The One That Should Have Been A Series
Disney has always received a ton of flack for its reliance on recapturing the magic of the past, which I find ironic, considering the fact that of their 63 films, only four have been given theatrically released sequels, Rescuers Down Under, Fantasia 2000, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen 2. As opposed to that questionable period in the 90s - 2000s when every successful Disney film was given a sub par, direct - to - DVD sequel.
It's also interesting to remember that this film wasn't even in the works until last February, when Bob Iger announced that a planned Disney+ series about our first Polynesian princess was being metamorphosed into a cinematic sequel coming November. Did this mad new plan actually produce a worthy sequel to an animated gem like Moana?... I think so. Mostly.
THE PLOT
Three years after allying with demigod/trickster/manchild Maui to restore the heart of Te Fiti, Moana has become a master wave finder exploring islands near Motonui in the hope of finding other people who are as connected to the ocean as she is. In the middle of an Ava ceremony, Moana is hit with a sudden vision of her ancestor, Tautai Vasa, who explains to her that none of those people are connected anymore because the malicious, vengeful storm god Nalo (Tāwhirimātea in Polynesian mythology), wanted to rule over the mortal world, so he sank the legendary connecting island, Motufetu, into the sea. Tautai warns Moana that if she cannot somehow raise Motufetu, her own people on Motonui will be extinct in the near future. Moana realises quickly that she cannot do this alone, so she puts together a mostly willing crew of her countrymen, plus the aforementioned demigod/trickster/manchild and a couple of animals, to follow the path of an incredibly convenient comet towards the spot whence Motufetu is said to have been drowned.
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From this summary, one can easily see how episodic it all sounds, especially since Moana and Maui don't reunite for about 40 minutes out of 100. In a show, this would be a plot to keep you hooked, but in a full length film, especially one in which the central relationship between the two is one of it's best strengths, it could be a problem. But thankfully, Moana and her crew keep you mostly well entertained until he does show up. At which point the film improves just that little bit extra that it may have been lacking.
Note: None of this is to say that Moana is not an interesting character without Maui. On the contrary, the great and powerful Auli'i Cravalho slips back into her role almost effortlessly. And her vocal performance is one of the same equal parts fearlessness and ferocity that made her perfect for the role in the first place. Moana is as positive and bubbly as she was nine years ago but also evolving before our eyes into the mature leader she was always meant to be, proving that she can face any challenge necessary for the betterment of her island and family.
Sadly, Lin - Manuel Miranda has been busy slumming it with Mufasa, the Lion King. So Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear were brought in to replace him, resulting in mostly pale imitations of the songs from the first movie, with "How Far I'll Go" becoming "Beyond" and "You're Welcome" becoming "Can I Get A Chee Hoo?". Not to mention "What Could Be Better Than This?", which is where Miranda's absence is most obvious. Sung well, don't get me wrong, but the lyrics in the rap section are incredibly clunky and just don't flow like Miranda's lyrics would. On the other hand, the soundtrack, from Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i is monumentally gorgeous.
MY VERDICT
Like the Rescuers Down Under 35 years ago, Moana 2 is clunky on its narrative, but a visual masterpiece. One must assume that once turned from a series to a film, the animators began a gargantuan overhaul of the sequences originally intended for TV to rework them to become cinematic. And in this, they were a resounding success. Dazzling photorealistic water, lush tropical backdrops and practically human character designs, the animation surpasses that of the original. Every frame accentuates the fact that the big screen is where this film will forever belong.
Is Moana 2 A Disney Classic?: Visual splendour, mostly well written characters, but a clunky narrative and not many decent songs... I think not.
