I don’t think anyone would argue that Walt Disney Animation Studios is going through a rough patch the last few years. Films like Wish and Strange World have failed to connect with viewers while Encanto and Raya and the Last Dragon were victims of the pandemic. With this track record it makes sense for them to return not only to the extremely profitable sequels of the 2010s but to their huge hit Moana from 2016. I have no doubt Moana 2 will be highly profitable for them especially given that it was originally going to be an animated series for Disney Plus; however, whether it is good is another question.

I have been more forgiving on some of these sequels when compared to other animation fans and critics. You can read my review of Frozen 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet here. I went into this screening for Moana 2 with an open mind and even did a video about the reason I had to be optimistic

Unfortunately all my high hopes were for naught because Moana 2 proves to be another misfire from a studio that seems to have truly lost their way particularly in the story department.

Without giving spoilers it’s hard to talk about the particulars of the story but basically Moana is sent on a mission to find other human settlers. I realize Moana’s island nation is a fictional land but my understanding is it was within the bounds of Polynesia. While there are some more isolated islands in this area it’s unlikely they would have absolutely no interaction with other humans. It was like they were on an alien planet instead of a fake island on Earth. It reminded me of Themyscira in Wonder Woman which is just a bizarre way to approach a story like this.

Things get even weirder when a long sequence is spent in the underworld facing off against a goddess Matangi. I realize Maui was a demi-god in the first film but that was just one character on an otherwise relatable journey. This doesn’t even have worldbuilding that we can understand or connect with. If we don’t understand the world she’s facing how are we supposed to feel tension or any stakes from this kind of villain?

As the movie goes on the plot becomes more convoluted and the challenges Moana faces more confusing. Things aren’t helped by Moana surrounding herself with a troupe of supposedly quirky characters that only distract from her relationship with Maui and go nowhere leading to frustration rather than pleasantness.

Compounded on to these problems is the constant remember berries from the original film. They even have lines about how Moana has to see ‘how far I’ll go.’ Yes exact lines from the first film are repeated expecting to get a response. Characters like the kakamora resurface for no reason except they are in the first film and pretty much all the songs are warmed over retreads of the original songs. For example, instead of “How Far I’ll Go” in the first film we get “Beyond” in this. Instead of “You’re Welcome” we get “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” in this. Come on Disney you can do better than this!

At least when Disney used to do a rare sequel it would try and be something different. For example, Rescuers Down Under moved all the events to Australia with a completely different tone, setting, villain and everything else than the original. In this you even have a cameo I won’t spoil as if to say ‘see we brought him/her back too…’

In the end Moana 2 is a convoluted mess when it tries to tell a new story and a bland forgettable retread when it leans on the original. Basically it’s a Disney sequel I will quickly forget about which is very disappointing as I really did enjoy the first film. Oh well. Hopefully they can be inspired by the work of their contempories and climb out of this hole. I am sure this film will make a boatload of money so I suppose they will at least have that to buoy their spirits. Either way it’s certainly not getting a recommendation from me.

Frown Worthy