After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.
Chuck says:
In looking at the release schedule for the final quarter of 2024, the suits at Disney must have realized there was a slight gap in their march towards box office domination of yet another year. With “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool Vs. Wolverine” both bringing in over $1 billion and their December release “Mufasa” sure to gross a staggering amount as well, the Mouse House couldn’t dare let any other studio enjoy a week or two of success. Obviously, they needed a windfall to tide themselves over in November.
Like a kid with all the toys in the sandbox, Disney’s dominance over the past five years has left their rivals often just picking up scraps. They are a relentless juggernaut, having acquired other studios to bolster their already considerable library of intellectual properties. If there’s a buck to be made, they’ll make it. As such they’ve taken “Moana 2,” which was Initially destined for the Disney+ streaming service, spruced it up a bit and are releasing it in theaters just in time for Thanksgiving. It’s a savvy move, what with moms and dads looking for something to do with their suddenly school-free children. Its success is as assured as Santa eating all the cookies left for him.
Giving credit where it’s due, “Moana 2” has the look of an animated feature, unlike the straight-to-video sequels the studios used to quickly knock out with alarming regularity. There’s a glossy sheen to the production that points to no expense being spared in bringing it to life and lends it a degree of credibility. However, after seeing it, I couldn’t help but wonder if any money was spent to ensure the script was up to par with the visuals.
Much like the first film, Moana (voice by Auli’I Cravalho) is sent on a quest, though this journey is of greater consequence. As her tribe’s designated wayfinder, the responsibility falls to her to rectify an ancient curse. Centuries ago, an angry, jealous god, Kakamora, separated the main islands of the Pacific, cutting the various cultures they contained off from one another. In preventing them from consolidating, this gave him more power. So, when Moana tells her father of a vision she has showing their village decimated and empty in the near future, he tells her the only way to avoid this fate is to reunite the various tribes.
Unfortunately, this is going to prove quite difficult as the island that served as a hub for the ocean channels that connected all the other islands has been sunk. The only way the curse can be lifted is if Moana sets foot on it. To solve this rather large problem, she sets out to find her demigod buddy Maui (Dwayne Johnson), knowing full well he has the strength to haul this lost island from the depths of the ocean.
As quests go, it’s not bad. The backstory is intriguing, and the scope of the adventure is worthy of our attention. However, the script by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller contains far too many distractions, its narrative tangents far from interesting. Moana’s small crew for the voyage, Loto (Rose Matafeo), Moni (Hualalai Chung) and Kele (David Fane) are a rather bland bunch, their disparate personalities not generating enough tension or humor, while the slapstick routines they’re put through are tired and unimaginative. Even worse, what is supposed to be a gripping, dramatic event – a gigantic clam that swallows them and their catamaran whole – instead brings the film to a screeching halt.
Surprisingly, there’s life in the third act once Moana, Maui and the others do battle with Kakamora’s might and their efforts to raise the island prove futile. The dark turn the story takes is a welcome respite from the relentless cheeriness and bland songs – not a keeper in the bunch – that populate the movie’s first hour. And while there’s no doubt how it will all turn out, at the very least our heroine earns her victory.
Again, no surprises here. It’s a Disney animated movie and contains all that label has come to be associated with. All the boxes are checked as there’s a plucky heroine, plenty of comic relief, an animal sidekick (that chicken Hei Hei is pretty darn funny) and a worthwhile message. Putting aside our differences and finding the ability to work in unity is a timely theme, one “Moana 2” adequately delivers to its young audience.
2 1/2 Stars
