Over Thanksgiving break, I watched Disney’s newest sequel: Moana 2.
My expectations weren’t skyhigh per say, but I expected something along the lines of Disney’s usual quality, and I hate to say it, but I walked out of the theatre feeling unimpressed. The iconic princess’s sequel feels half baked and premature, creating a boring and knotted plot out of the ashes of a failed Disney+ series.
After previously being announced in late 2020 as a series that would continue Moana’s story, it was announced in early 2024 that the series had been transformed into the full length feature film release: Moana 2. This mid-production switch up is evident in the film, with the plot moving incredibly slowly at the beginning then feeling like it’s racing to the finish in the second half.
You can feel within the movie where the episodes of the series would’ve begun and ended, leading to a stilted and boring movie that explains itself far too much. This sort of cash grab is nothing out of the ordinary for Disney, but usually their cash grabs lead to the production of something semi-decent.
The movie’s biggest sin though in my opinion is that it’s deeply unfunny. I didn’t laugh once in the theatre, and neither did any of the children around me. It lacks charm and humor, making it just generally disappointing. And its music is bland and dissuading, which took me out of the movie’s universe instead of immersing me deeper into it.
While the movie certainly wasn’t exceptional, there were still some enjoyable aspects. As per usual with Disney, the animation is incredibly beautiful. The deep greens and blues of the island’s swirling waters are detailed and gorgeous, and I really appreciate the handmade and charming feel of the character animation and the overall character design.
My favorite part though is that at its core this movie is about promoting genetic diversity, which I believe is a new addition to Disney’s long list of cliched character motivations and plot arcs. Moana fears for the extinction of her people, which is the catalyst for her actions throughout the rest of the movie and what fuels her desire to go out wayfinding.
Even with this cool concept as the foundation of its plot, the movie still is very lackluster and forgettable, falling in line with Disney’s current trend of bad sequels. It’s had incredible success already though, quickly becoming the biggest box office opening on Thanksgiving ever, and currently being the #1 movie in the world.
Overall, it’s nothing special, but there’s still some redeeming moments so I’ll give it a 2/5 stars. Hopefully Disney’s next sequel, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” will be better, but if it isn’t–don’t worry– I’ll be here to review more.