‘Moana 2’ Review: Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson in a Visually Dazzling but Narratively Uninspiring Sequel

Eight years ago, Moana (impressively voiced by Auli’i Cravalho), the strong-willed Polynesian wayfinder — don’t call her a princess — made a splash with her eponoymous Disney debut. Her unique oceanic adventure with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson in top form) earned over $665 million worldwide for the studio and snagged an Oscar nomination for best animated movie. But it was the heroine’s charm and stubborn determination to save her people from ecological disaster that gave Moana its most enduring qualities. 

As with all commercially viable Disney properties, Moana was fated for franchise. Four years after the original’s success, Disney announced plans for an animated television series. Then they scrapped that idea in favor of a more traditional cinematic sequel and dropped news of a forthcoming live-action remake.

But Moana 2, directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David G. Derrick Jr. from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Ledoux Miller, might have worked better as a longer series. While the highly anticipated follow-up features stunning animation, it lacks the cohesive narrative and emotional intimacy that made its predecessor special.

Cravalho and Johnson assuredly reprise their roles as the voices of Moana and Maui, whose latest mission takes them through uncharted parts of Oceania. Their sea adventures are heightened by vivid style (Byron Howard is the animation director and Kevin Webb and Amy Lawson Smeed serve as heads of animation) and striking visual effects (supervised by Carlos Cabral and Kyle Odermatt). In breathtaking sequences, Moana, Maui and a new ragtag crew that includes the spacey chicken Heihei (Alan Tudyk), encounter imposing waves and mysterious creatures that remind viewers why 95 percent of the ocean remains unexplored. The scale of the action showcases Disney’s animation prowess.

But this peacocking doesn’t extend to the narrative, which is scattered and shallow compared to the first film. Where Moana focused on the relationship between the titular adventurer and her reluctant demigod companion, Moana 2 divides its attention among more characters. These personalities — which includes fellow Motunuians and new villains — become window dressing in a movie short on time. 

Moana 2 opens three years after Moana saves her island from environmental disaster. The young navigator has been sailing around searching for other societies, and at the start of the film, she returns to Motunui with proof of other inhabited islands across the region. The endearing homecoming introduces new characters including Moni (Hualalai Chung), a passionate island bard; Loto (Rose Matafeo), a quirky shipwright; Kele (David Fane), a cantankerous farmer; and Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), Moana’s tenacious younger sister. 

These islanders, excluding Simea, join Moana as she sets out to fulfill another one of her ancestors’ missions. During a ceremony in which Moana accepts her society’s highest honor for wayfinders, the forebears come to her in a vision to reveal why the last person to receive the award, who never returned from their final trip, undertook such a dangerous mission in the first place. They implore her to take a similar journey, as if restoring Te Fiti’s heart hadn’t been risky enough. The future of her community depends, she learns, on finding an island hidden by the vengeful god Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i) that connects Motonui to the rest of its Oceanic archipelago.

Before sailing off, Moana spends time with Simea. The pair, who refer to each other endearingly as Big and Little Sis, sneak off to other parts of the island to exchange stories and secrets. With a gusto that recalls Gramma Tala (Rachel House) from the 2016 feature, Moana teaches Simea about their people’s history. Close-up shots of the sisters, whose curly hair looks even bouncier in IMAX, underscore their intimacy. Their interactions are a highlight of the film, providing a crucial emotional anchor as well as a sense of Moana’s own development since the last tale. She’s an older sister now, and more aware of what she might lose if these missions are unsuccessful.

After some convincing, Moana heeds the ancestors’ call and head beyond the reef to find the lost island with her hodgepodge crew. A chaotic encounter with the coconut-armored Kakamora and a mountain-sized clam leads them to a reunion with Maui. He’s been trapped in a dark underwater lair by Matangai (an ace Awhimai Fraser), a wily villain with an affinity for bats and shadowy corners who recalls iconic Disney villains like Ursula. Her song, “Get Lost,” is one of the more memorable tunes in a musical where Lin-Manuel Miranda’s absence is unfortunately felt.

From the moment Moana and her team save Maui from Matangai’s prison, Moana 2 builds impressive action sequences on a relatively weak story. Bush and Ledoux Miller’s screenplay packs in funnier jokes but it lacks the narrative roundedness of its predecessor, with members of Moana’s skillful crew being especially shortchanged. One can’t help but feel like more time — the film is a nimble 1 hour 40 minutes — or a more episodic approach might have helped. (A post-credits sequence does hint at more in store for Moana.)

Scaling up does pay off in the visuals, however. The sea has never looked so menacing, and the deeper Moana and company head into the its uncharted territory, the more threatening the environment becomes. Intense waterspouts spin uncontrollably atop the water, threatening to wreck anything in its path. Glowing, eel-like leviathan’s leap through the air before trying to swallow Moana’s humble boat. Facing these titanic forces, the gang embraces new ways of working together. Even when Moana 2 falters, their courage remains a steady source of inspiration.