Review
Lilo & Stitch reloaded: how much love has Disney still got to show?
by Luca Fontana
Why I love (almost) everything about Moana 2
27/11/2024
Translation: Megan Cornish
Eight years after Moana, the sequel’s sailing off to conquer the big screen. And the wind looks fair. Moana 2 follows in the wake of its predecessor – and has got a lot right.
Disclaimer: the following film review contains no spoilers. I won’t tell you any more than what you already know and can see in the trailers.
«I am Moana», I sing to myself over and over again long after the credits roll. Quietly, of course. Because firstly, I’m obviously not Moana, and secondly, I’m not a great singer. The fact that I’m doing it anyway has a lot to do with the film I’ve just seen: Moana 2 leaves me feeling elated. Why is that? Am I, a proven musical movie Grinch, mellowing with age? We’ll see.
The plot
Moana’s now a young woman. Three years have passed since she saved her home island of Motonui in Polynesia with the help from demigod Maui, who caused the trouble in the first place. Almost more importantly, by daring to sail across the Pacific and back, she turned her people back into what their ancestors once were: seafarers.
Since then, the now 19-year-old Moana has been sailing around the Pacific in search of other communities. When she returns to Motonui with a lead, her father, the island’s chief, decides to give her the traditional seafaring title of Tautai.
During the ceremony, Moana has a vision where an ancestor – another Tautai – appears to her. He tells her that the legendary island of Motufetu is the key to connecting all Polynesian peoples and islands. The problem is that the storm god Nalo doesn’t want this, and has cursed Motufetu as a result. So, Moana and her motley crew set off on a thrilling adventure to save the day.
Her animal sidekicks from the first film are just as important as nonchalant demigod Maui and the Kakamora, crazy coconut pirates.
But is the impending success of Moana 2 justified? If you ask me, yes.
I could or should actually say the same thing about Moana 2. It follows the pattern of the successful first instalment almost identically, apart from a few new characters and a slightly different mission. In contrast to Inside Out 2, however, Moana 2 doesn’t feel at all routine or forced to me.
From the animation style to the music, the humour and the action, the film follows on from its predecessor almost seamlessly. Nevertheless, Moana 2’s so carefree and refreshing that it makes me forget it’s all very similar to what I’ve already seen. Moana has not only become a young woman; she’s also stepped out of her own shadow.
By the way, it was Moana’s little sister Simea who finally won me over, perhaps because I have a little daughter like her at home. Simea doesn’t have many scenes, but each one’s emotionally charged. She even brought tears to my eyes.
Oh yes, make sure you keep watching during the credits – there’s more to come.
Catch Moana 2 in Swiss cinemas from 27 November. Runtime: 100 minutes. Rated 6+.
In a nutshell
A worthy sequel to a great predecessor
Moana 2 continues the story of the first film seamlessly in every respect and is wonderful in its own right. The supporting characters – both familiar and new – also feel fresh in the sequel. The animations are beautiful, the jokes still work, and the emotional scenes are carefully measured without becoming overly sentimental.
The story has momentum and is entertaining throughout its entire 100-minute runtime. Perhaps the film even has too much drive. Some scenes seem too episodic, some scene changes abrupt. This may be due to the fact that Moana 2 was originally planned as a series.
Moana 2 certainly hasn’t reinvented the animation wheel. It’s too similar to its predecessor for that. But that doesn’t change the fact that David G. Derrick Jr.’s directing debut is wonderful, light-hearted entertainment for all ages. And that’s exactly what Moana 2 was aiming for. With that in mind: Chee Hoo!
Header image: The Walt Disney Company Switzerland
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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