Fans of a self-proclaimed intellectual variety almost always regard movie sequels as inferior to the original. However, “Moana 2,” released on Nov. 27, 2024, does not follow this trend. Instead, due to its magical music, intriguing storyline, and chuckle-worthy comedy, it has joined the ranks of the very few sequels that succeed in living up to the praise of their predecessor, and deserves that you give it a chance when it comes to Disney+, which Decider expects to be in Feb..
The success of “Moana 2” is reflected in its $139 million opening weekend box-office gross and 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing this review (a mere 3% lower than the first “Moana“). While this movie had large success in theaters, is it worth the time to watch it on Disney+? Despite this movie being targeted at children, I found it to be a very captivating watch. I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoyed the first “Moana,” or other adventure tales that Disney has produced. I was only 9-years-old when the original came out, but I was catapulted right back into the story while watching “Moana 2” and felt just as invested as I did back in 4th grade.
“Moana 2,” set three years after the original, follows the titular character on yet another action-packed and music-filled oceanic adventure to reunite all the inhabitants of all the neighboring islands. Along the way, the audience is introduced to fresh characters in the form of a new crew to sail with Moana and two new antagonists: Metangi, a snarky and self-assured demigod charged with carrying out the orders of her boss and co-antagonist of the movie, Nalo. Nalo, the god of storms, presents the main character with the largest challenge of the movie as he tries his best to keep them away from the lost island of Motufetu. Maui, Heihei, and Grandma Tala are familiar faces from the first film that yet again entertain viewers.
But what, specifically, about “Moana 2” makes it so worthy of your time?
Above all, the music manifests itself in just as powerful a way as the tunes of the original film. The original soundtrack was chock-full of amazing and exceptionally popular songs such as “You’re Welcome” and “How Far I’ll Go.” The songs’ memorable rhythm and lyrics and genuine effort put into enhancing the levels of emotion within these songs that made them so great in the first movie is reflected perfectly in the sequel’s song “Beyond.” Moana belts this song as she grapples with the fact that her ancestors have called upon her to risk her life to save the lives of everyone that she loves and holds dear. This song hits hard in its emotional, loud beats due to Moana’s newfound understanding of what she truly stands to lose from putting herself in great danger. And, along with this, the song has flawlessly belted lyrics that are powerful enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, whether you’re eight-years-old or eighteen-years-old. These characteristics combine to make this song just as good and entertaining as those in the original “Moana.”
Secondly, there’s the gripping storyline. Unlike many movies aimed at kids, the storyline of “Moana 2” is beautifully crafted and quite entertaining, even for an older audience. I found myself rooting for the protagonists when they were fighting Nalo, and truly concerned for them when they were in danger. This feeling was reminiscent of the way that I was invested in the original “Moana” back in 2016, demonstrating the movie’s whimsical way of transporting you into the story, or, in my case, back to my nine-year-old emotional state, making it very worthwhile to check out on Disney+.
Lastly, the humor present in the first “Moana” was still alive and well in “Moana 2,” especially with the new characters like Loto and Kele who feel like real people with quirks and senses of humor, unlike the one-dimensional characters often added to sequels. Despite this movie having to adhere to strict guidelines when it comes to what it can say in order to keep its PG rating, there were many times that older people in the theater were audibly laughing at the jokes being made. I can promise that, even as a high schooler, you will not be bored while watching this movie.
“Moana 2” most definitely fills the shoes of the original “Moana” and is well worth the 1 hour and 40 minutes, the movie’s run-time according to Fandango, that you will spend watching it. This is such a rare quality that I recommend you see it when it comes to Disney+ if you haven’t already. Instead of surfing through channels looking for a film to dive into, I thoroughly recommend you take a chance on watching Moana sail through this spectacular sequel, no matter how old you are or if you’ve seen the original.
