune: Part 2″ and a handful of other recent sequels this year, it’s unsurprising if moviegoers have lost touch with the truth about sequel, prequel and spinoff movies.
But “Moana 2″ provides audiences with a reminder of that truth, which is that sequels almost always fall short of their predecessor.
Still, for families with young kids, “Moana 2″ is a worthy watch. It lives in the massive shadow cast by “Moana,” but in terms of animated sequels, “Moana 2″ meet expectations.
Was “Moana 2″ a necessary sequel? No, but don’t cancel your plans to see it. “Moana 2″ is still a fun family flick.
“Moana 2″ is rated PG and in theaters Nov. 27.