Moana 2 (2024)

Moana 2 (2024)

5/10

 

Starring the voices of

Auliʻi Cravalho

Dwayne Johnson        

 

Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller

 

Fifteen minutes into the movie and absolutely nothing was happening. I was bored and absolutely confused about what the point of all the cultural significance being bestowed on Moana was. It felt like the writers needed to elevate her more, considering everything she had already accomplished in the first Moana film. Moana 2 is essentially a cash grab in my opinion. I feel Disney is so desperate for a win before 2024 ends. Because that is why they decided to turn what was originally meant to be a series for Disney+ into a full-blown animated movie to get a box-office boost for their profits. Moana 2, like its predecessor, is a CGI animated film featuring the voices of Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson.

So, what do we get as unfortunate movie watchers? Too much bone and too little meat. A forgettable experience with songs that don’t stick to the tongue like those from the first Moana back in 2016.

The plot is simple: Moana has been searching for others like her people, to reconnect the people of the ocean. After her heroic adventure with Maui, she’s been seen as the one who will unite the people of the ocean, problem is the people on her island have not been able to find another island with people inhabiting it. However, despite her efforts, she hasn’t been able to find anyone. As the movie progresses, during a ceremony, Moana receives a cryptic revelation from her ancestors. She’s sent on a mission to find a light that will guide her to the people of Motufelu, an island sunken by the storm god Nalo. Why couldn’t they just be direct and hand her a map, or at least tell her what to do? I am tired of all these cryptic things that movies do to add some form of intensity, that is more annoying than interesting.

To make it “more intense”, she must accomplish this mission to save her own island’s people from extinction. The movie’s journey begins about 30 minutes into the animation, with a crew of people from her island. How does Maui fit in? Well, he’s also trying to find Motufelu and has some issues with Nalo. Nalo’s chief henchman captures Maui, hoping that he will reach out to Moana for help. Maui refuses to reach out to Moana, fearing for her life if she comes to help him.

One thing I know for sure is that this movie will rake in millions, and possibly over a billion at the box office. But we deserve better than Disney turning a series spin-off into a sequel without offering a truly captivating experience.

Not worth the watch.