Written by Andreas Babiolakis

Remember Disney’s Moana from 2016? Who ever forgot about it? It had songs that could rival the catchiness of Frozen’s tunes, animation that had us gobsmacked over the flows of the ocean, and lovable characters who still feel fresh, including the titular, Polynesian adventurer (Auli’i Cravalho) and her quest to find the arrogant-yet-charming demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson, whom I am usually not a fan of, but I think is at his very best in this role). This was a coming-of-age tale that made growing up and feeling stuck feel like the weight of the world and all of its elements were on our shoulders. It is a solid Disney effort that I think still holds up because of its message, intentions, and execution. Fast forward to this past weekend and the release of Moana 2, and we have yet another Disney sequel that doesn’t actually feel necessary. Unlike some other recent sequels, like Inside Out 2 or Incredibles 2 (which weren’t essential but were at least good enough), Moana 2 actually just feels like a film for the biggest Moana fans; either that, or for parents to distract their children for an hour and a half. This is unfortunate because it is evident that a lot of work went into Moana 2, but it doesn’t say anything new or different from Moana.

In this film, three years after the events in Moana, the title heroine goes searching for the sunken island of Motufetu which is seen as the missing link to all of the neighbouring islands and its people. Coincidentally, Maui is on the same mission for his own reasons (he has a rift with the storm god Nalo, who is responsible for Motufetu’s current predicament). As a result, inadvertently, Moana is once again en route via the ocean to find and rescue Maui whilst trying to restore order to the islands, which — no, your eyes don’t deceive you — is almost identical to the plot of the first film. There are also similarities, including Moana trying to be brave and face her fears, the animal friends she embarks on this quest with (although Pua, the pig, is certainly in Moana 2 far more frequently, which I won’t complain about, but that certainly won’t sweeten my rating because I am not a sap), and the predicmanets she finds herself in. A carbon-copy approach doesn’t necessarily make Moana 2 instantly a bad film: it just feels like a missed opportunity. However, Moana 2 is mimicking much of Moana without exhibiting why these traits work well in the previous film, so it not only feels like a duplication, it comes off as soulless (which is sinful, given how much joy, vibrancy, and beauty can be found in the creation of Moana 2).

While colourful, high-spirited, and sweet, *Moana 2* only feels like it reaches a portion of its potential.

Don’t get me wrong, Moana 2 is fun and adorable. There are many sea creatures and island beings to enjoy, from the surprisingly real (mudskippers, and a giant blobfish) to the mythical (the Kakamora people from Moana return). Much of the artwork in Moana 2 is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The songs — now missing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s flurry of words and electricity — have taken a bit of a dip in quality, but they’re still likeable enough. Moana 2 just feels a bit like a thinly-written film to try and appeal to the marketability of the first film: a scribble that aims to represent a fully-realized painting. Disney has tip-toed the line of making unabashedly commercial projects and films that matter and have soul, but Moana 2 is close enough to feeling like the studio’s answer to something that rivals like Illumination would make (without being as juvenile, I suppose), which feels like it is a studio that is so beneath Disney (and yet, here we are). I do find Moana 2 cute, but I also don’t find much longevity or purpose within it, which makes me sad given how well Moana stands on its own two feet and ventures forth.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.