Moana 2
In Disney’s beautifully animated sequel, the Polynesian princess embarks on an Odyssean saga to bring her people together.
A lovely concentration of coconuts
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.
Moana is unquestionably a role model for our times. Intrepid, curious, self-sufficient and compassionate, she has developed an affiliation with the natural world, in particular the oceans, and values the legacy of her ancestors. She is also convinced that beyond the horizon there are other islands and other tribes – and believes that only when we work together as a people can we improve the status quo.
There are a lot of positive messages in Moana 2, such as the importance of thinking outside the conch, of finding a parallel path, of learning to live in the moment... In fact, there’s a lot of everything in Moana 2, to the detriment of a free-flowing storyline. It’ll be a wonder if any child knows what is going on as one narrative portal opens into another in a desperate attempt to keep as many moving parts on the screen as possible to occupy the attention span of the small of mind. And so there are belching sea monsters, mythical beings and dancing coconuts in a smörgåsbord of colourful activity.
When Moana receives a vision from an ancestor, she realises it is up to her to unite the various tribes from adjoining islands who have been divided in order to empower the storm god Nalo. Where there is partition, cultures are weakened and Nalo can reign unchallenged. So Moana gathers together a motley crew to embark on a sea-faring mission to right the wrongs of Nalo. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but Moana’s sense of adventure remains undiminished…
Directed by David Derrick Jr, Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, Moana 2 starts promisingly, with the Hawaii-born actress-singer Auliʻi Cravalho repeating her duties from the first film and giving the eponymous heroine an appealing pluck and vocal clarity. And the animation is a wondrous thing, bringing a vitality to the elements, from the dramatic storm effects to a high-fiving wave, as well as animating the dancing tattoos on the physique of the “super-chiselled” demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson). The songs are also of a high standard (even though Lin-Manuel Miranda opted out to help this time round), while Mark Mancina’s rousing score does more than its fair share of the emotional heavy lifting. Here, there is everything to love, except for the storyline itself. At best, it can be described as a series of hallucinatory music videos seemingly inspired by a team of talented digital artists who had got their hands on a generous stash of magic mushrooms. Just pity the poor children.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Voices of Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualālai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Awhimai Fraser, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, Gerald Ramsey, Alan Tudyk.
Dir David Derrick Jr, Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, Pro Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, Screenplay Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, Pro Des Ian Gooding, Ed Michael Louis Hill and Jeremy Milton, Music Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foaʻi, songs by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Sound Nia Hansen.
Walt Disney Animation Studios-Walt Disney Studios.
99 mins. USA. 2024. US Rel: 27 November 2024. UK Rel: 29 November 2024. Cert. PG.
