Moana 2 Review: Disney's Sequel Is Thrilling But Failed To Reach The Quality Of The Original

Disney has always been known for its animated blockbusters, especially those that were released during the Renaissance era, like Beauty and The Beast, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. But we've also seen a number of wildly popular hits in recent years like Frozen, Encanto and Moana. The studio has started giving these projects big screen sequels, and the latest of these releases is the aptly-titled Moana 2. Of course, that follow-up had some very big shoes to fill.

A number of years have passed between Moana and its sequel, allowing audiences to miss the title character, Maui and the rest of the group (although now fans can visit an attraction at Disney Parks). And while Moana 2 is a delightful and thrilling adventure made for the big screen, it's not a perfect film. Although to be clear: Auli'i Cravalho is stunning from start to finish.

Moana 2 has thrilling action that kept me on the edge of my seat

Moana 2 picks up years after the events of the first film. The beloved title character is older and wiser, and remains dedicated to the island of Motunui and its people. Things have changed during the time jump, including Moana getting a little sister Simea (who is a certified scene stealer every time she shows up on screen). Having someone younger than her helps to show just how much more adult the Disney process is this time around, and offers important stakes to her next big adventure.

Moana's Wayfinding ancestors contact her early in the film and offer a cautionary prophecy: she must break the god Nalo's curse on the hidden island of Motufetu, which previously served as the connecting point of the entire sea. Without more of a community, Motunui is destined to be wiped out.

Moana departs her island with a crew of new characters in hopes of succeeding in this mission. During this time, there are some truly thrilling sequences on the ocean, where it feels like a mix of Disney and The Perfect Storm. These scenes looked especially great on the big screen, showing why this isn't a project fans should wait to watch streaming from their homes. These thrills also succeeded in the film's runtime absolutely flying by.

Auliʻi Cravalho is just as incredible as Moana the second time around.

Actress Auliʻi Cravalho burst onto the scene when voicing Moana in the 2016 original film. In the years that have passed, she's continued working quite a bit, including roles in Mean Girls and reprising her role as the water-based Disney character in a number of projects like Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Despite how much she's grown up IRL, Cravalho was able to easily jump back into character for Moana 2. She's able to make the animated character feel very real, despite the magical circumstances of the sequel's plot.

And of course, it's impossible to talk about Cravalho's performance without getting into her singing. Her voice absolutely sours during Moana's new song "Beyond", which ends up being the main melody of the sequel as a whole. While fans adored "How Far I'll Go", Cravalho brought that same heart and buttery vocals to the new track and helped to bring audiences back to the world of the burgeoning franchise as a result.

Of course, Moana isn't alone in her new adventure on the big screen. She's joined by her adorable sidekicks Pua and Heihei, and obviously Dwayne Johnson's Maui gets involved in the action.

But we're also introduced to a ton of new characters, three of whom are Motunui residents who join her on her long journey to find Motufetu. Unfortunately, the characters of Loto, Kele and Moni aren't all that developed. This is presumably because Moana 2 was originally going to be a TV series, which would have allowed for more time to flesh these newcomers out.

The same problem can also be said for the new antagonist Matangi. Because while she's introduced early on and gets her own big musical number, the character is noticeably missing throughout the majority of the film's runtime. Luckily, Cravalho's performance is able to buoy Moana 2, even if there are parts of the animated sequel which might give moviegoers reason to pause.

The music suffers without Lin-Manuel Miranda

Both Moana and its sequel are animated musicals, featuring a number of songs to help show the characters' heart. While there are a few bangers in the sequel like "Beyond", unfortunately, most of the songs failed to have the same staying power of its predecessor.

Hamilton's visionary Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the music for the original Moana (as well as a number of other Disney movies like Encanto). Sadly, he didn't return for the sequel, with the new songs instead being written by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. While they're talented musicians who have credits like The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, unfortunately some of the songs failed to make a real impact in Moana 2.

"Beyond" is catchy, but the rest of the songs aren't ear worms like the fist movie's songs were. In particular, Maui's new track "Can I Get a Chee Hoo?" particularly pales in comparison to "You're Welcome". I ended up leaving my screening of Moana 2 humming songs from the original movie instead of its sequel.

Overall, I had a great time watching my screening Moana 2, and think it's a project that's meant to be seen on the big screen in order to have biggest emotional impact possible. But if you're expecting a no-skips soundtrack like the 2018 original, then you might end up being a bit disappointed. The spectacle of the sequel is arguably the star this time around, although that's not to say anything negative about what Auli'i Cravalho brought to her signature character.