Moana 2 Movie Review: A Film That Should Have Stayed As A Series

Moana is one of those films that made us ask how far we’ll go for our dream, but its sequel made us feel otherwise. It is sad to see a plot with so much potential dripping off its surface but ended up getting cheers for the callbacks to the original.

From the get-go, the biggest problem of the film was its fast pace because it didn't let us connect with any character, leading them to be forgetful. Even the story overall felt all over the place because initially, Moana 2 was going to be a limited series. Bringing a story of more than 4 hours to a film of 1 hour 40 minutes means a lot of it needs to be cut out. And I'm sorry, why is there a little sister?

I missed Lin Manuel Miranda more than anything because, after all, he brought the captivating score for the first film. Well, it's hard not to compare the songs of both movies, but the songs from the sequel didn’t make waves in our minds as the original did. They were more like sister songs of their original counterparts, and how do I know that? Well, the song ‘Beyond’ came at the same time as ‘How Far Will I Go’ did in the first film. Apart from the song Get Lost, no other song was catchy. We don’t count the score in the traditional language because it is a part of the first film.

Talking about the first film, here are the good things this movie did. Firstly, it expanded the world beyond Motunui and introduced not only a brand new island but also other godly beings like Nalo and Matanni. This movie added to the lore of Moana, making her more than just a Disney princess.

Secondly, the best character was the Rock, as Maui was phenomenal. His character saw personality growth, and his jokes, like ever, landed perfectly. The funniest was the meta-talking that he did, referring to things that were happening in the real world. And here’s the best part: The film included Easter eggs from the first film, drawing co-relations that give those Easter eggs new meaning.

I would suggest you wait for the film to come on Disney Plus unless you’re a Moana fan, then go and watch it for the experience. I still believe that this story would have exceeded expectations if it had been created as a series. After seeing the post-credit, it sure they’re planning to expand this aqua fairy tale world, but I hope they do it as a series. 

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