MOANA 2

Directors
David G Derrick Jr
Jason Hand
Dana Ledoux Miller

Starring
Auli’i Cravalho
Dwayne Johnson
Hualalai Chung
Rose Matafeo
David Fane

A little while after the events of Moana, our eponymous hero [Carvalho] continues her wayfinding mission to unite her people with other similar descendants on remote islands. While she hasn’t had much luck to date, she stumbles on a clue which will take her to the mythical island, Motufetu. As such, she assembles a crew, charts her course following a comet, and sets out on the open seas for a perilous yet vital journey. Simultaneously, and unbeknownst to Moana, Maui [Johnson] is also seeking the island to settle a score with powerful god Nalo but he finds himself captured by fellow god, Matangi (voiced by Awhimai Fraser).

If you weren’t aware, Moana 2 started out as a direct-to-streaming TV series, which was then repurposed and repackaged into a film. Although, “repurposed” might be a bit of a stretch as the TV origins are inescapable and very centre-stage. Granted, 2016’s Moana did have elements of vignettes and Homeric encounters, but that’s largely tied to its folklore inspiration and origins. What we have here is a condensed and abridged narrative that was never designed or intended to be a film. And knowing how long and strenuous animated production can be, there’s no way Disney would fund an entirely overhauled product when the sole reason to move it to cinemas feels like a cash-grab. Also, this isn’t the first time Disney has reworked a series opener or extended pilot into a cobbled feature film. The early 2000s were rife with ill-fated attempts to make money any way possible – Atlantis: Milo’s Return, that’s you.

With its serialised pacing, the writing has to both setup and resolve small trials for Moana and her crew to overcome. The problem being, so many of them are remarkably contrived – seemingly coming out of nowhere, or wrapping up with remarkable convenience. One such example is the encounter with the coconut people: the Kakamora. Their ship arrives on the horizon and all hell breaks loose, until that’s immediately resolved. But wait, there’s a monumental clam that threatens to devour them all. Again, don’t worry, they have a way to best the mollusc: spears tipped with neurotoxin. Oh, but the plot needs them to be captured? Fine, we’ll have every single spear (of which, apparently there are three) lazily tossed aside to shuffle things along. And the movie just carries on like this, washing back and forth between establishment and conclusion without consequence. Even to the extent that when Maui and Moana are eventually reunited, it feels remarkably underplayed and largely devoid of emotion.

I will say that the casting remains on point. Cravalho in particular is still as committed as ever and continues to excel in this role; bringing a vitality and enthusiasm that is frankly infectious. However, those TV origins pop up again and we quickly learn this is a story constructed around a new misfit ensemble cast, meaning Maui is sidelined for the majority of the run time. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as pushing supports into the spotlight can have a diminishing effect. But while the new additions do a commendable job performance wise, their presence is pretty superfluous. The movie wants us to believe they’re a valuable asset to the young voyager but in reality, they’re a liability. And when they’re trained up, they don’t actually aid her properly, they’re simply less in the way. What’s more, we don’t earn the connection between Moana and Loto [Matafeo] the canoe designer, Moni [Chung] the chronicler, and Kele [Fane] the farmer because they’re all from her village. The film wants you to believe this is a story about connecting with new people and sets itself up for Moana to assemble a crew of different tribes from separated cultures to show how they can work together. But that never manifests, so there’s essentially no lesson to learn.

Thankfully, Moana 2 isn’t a complete write-off. Wish is modern Disney at its most hollow and disappointing, whereas this is just flat and mediocre. With the one saving grace being that it is beautifully animated and an undeniably good looking movie. But then we quickly pivot to a Disney staple – the songs – and we’re given a series of b-side efforts that are perfectly inoffensive but never reach the emotional crescendo audiences are hoping for. Ultimately, Moana 2 feels like a corporate pivot that became a doomed production, destined to be an underwhelming and forgettable chapter in Disney’s repertoire. Which is regrettable considering the original Moana is one of Disney’s best efforts of the last quarter of a century and rather than investing in new stories of that calibre, we’re given sequels like this and an unnecessary upcoming live-action remake.

Release Date:
29 November 2024

The Scene To Look Out For:
**spoilers within**
Earlier I mentioned the lack of impact, consequence, and time to sit with narrative developments. Nowhere is that clearer than towards the film’s finale. Maui is giving his all, trying to raise an island from the ocean floor, while Moana is desperately sailing toward said land mass to officially claim it. On paper this is a great setup for tension and heroics and action. But the script throws a curveball with Maui being struck by lightning which removes his tattoos. It’s not entirely evident but it feels like he’s been robbed of his demigod powers. Only in the very next scene, he lifts the island from the sea and regains his tattoos. What’s happened is never really explained and honestly feels like a blink-and-you-miss-it obstacle. Not a character arc, nor a labour or chore, just a fleeting occurrence that’s settled as quickly as it’s introduced.

Notable Characters:
**more spoilers**
I actually enjoyed the character Matangi – the clam dwelling bat-god who keeps Maui hostage. But she’s monstrously underused and a complete misdirect. Not only is she not an actual villain, she’s dismissed with eye-watering speed, despite feeling like she is supposed to be a significant presence. It’s not until the movie’s mid-credit sequence that she pops up again to setup more sequel bait. And given how much I enjoyed Fraser’s performance, this felt like such a gaffe.

Highlighted Quote:
“This is so embarrassing, a farmer murdered by coconuts.”

In A Few Words:
“All the charm, wonder, and unique territory of the first film is boiled down into a very smooth edged corporate-feeling outing that deserved more.”

Total Score: 3/5

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