Has it really been eight years since Moana sailed onto our screens and into our hearts? Well now the hotly anticipated/inevitable animated sequel from Disney hoves into view... and fortunately it makes a real splash.
Set three years on from the original, Moana (reprised by Auliʻi Cravalho) is out fulfilling her wayfinder destiny – ie being great at ocean navigation – searching for other inhabited islands. But when her ancestors come with a new call to destiny – the perilous task of finding the lost/cursed island of Motufetu – she is beset by self doubt. While her parents are supportive of the seaward mission this time, the addition of her adorable baby sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) makes leaving home a much harder prospect.
Gathering a motley crew of comedy foils, Moana sets out to learn wholesome lessons about teamwork and lateral thinking. Along the way they rescue Maui (reprised by Dwayne Johnson), the wise-cracking shape-shifting demigod, who is having some doubts of his own. A lot of the emotional heft and callback jokes relies on the audience being familiar with the original material, but Disney knows what its audience wants and delivers in spades.
Those hoping for a really juicy villain song in the grand Disney tradition may be momentarily disappointed, however. As with the original Moana, the big baddie is more of a force of nature than an all-singing, all-dancing nemesis. There is a brilliant antagonist, however, in the form of Mantagi (Awhimai Fraser), a morally grey underworld goddess who gets possibly the best song in the whole film with Get Lost – and some adorable bat sidekicks.
The plot whips along at a rate of knots, packing in action sequences and heart-soaring songs. Moana 2 was reportedly originally planned as an animated series for Disney+, and while the narrative is somewhat episodic in nature it still hangs together as a single epic odyssey. The humour is pitched perfectly for its all-ages audience, with plenty of fart jokes interspersed with anachronistic quips about butt dials.
There are knowing winks to the Disney playbook – particularly Moana getting a new outfit and accessories. Parents, update your Christmas gift lists accordingly. The only slightly bum note is a recurring gag about the goofiness of fans. Moana has a gaggle of young girls – dubbed the Mowannabes by Maui – who idolise her through cosplay and pig adoption, while crewmember Moni’s (Hualālai Chung) position as the tribe’s historian is played for laughs about self-insert Maui fanfic and fanart. Given how much of Disney’s cultural dominance is propped up by devoted fans, this breaking of the fourth wall feels a little like biting the hand that feeds you.
Still, while Disney is prepared to risk being cheeky to fans, its entirely respectful to centering and honouring Pacific Islander history and culture. Director Dana Ledoux Miller is Samoan, and experts from the Oceanic Cultural Trust consulted on everything from choreography to linguistics, deep-sea navigatotion to belief systems.
Are the songs as good as the original? I would say yes, with the caveat that it’s hard for Beyond and Can I Get A Chee Hoo? to immediately over-write How Far I’ll Go and You’re Welcome when you’ve had almost a decade of re-listens. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear prove adept and emotional songwriters that can channel Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (who did not return as a lyricist for the sequel) style to keep continuity without veering into pastiche.
The animation is even more beautiful, allowing you to see every grain of sand and drop of ocean spray. With artistry this good, it begs the question for why a live-action remake (billed for a 2026 release) is needed at all.
Ultimately, Moana 2 passes the most important tests with flying colours. Firstly, the reaction of the enthralled little girls in the screening I attended, who were left gasping with joy at a third act reveal I shall not spoil here. Secondly, that at a one hour 40 minute runtime it’s the perfect length for a film. And finally, I would have happily sat back down and watched the entire film again. Which, if you have any children in your life, is exactly how your next few years of experiencing Moana 2 is going to go.
In cinemas from Friday 29
Cert PG, 100 mins
