A lot can happen in 8 years, in 2016, Disney was at the height of its powers, it had the top 5 highest grossing films of the year, a Star Wars franchise that was revitalised, Marvel heading towards a gripping climax and animated hits such as Zootropolis (or Zootopia for non-UK readers) and indeed Moana. However, now Disney are low on chips, with Moana 2 being another role of the dice.
The sequel sees Disney return to the tropical paradise of the Polynesian Islands, with the titular character being another attempt to break the mould, openly stating that she is not one, despite holding many of the traits of a typical Disney Princess, most notably with the I want song “How Far I’ll Go” in her first outing. Moana’s return to the big screen is unexpected, with the sequel due to head straight to Disney Plus as a series, but was reworked for a cinematic film which was announced early this year. However, the film is without the talents of lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is replaced by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear who rose to fame through TikTok.
The film opens with Moana back at home adventuring with her pig, Pua, and her chicken, Heihei. Standing atop one of the islands, she looks out towards the land and wonders what else is out there. When she receives a response to her call out with a conch, she begins a quest to find these inhabitants and bring the island nations together. The key is the discovery of Motufetu. Meanwhile, Maui is also in search of the island in a spat with the god Nalo.
Sadly Moana 2 doesn’t stand up to its strong predecessor, in a film seriously lacking in any form of depth. Moana’s journey in this sequel lacks any purpose – whilst she states the desire for togetherness, the film never explores why she desires this or challenges her ideas about this. We don’t understand why this need for togetherness is necessary, particularly in the idyllic setting of Moana’s home. There is not enough motivation to leave her home to head on this adventure. Meanwhile, this plot doesn’t work together with a subplot involving Maui, with it only feeling like his inclusion is for the pull of Dwayne Johnson and his iconic dancing tattoo skin.
The film is full of dense lore, way too much of which went over my head because I didn’t care about Moana’s journey. It is a barrage of nonsense, full of jargon that would make the most intricate risk analyst proud. It is lore for lore’s sake, a particularly misguided in a children’s film. Thank god there are larger-than-life coconuts who are given more emotional depth than the trio of Moana’s voyage companions.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a notable absence. Whilst the music isn’t noticeably bad per se, it lacks the earworm nature of Miranda’s work. The songs feel fairly elementary and often feel jarring compared to the rest of the film. The outbursts into song don’t feel natural or express a desire for a greater life, but rather they are there just because it is what is expected.
Moana 2 is serviceable but nothing else. I’m sure children will have fun but there is nothing of emotional depth to sink our teeth into. It’s fast food, a happy meal that will keep the kids content for a while, but will it do anything else – no. And just like any good marketing stunt, the mid-credit screen allures the kids back to a world that looks inviting but is nothing more than a meaningless, emotionless and empty world.
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