Moana was a big hit in our household. I’ve seen it several times, but my wife has seen it many, many more with our Daughter. At times it’s even been bigger than Frozen, with You’re Welcome challenging Let It Go as an in car choice! So the only surprise regarding a sequel was that it took eight years for it to arrive.
The original was relatively light on plot, with its protagonist more an influence than a presence. It had catchy songs, looked beautiful, and zipped along nicely. Moana 2 manages the second one, which to be honest is a given with how tech is now. It seemed to take an age to get going, leaving me feeling as though I was seeing only part of a story. By the time you’ve watched the credits you’ll understand why that feeling persists.
That’s not to say it’s a bad film. It’s just an OK one. Johnson is still entertaining as Maui. You’ll giggle a few times at Heihei. But ultimately I doubt you’ll be thinking about it the next day. Of course it will pop up on Disney+ soon and then it will get into rotation. But if you head into this expecting songs of the same calibre as You’re Welcome, or a story that can stand on its own, you’ll be disappointed. It seems more intent on opening up the world than anything else as it introduces and quickly side-lines characters.
I doubt it will be eight years before Moana 3 is released. I just hope it will show more care with how it approaches.
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