Moana 2 is a good sequel made from the Disney+ series and given a big screen polish, a return that doesn't tread new territory, but the film does return favorite characters! It is directed by the team of David G. Derrick, Jr., storyboard artist for the first film, he is joined by Dana Ledoux Miller, who co-wrote the story and screenplay. The other director is Jason Hand, who was head of story for Encanto (2021). The other story writer and screenwriter is Jared Bush, who wrote the screenplay for Moana. Bek Smith is also a co-story writer who worked on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019). It is streaming now on Disney+.
A single voice goes up that is joined for a stirring chorus whic h may be the contribution by original lyrcist, Opetaia Foa’i.Also returning is composer, Mark Mancina. We move through the sea to the pointed shell and a hermit crab washed up on a beach. As it switches shells, a shadowy figure races and then jumps over a chasm. She turns and it is Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) who encourages an exhausted pig, her friend Pua, to hop over the chasm. Cravalho returns to her star making turn after playing Janis `Imi’ike in the Mean Girls (2024) musical. Moana ends up strapping Pua on her back along with her paddle. She climbs up the steep cliff with him only to see HeiHei (Alan Tudyk) on the other side. Tudyk stars as the lead in the sci fi comedy, Resident Alien. All a return of our favorite characters.
Moana walks up a hill to look at the sunrise, puts a shell from her necklace down, and then blows her conch shell. She says to Pua that she hopes other people are out there. A little comic relief has her ending up back in the jungle. Moana finds in a shaft of sunlight, a bit of pottery on top of Heihei that has shows designs of an island with people. The chorus returns. Excited, Moana runs back to her outrigger canoe, a Va’a, her footsteps cause a watery symbol in the beach water like on the sail. Her return home has the new song, “We’re Back”, these songs are by the songwriters of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical (2024) which they won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
At her island, she is joined by her parents, Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison) and Sina (Nicole Scherzinger). Morrison had reprised his part in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). Scherzinger starred in the tv movie, Annie Live! (2021). A storyteller, Moni (Hualālai Chung), recaps to the village children the story of Moana (2016) and her adventures with Maui. Chung was in a 2024 episode of Rescue: Hi-Surf. Also, excited about Moana’s return is ship builder, Loto (Rose Matafeo). Starstruck was a comedy series starring and created by Matafeo. New characters for the story. Chief Tui greets his daughter in another canoe and begins to race her. Moana races past him and other villagers out on their canoes.
All of the villagers gather on her return home. She has brought a basket of new fruit which she gives to the elderly Keke (David Fane). Loto goes to work on the Va’a’s sail. Moana shows her father the pottery that is proof of others people. She says that she has to find the stars that are on the pottery. Breaking from the crowd is Moana’s new little sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), Moana explains that she left for three days. She takes Simea to the cave she had found in the first movie. Moana shows her sister cave drawings showing the first navigator, Tautai Vasa, and mentions that the people of the sea could be united. Simea wonders about Maui. We see a wry hawk flying across the ocean at night, he dips into the clouds shapeshifting into his demigod form with glowing fish hook. The return of Dwayne’s Johnson’s character.
Behind a glowing globe almost like the moon, Maui is in a cave, he wants a portal opened to “the island.” A mysterious Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) talks about her boss, Nalo. Fraser starred in the New Zealand drama series, Ahikaroa. She says he involved the Wayfinder, Moana, but he tries to leave her out. A swarm of bats pass him and form into Matangi’s shape. This is our new villain. A celebration is held at Moana’s village. Chief Tui says that it is to offer his daughter the ancient title of Tautai, the first one in a thousand years. A quiet ceremony follows and then a lightning bolt strikes through the hut! It gives Moana a vision of the two peaked island under the stars. Tautai Vasa (Gerald Faitala Ramsey) searches for it, Motufetu.
A storm rocks his canoe and out of the clouds is the lightning face of the god of storms, Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i). Moana falls into a sea of stars and then sees a whale shark with glowing patterns on him. She ends up on an empty island, now Tautai Vasa takes a glowing form and tells her that it is her future. He tells her to “brave the storm” and find Motufetu which is “farther than he’s ever gone”, but she will be guided by a “fire from the sky.” Tautai Vasa leaves to the moon lit sea in his whale shark shape. Moana tells her parents that she must find the island. Later, Moni unrolls his scrolls, he has discovered that Motufetu is at the “where the channels of the ocean came together.” I like this bit of lore. It connected the people until it was cursed by Nalo.
They are interrupted by a light or “fire”, a comet, in the night sky. Chief Tui worries about Moana taking a journey that Tautai Vasa couldn’t complete. This upsets Simea who runs away crying. Sina consoles Maui before everyone leaves her to contemplate. Moana does this in the song, “Beyond”, but if she hesitates, then everyone dies. Yes, her sister is upset, but the better picture is the safety of everyone. She checks on Simea, at her lowest point, she is visited by the glowing manta ray that turns into Gramma Tala (Rachel House). The recent sci fi comedy series, Time Bandits, had House playing Fianna. Moana announces to the village that she will take the voyage and then runs up the hill to finish her song. Sina tells Moana that she needs a crew. Loto is ready to build a bigger canoe like Argus, the ship builder of the Argo in Greek myths!
Moana goes to Keke next to his crops and he sets himself up for joining the crew. Next, she goes to a painting of Maui and is surprised by Moni who has the same profile. Moana of course needs a historian and someone with stories to help their journey. Now he is part of the story. She finds Simea who wants to stowaway in a basket. Moana takes her baby sister to the shore and shows how the ocean is her friend, parting around them. She says that she will always be with her through the ocean. Simea gives Moana a tiny sea star to carry with her, adorable, note that starfish is an old name for the animal. All of the village has come out to chant and drum for her farewell, kinda cool. Her new black sail has the peaks of Motufetu, along with her crew, Moana sets off following the comet.
Three Paddles out of Five!
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