Moana 2

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When "Moana" learns that the whole of Pacific Island society is under a curse from the powerful god "Nalo", she has to recruit a few faithful crew members and go seek out "Maui" before she can find the long lost and sunken island of "Morefutu". Once there, she hopes to break the malevolent force that has, for centuries, ensured that her people never manage to make contact with any others - despite her finding evidence that they did exist - somewhere, once upon a time! Of course there's "Heihei" the chicken and "Pua" the pig, but she's gonna need more help than that so up steps pin-up "Moni", the knife-wielding engineer "Loto" and the glass-half-empty farmer "Keke" and off they go. Loads of escapades await them as they again encounter their poisoned-dart firing coconut warriors - the "Kakamora", a giant clam and, of course, the winds and the seas as the mischievous "Matangi" and her army of bats tries to make life as difficult as they can. Luckily, "Matangi" has also had a run-in with "Maui" and so maybe they can all unite now, but can his giant hook and his tattoos empower him to help her to defeat their powerful nemesis? Well, what do you think? Thing is, we're not watching this for any jeopardy or menace from the storyline, we are watching it for the fun characterisations and the engaging dynamic between the eponymous girl and her super-strength demigod. That, sadly, is sadly lacking in this disappointing sequel. The visual effects are super, and the pace of the adventure likewise - but the story is just too thin and the arrival of the new characters doesn't really compensate as it rather procedurally, if colourfully, meanders along without really delving into and exploiting the fantastic depths of culture and mythology at it's disposal. The soundtrack is also nowhere near as catchy, and even though some of the lyrics are quite entertaining, the film lacks a killer song for either leading character. Sure, we've the power ballad "Beyond" and "Maui" gets the quirky "Can I Get a Chee Chee", but they lack the charming silliness of Lin Manuel Miranda's efforts from eight years ago. It's all perfectly watchable, and ought to be seen on a big screen to show off the creatively detailed animation, but I reckon it's entirely forgettable and will probably just serve as a stepping stone to the next one which is certain to follow just as seagulls follow fishing boats.

A lot of people seem to hate this sequel for the sole reason it was retooled from a Disney+ series, but in my opinion, it made more sense to make it a movie versus a streaming service series, and I actually consider it to be an improvement over the first *Moana*. While it is shorter than the first movie, given the stakes, which involves a literal god of storms, a more rushed pacing fits the life or death situation being included. This movie retains all the core traits of the first movie-lush, beautiful visuals, respect for Polynesian culture, lighthearted tone and humor, fast-paced action, and great songs-all while darkening up the actual conflict and giving us one of Disney's most remorseless, powerful villains ever in Nalo. The movie also has strong character growth, especially between Moana and Maui, as their friendship is on full display in this sequel. I also really liked how they gave Moana her little sister, Simea, as it raised the stakes even further by having Moana risk her life for her entire island, including her little sister, whom she might not ever see again. Despite being animated in Vancouver, the style of the movie has the same polish and design as the previous film, showing a level of depth and realism that pushes Disney's animation style even further than before. The songs also feel more Polynesian-influenced and fit the story even further than the songs in its predecessor. My only issue would be that Moana somehow needs Kele, the farmer, to feed her wayfinding crew (including herself), when she had boat snacks in the first movie, but considering this is not a one-person voyage, I'm not gonna make a big fuss about it. *Moana 2*, overall, is better than the first movie, in my opinion, and delivers what the first movie did but on a dangerous and more fast-paced scale. I cannot wait for the third one.