After patiently waiting eight years since the release of Disney’s “Moana,” fans are now able to journey back to Motunui as Moana is once again tasked with saving her people in “Moana 2.”
The highly anticipated sequel was released on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and has set box office records for Thanksgiving weekend with $221 million in ticket sales. Additionally, the film has reached $386 million worldwide, sliding it into second place for the best global launch of the year. Be prepared for spoilers ahead.
“Moana 2” is set three years after the first film when Moana returns home following her adventure to save her island from a curse and restore the heart of Te Fiti. Now, Moana, voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho, receives a call from her wayfinding ancestors to find the island of Motufetu and unite other islands, otherwise the people of Motunui will become extinct. The only trouble is that Motufetu is underwater and protected by Nalo, the God of storms and the film’s main villain.
To raise the island and connect with other island residents, Moana assembles a team of people to help her: Loto, a craftswoman, Kele, an elderly farmer and Moni, an island historian who admires Maui. After a few setbacks, the crew are sent into the prison of Nalo’s enforcer, Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser. The audience learns that she is unhappy with her current position and helps reunite Moana and Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, to further their journey.
With the dynamic duo back together, it is time for the crew to resume their journey. Eventually, they make it to the megastorm protecting Motufetu and formulate a plan for Maui to raise the island and Moana’s crew to touch the island, which would break the storm curse. When it becomes clear that their plan will not work, Moana decides to swim to the bottom of the ocean and touch the island, instead of waiting for it to be raised.
In a moment of high tension, Moana is able to reach the island and barely lay her fingers on it before being struck by Nalo’s lightning. This strike kills her, but her ancestors are able to resurrect and turn her into a demigod. Similar to Maui’s hook, Moana’s oar now has special powers.
Personally, I really enjoyed this movie and thought it was a fun addition to the “Moana” franchise. The jokes throughout the movie are not just meant for little kids and I am not ashamed to say that I was hysterically laughing in a theater filled with mostly eight-year-olds and their parents. I will also say that I was not expecting Moana to have a little sister and actually cried during a few of their moments together.
However, while there were a few catchy songs, overall the soundtrack did not meet my hopes that it would be as good as the original. Additionally, I felt like the ending was left a little too open-ended and not all of my questions were answered. With this in mind, I think we can expect another movie down the road to complete a trilogy.
4/5 Stars
squinn5@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @disneyanimation, Instagram
