Across the seas and into the unknown, Moana 2 found it’s way into my heart.
I’m going to try a new way to write my reviews, to give you a deeper understanding of what I think. Let’s start with the good, and for me this movie does a lot more good than bad. First of all, I love Moana and Maui together on screen.
Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson have amazing chemistry. The voice acting overall is fantastic. Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Simea, Moana’s little sister steals the scene every single time, the character is so adorable and Khaleesi is just amazing. The rest of the cast definitely outdoes themselves and the film gives you new characters to root for.
Visually this movie looks spectacular. It has one of the best visual styles I’ve seen all year (excluding The Wild Robot). You are transported into this amazing world and it’s so vibrant and alive. This is what makes animation such a powerful medium.
I had fun with the story. I do think it’s a message about community and team work. That said, the story is nowhere near as impactful as the first movie. It has it’s moments, but it just falls short. It focuses on world building and not enough on the characters. They introduce some new characters, but some of their storylines go nowhere.
The music is fun as well. I found myself dancing to a few of the tunes, but then some others were lackluster. That doesn’t mean the singing is bad, the songs just needed a little more Polynesian magic. I do love the focus on Polynesian culture, and was it just me or did anyone else also see a Haka in there?
So in conclusion, Moana 2 might not carry the same weight as it’s predecessor it’s still a good movie. It had me laughing and I swear I almost shed a tear once or twice. It might not be the most memorable Disney film, but it’s definitely something I’d recommend for all families. And that’s why I took my family along to watch it – it’s safe to say that they all enjoyed it.
