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| Image courtesy of Disney |
It was perhaps inevitable that a sequel to Disney’s hit movie Moana (2016) would eventually arrive, but initially it was planned out as a limited streaming series rather than a theatrical full-length release. With a host of wonderful new characters and strange new settings, it feels as though it could have ventured into the ocean as a series and might have been able to delve even deeper into its lore. But in a market saturated with sequels and reboots, it is refreshingly original and reminds us why we loved the first film so much.
Wayfarer and chief’s daughter Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) has returned to her home island after an ocean voyage to find the entire tribe waiting for her. She is soon tasked by the ocean to sail out once again, this time to find Motufetu, a strange island cursed by the vengeful god Nalo. This island once served as a hub for all the oceanic tribes of the world to find one another, but when it was submerged under the water, the humans became isolated and unable to make contact. Moana must use her connections to the sea and to her friend, the demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to bring the island back to the surface so that humans can be once again united through wayfaring journeys. Along the way, she is guided by the spirits of her ancestors and her grandmother, Tala (Rachel House), so she doesn’t lose touch with her identity.
Moana is a compelling heroine with a stout heart for her people and a strong desire to see her island home expand with new life. For her expedition, she chooses a few of her tribespeople to serve as a crew: the curious Loto (Rose Matafeo), an eternal engineer who is always seeking to innovate and fix, grouchy Kele (David Fane), a farmer who brings along extra food, and Moni (HualālaiChung), the island’s lore-keeper who is also a Maui fanboy. It’s a likable group of characters, and they bring a sense of comic relief to the story as they travel across the waves with Moana and her animal sidekicks, Pua the pig and Heihei the rooster.
Much like the neon underworld lair featured in the first movie, Moana and her crew find themselves in an alien seascape forged from a giant clam, wherein the goddess Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) has been imprisoned by Nalo. It is never made entirely clear whether she is meant to be an antagonist, for her only role (aside from singing a pretty captivating song) seems to be to give Moana some advice and antagonize Maui. Matangi would have made an interesting actual villain – her design is based on a bat motif, and she presents with a slithery sort of hubris that would fit her alongside Disney’s best villains – but she only appears in a single scene, and it isn’t revealed what happens to her afterward. This, and some grossout scenes that seem out-of-place, are a bit disappointing in an overall marvelous movie.
As far as sequels go, Moana 2 is a triumph. The animation is gorgeous, its story a gripping tale full of tightly theatrical action and drama, and its characters lovable and easily relatable. Those who love the original story of Moana and Maui will especially appreciate the nods to their part of the island’s story as the characters strive to keep its future hopeful and bright. It is a fantastic trip of laughter and tears and will prove to stand proudly among Disney’s best sequels.
—Dana Culling