Why I love (almost) everything about Moana 2

Disclaimer: the following film review contains no spoilers. I won’t tell you any more than what you already know and can see in the trailers.

«I am Moana», I sing to myself over and over again long after the credits roll. Quietly, of course. Because firstly, I’m obviously not Moana, and secondly, I’m not a great singer. The fact that I’m doing it anyway has a lot to do with the film I’ve just seen: Moana 2 leaves me feeling elated. Why is that? Am I, a proven musical movie Grinch, mellowing with age? We’ll see.

The plot

Moana’s now a young woman. Three years have passed since she saved her home island of Motonui in Polynesia with the help from demigod Maui, who caused the trouble in the first place. Almost more importantly, by daring to sail across the Pacific and back, she turned her people back into what their ancestors once were: seafarers.

Since then, the now 19-year-old Moana has been sailing around the Pacific in search of other communities. When she returns to Motonui with a lead, her father, the island’s chief, decides to give her the traditional seafaring title of Tautai.

During the ceremony, Moana has a vision where an ancestor – another Tautai – appears to her. He tells her that the legendary island of Motufetu is the key to connecting all Polynesian peoples and islands. The problem is that the storm god Nalo doesn’t want this, and has cursed Motufetu as a result. So, Moana and her motley crew set off on a thrilling adventure to save the day.

Her animal sidekicks from the first film are just as important as nonchalant demigod Maui and the Kakamora, crazy coconut pirates.

The Odyssey of Moana 2

Released in cinemas in 2016, Moana became a respectable box office hit, grossing almost 700 million US dollars worldwide. But it only really took off on the small screen – with more than 80 billion minutes streamed, it’s Disney+’s most successful film to date.

Despite this, Disney+ initially only planned a Moana series, and plenty of work had been done on it. It was only when Moana became the most streamed film in the USA across all platforms in 2023 that Disney CEO Bob Iger and his team changed their minds and announced a sequel.

A brilliant decision, it seems. The first Moana 2 trailer was viewed 178 million times within 24 hours, making it the most-watched trailer for a Disney animated film. Industry portals such as Boxoffice Pro are also expecting a new record for the film’s cinema release.

But is the impending success of Moana 2 justified? If you ask me, yes.

History repeating itself

This year, I was able to review Inside Out 2, which is now the highest-grossing animated film of all time, with worldwide box office revenues of around 1.7 billion dollars. I really enjoyed the emotional spectacle, but, overall, I found it a bit predictable and too similar to the first film.

I could or should actually say the same thing about Moana 2. It follows the pattern of the successful first instalment almost identically, apart from a few new characters and a slightly different mission. In contrast to Inside Out 2, however, Moana 2 doesn’t feel at all routine or forced to me.

From the animation style to the music, the humour and the action, the film follows on from its predecessor almost seamlessly. Nevertheless, Moana 2’s so carefree and refreshing that it makes me forget it’s all very similar to what I’ve already seen. Moana has not only become a young woman; she’s also stepped out of her own shadow.

By the way, it was Moana’s little sister Simea who finally won me over, perhaps because I have a little daughter like her at home. Simea doesn’t have many scenes, but each one’s emotionally charged. She even brought tears to my eyes.

Music makes the world go round

I’ve already mentioned that musical films aren’t my thing at all. For me, the constant singing has nothing to do with enjoying a film. The only exception I’ve always made is Disney’s animated films. In fact, the singing in Moana 2 doesn’t bother me. This has a lot to do with the fact that it drives the story forward, or rather, it’s part of the story. In contrast to, for example, Joker 2: Folie à Deux, where the musical interludes mostly just repeat what the audience already knows and has just seen, as my colleague Luca quite rightly criticises.

Speaking of music, some people are disappointed that Lin-Manuel Miranda isn’t behind the Moana 2 soundtrack. The US composer wrote the music and lyrics for the song How far I’ll go for the first film, which earned him Grammy and Oscar nominations. Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear are now stepping in. And they’ve done a good job – my untrained ears certainly didn’t detect any drop in quality. And Beyond is another potential earworm waiting in the wings for all fans. I told you: «I am Moana!»

Oh yes, make sure you keep watching during the credits – there’s more to come.

Catch Moana 2 in Swiss cinemas from 27 November. Runtime: 100 minutes. Rated 6+.