‘Moana 2’ returns with another empowering narrative, but doesn’t supply the expected musical support.
While taking over the family business can be satisfying for some, there are other young people who sense they have another calling. Breaking with tradition to find their own destiny can be a daunting task, especially in the face of their family’s opposition. But success is a sure sign of making the right decision and may even be enough to win over the doubters who now see the validity of that difficult choice. Then, as everyone reaps the benefits, it may be time to aim higher and push the boundaries again. In Moana 2, she must venture further into the unknown to break another curse and save her people.
The village is thriving and Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) is the hero that made it possible. She has groupies, a line of potential suitors and everyone’s respect. Bestowed the prestigious title of “Way Finder” by her father (Temuera Morrison) — still not a princess — she travels to nearby islands in the hopes of finding other tribes, but is only met with disappointment. However, they learn a vengeful god named Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i) permanently separated everyone across the ocean and the only way to reconnect is to raise Motufetu, the island he sunk. The journey is farther than any Moana has embarked on, so her family insists she take a crew beside Pua and Heihei (Alan Tudyk). So, she recruits a farmer (David Fane), ship builder (Rose Matafeo), historian (Hualalai Chung) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) for her expedition.
The first film was appealing and inspiring as a young woman resolved to rekindle her tribe’s forgotten traditions, while also helping a demigod find his mojo — and it was all set to a fun and catchy soundtrack. The sequel spends the first act setting the stage for Moana’s quest, as well as establishing her newfound importance within the community and to her adorable younger sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda). The second act is a series of fumbles with her inept crew, ranging from slapstick to cringeworthy, in addition to introducing the unusual and mute tribe of coconuts called Kakamora. The last act is where the action is as they reach the boss stage and have to pull out all the stops to break the curse.
However, the most disappointing aspect of the picture is its lack of notable tunes. “Get Lost” appears in the middle of the film and is the closest audiences get to musical satisfaction with “What Could Be Better Than This?” being the only other possible exception. Most of the other songs are meaningful to the story and some are even sung in Samoan, but overall the soundtrack is not especially memorable and doesn’t inspire a desire for repetition. Nonetheless, even though it may not be set to a noteworthy harmony, the movie does still contain a powerful message that promotes the importance of thinking outside the box and creating one’s own path, even when it’s unpopular.
Cravalho and Johnson reprise their roles, bringing the same energy and camaraderie they exhibited in the first picture. She proves to still be an excellent singer, while his talents remain in rapping over harmonizing. Thankfully, Maui’s tattoo remains full of personality and is even more insistent as he takes his role as Maui’s conscience more seriously, which requires some amusing attention grabbers. The film picks up in the second half largely because Moana and Maui are reunited, which invigorates the narrative; separate, their stories are still relevant, but less entertaining.
Directors: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller
Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson and Temuera Morrison
