Moana 2 (PG)

During an excursion with Pua the pig and Heihei the rooster, Moana discovers a broken earthenware pot that proves the existence of other communities beyond the island of Motunui. Wayfaring ancestors call to her to break a curse on the island of Motufetu by defeating angry storm god Nalo. The young heroine bids tearful farewell to younger sister Simea and ventures out to sea with a three-strong crew comprising farmer Kele, inventor Loto and storyteller Moni.

LondonNet Film Review

Moana 2 (PG) Film Review from LondonNet

At the musical crescendo of the first Moana, the plucky seafaring heroine voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho trills, “One day I’ll know how far I’ll go.” Thanks to this eagerly anticipated sequel directed by David G Derrick Jr, Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, we now know the answer to soaring her cri de coeur. Not far enough. Originally intended as a TV series for Disney+, the deftly reworked Moana 2 replicates the narrative structure of its predecessor with a gentle opening on the verdant paradise of Motunui, where the eponymous adventurer treads water before an urgent call from her ancestors to undertake an epic quest far from home…

Scriptwriters Jared Bush and Ledoux Miller introduce two new antagonists, who pale next to fiery demon Te Ka and deranged coconut crab Tamatoa. An additional scene shipwrecked in the end credits indicates we may have unknowingly charted a course into the Moana Cinematic Universe with an overarching otherworldly supervillain. The MoCU, if you will.

The first film gently poked fun at the Disney princess archetype through Dwayne Johnson’s adorably self-obsessed and posturing Maui. “If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you’re a princess,” he memorably quipped. The sequel doubles down on the misconception when the strapping demigod again attributes royal heritage to the seafaring heroine. “Still not a princess,” she sighs wearily. “Well, a lot of people think you are,” counters Maui, speaking for himself and millions of heavily merchandised fans.

During an excursion with Pua the pig and Heihei the rooster (Alan Tudyk), Moana discovers a broken earthenware pot that proves the existence of other communities beyond the island of Motunui. Wayfaring ancestors call to her to break a curse on the island of Motufetu by defeating angry storm god Nalo. The young heroine bids tearful farewell to younger sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) and ventures out to sea with a three-strong crew comprising farmer Kele (David Fane), inventor Loto (Rose Matafeo) and storyteller Moni (Hualalai Chung). Their adventure intersects with demigod Maui (Johnson), who has his hands full with batty underworld goddess Matangi (Awhimai Fraser).

Moana 2 makes a smaller splash but visuals are resplendent, the returning Kakamora pirates are gifted a satisfying emotional payoff and jokes generally hit large targets. The episodic plot belies the project’s origins, resulting in a gentle trickle of action and suspense for the first hour. Sisterly bonds between Moana and cherubic Simea are milked for every tear and coo in the human body, building to a wondrous final 15 minutes that recaptures the sweeping grandeur of the first film. Lin-Manuel Miranda is noticeably absent from songwriting credits and the sequel lacks his lyrical dexterity. Fittingly, the centrepiece anthem Beyond, written by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, doesn’t go far enough.

– Jo Planter