People aren’t wrong when they say that Disney doesn’t miss with great new film productions. This past Thanksgiving, Disney released the second movie to a renowned film: “Moana.” Moana, an adventurous and headstrong voyager, looks to continue her journeys into reuniting the people of various islands after restoring the heart of Te Fiti in the most recent film. Through the mysteries and wonders of this film, “Moana 2” proves that Disney knows how to craft a story worth revisiting.
In this film, Moana, a 19-year-old teen, faces her responsibilities as the leader of Motunui while yearning to explore beyond the known horizons and embrace her adventurous desires. The story takes place almost immediately after the conclusion of the previous “Moana.” This tension fuels the narrative, as Moana is called once again to the ocean. This time, not to save her people from a mythical darkness, but to find out the unrevealed story of her ancestors and save the ocean from the environmental villains of today and reunite the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The film doesn’t shy away from issues of climate change, tradition versus innovation or the role that young leaders will play in shaping that future. We also see many returns of beloved characters such as Maui!
One of the standout aspects of “Moana 2” is its music. Obviously, this would be considered an expectation if they wanted the new film to be even close to living up to the expectations set by the old one. The original “Moana” film contained extremely popular songs such as “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome.” Although it was tough for the songs in “Moana 2” to match this level of popularity, the songs produced in this film were still very entertaining. Dwayne Johnson, covering the voice of Maui in the songs, dropped another hit with a song titled “Mana Vavau.” He most definitely can say “You’re Welcome” when he hears the audience’s reactions to this one. Moana also sang an amazing song titled, “Beyond.” Obviously, it is hard to match “How Far I’ll Go” from the previous movie, but this is still a great piece.
Another standout aspect of the recently released film is its amazing visuals and imagery. The visuals in “Moana 2” are also impressive, and many believe that they are even better than the first one. The animated world almost feels like reality with the amazing imagery of the Pacific Ocean and green islands. One of the top scenes was when Matangi, a new goddess character, was explaining to Moana that there is always another way in the form of an amazing song. The song was very good, but what made this really stand out was the flashy images and entertaining scene with all the colors.Despite these positives, the movie is not considered to be flawless. In the last movie, there was a clear villain: Te Ka. Te Ka was the evil stone version of Te Fiti, who had spawned after Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti. In “Moana 2,” we never really see the villain, who is the god that separated all of the islands. This makes the story almost seem as though it is in the absence of an antagonist, which many did not enjoy seeing.
“Moana 2” is gaining the hype it deserves. The PG film is prepared for its launch to Disney+ for audiences to rewatch or enjoy for the first time in the comfort of their home. Whether you are just looking to sit back, relax and enjoy a film, or are interested in seeing the continuation of a classic Disney tale, “Moana 2” is an amazing moving selection that you should consider watching in the theaters.