Review: Will “Moana 2” be inducted into the Disney Hall of Fame?

Review: Will “Moana 2” be inducted into the Disney Hall of Fame?

I remember sitting in the theater with two of my young children in 2016 and seeing “Moana” for the first time. I was touched by the music, fascinated by the story, connected to the characters and amused by the comedy. It was a home run; I knew it would be a Clyde family favorite.

Eight years later, “Moana 2” is now in theaters. I didn’t expect to be as surprised and delighted by this sequel as I was by the original, but I was optimistic and excited.

However, before I get into what I think of the film, I would like to briefly discuss it.

There was a time when Disney made sequels that never made it to theaters. These sequels to the studio’s major animated features were smaller offerings reserved for VHS. These included titles such as “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride”, “Aladdin and the King of Thieves” and “The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea”. They weren’t great movies, but they were good to throw on the VCR on a Wednesday afternoon to entertain a toddler after lunchtime.

Now back to “Moana 2”. I’m not saying it has the quality of Beauty and the Beast: The Cursed Christmas, but it doesn’t come close to reaching the heights of the first film. Unfortunately, the sequel feels like a cash grab rather than a well-made, full-fledged film.

Here are some reasons why “Moana 2” was a disappointment.

The songs missed their mark

There was a lot to like about “Moana,” but one of its hallmarks was undoubtedly the music. Lin-Manuel Miranda showed his best while writing for this film. There’s a reason we still hum “You’re Welcome” weekly and why “How Far I’ll Go” still puts a lump in our throats. The original songs and music are powerful, moving, catchy and memorable. The songs in “Moana 2” are nothing like that.

It’s not that the new music is terrible, but it’s missing that certain something. Some of the songs were fun, but overall I was just longing for the original songs. Some of this may have to do with Miranda not returning to offer his talents for Moana 2. There’s a song by Maui that’s fun and another by a new character that has its moments, but ultimately they fall a little flat compared to their predecessors.

The story and new characters felt rushed

The first “Moana” introduced us to Maui and Moana. It took us on a magical adventure where flawed characters embarked on a journey to better themselves while trying to save an entire island. This new film has a lot of new characters but not the interest.

We meet about four new characters who are meant to be an integral part of the story and the ultimate outcome. But when the credits rolled, I couldn’t remember any of their names and didn’t care if I saw them again. It’s clear what the filmmakers wanted to achieve with each new character, but none were particularly interesting. One I found incredibly disgusting, and another was important until it wasn’t and we never saw it again.

Moana and her crew have a goal to achieve, but the stakes are first introduced and then never really raised. Suddenly we are at the peak and have missed the interesting journey along the way.

Diploma

Maybe I’m being a little harsh about Moana 2, but when you do something as good as the original, you have high expectations for a sequel. It’s disappointing when you come up short like this film did for me. It’s not a bad film, but it’s certainly not what I was hoping for as a sequel to one of the best animated films of the last decade.

With its mediocre music numbers, flat characters and truncated narrative, “Moana 2” lacks the magic that made the first film so special.

However, I have no doubt that my children will continue to enjoy the film. My older two may not like it, but the baby, who is now 8, will have a blast. If your child is constantly singing one of these new songs in your home, you’ll probably think, “John Clyde was so wrong,” and that’s okay. I love that millions of kids get to see a movie with characters they love, but I’m sticking with the original.

“Moana 2” is rated PG for Action/Danger.

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