Introduction
Welcome to my corner! This week, I'm sharing my thoughts on the film Moana 2. The Emil M. Larson Public Library will be showing Moana 2 as part of their Summer Reading Program Movie Lineup on August 14 at 2:00 p.m. Go and enjoy!
Moana 2
Moana 2 is a 2024 American animated musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The second animated film in the Moana franchise, following the 2016 film, it was directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller and written by Miller and Jared Bush. Most of the principal cast members reprise their roles including Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger and Alan Tudyk. Set three years after the first film, it follows Moana reuniting with the demigod Maui and assembling a wayfinding crew to find the lost island of Motufetu, break its curse, and reconnect the people of the ocean.
A follow-up to Moana was originally developed as a miniseries for Disney+, but by February 2024, it had been reworked into a theatrical sequel. Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i, the composers and co-songwriters of the first film, returned to score and co-write the songs, while Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear served as the main songwriters.
Moana 2 premiered at the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute in Kapolei, Hawaii, on November 21, 2024, and was released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on November 27. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $1.059 billion worldwide, outgrossing its predecessor and becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2024. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. A sequel is in development.
Plot: After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, a strong-willed girl journeys with her crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever faced.
(Voice) Acting: My favorite title is the Moana franchise for the following actors, unless stated otherwise.
Auli'i Cravalho voiced Moana, the curious daughter of village chief Tui and his wife Sina, who is chose by the ocean to break the curse on the island of Motufetu. Her most notable titles currently include the Moana franchise and Mean Girls (2024).
Dwayne Johnson voiced Maui, a strong-willed shapeshifting demigod who accompanies Moana on her journey. His four most notable titles currently are Black Adam, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Moana and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. My favorite so far is Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Hualālai Chung voiced Moni, a member of Moana's wayfinding crew and a fan of Maui's. He's just starting out his acting career. Moana 2 is his most notable title so far.
Rose Matafeo voiced Loto, a brainy but quirky craftswoman member of Moana's wayfinding crew. Her four most notable titles currently are Moana 2 and the television series Starstruck, Golden Boy, and Funny Girls.
David Fane voiced Kele, a grumpy farmer and member of Moana's wayfinding crew. His four most notable titles currently include The Tattooist, Moana 2, Eagle vs. Shark, and the Bro'Town television series. He had a small role in Zootopia 2, a movie I enjoyed a lot.
Awhimai Fraser voice Matanagi, Nalo's enforcer who controls bats. Her four most notable titles currently are Frozen (dubbed Elsa), Moana 2, and the television series Shortland Street and Ahikaroa.
Minor roles were voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Simea, Moana's little sister; Temuera Morrison as Tui, Moana's father, and chief of Motonui Island; Nicole Scherzinger as Sina, Moana's mother and Chieftess of Motunui; Rachel House as Tala, Tui's late mother and Moana's paternal grandmother, who returns as a manta ray spirit; Gerald Ramsey as Tautai Vasa, Moana's ancestor; Alan Tudyk as Heihei, Moana's pet rooster; Dwayne Johnson's daughters Jasmine and Tiana as members of Moana's fan club, "MOANA-BEs", and his mother Ata Maivia Johnson as a villager; Tofiga Fepulea'i as the storm god and main antagonist Nalo in the mid-credits scene; and Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab from the first film.
Background information: In December 2020, during a Disney Investor Day meeting, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee announced that a long-form musical comedy series titled Moana: The Series, based on the 2016 film of the same name, was in development at the studio and set for release on Disney+ in 2023. The series was to consist of five episodes. By August 2021, it was reported that Osnat Shurer would once again serve as producer. In January 2022, it was announced that David Derrick Jr., storyboard artist for the first film, would serve as the writer and director. The series entered development simultaneously with the live-action remake of Moana according to Jared Bush, a writer of the film and screenplay writer of the 2016 animated film.
Dana Ledoux Miller came onto the series in early 2023 as a consulting writer, having finished writing the live-action remake with Bush, and turned in several revisions for the series.
According to Bush, the director and the writers repeatedly received feedback during development to the effect of: "We love this story. Why is it not going on the biggest screen you can possibly imagine?" In January 2024, Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman "informed the team that they needed to shift rapidly from making a five-episode streaming series to a second Moana feature film". This last-minute "story pivot" was possible because nearly all the actual animation work for Disney animated films was not performed until the final year before the release date—everything before that is development.
In February 2024, Disney CEO Bob Iger officially announced that the series had been reworked into a theatrical sequel titled Moana 2, with Derrick and Shurer remaining attached to the project. Iger explained that this occurred after Disney executives saw early footage: "We were impressed with what we saw and knew it deserved a theatrical release." By the release of the first trailer in May, Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller were confirmed as co-directors alongside Derrick, while Christina Chen and Yvett Merino were revealed to replace Shurer as the film's producers.
Final Thoughts: Moana 2 is a forgettable and unnecessary sequel to Moana. The songs weren't as good either.
I've never been a big fan of sequels in the first place, and don't even get me started on remakes, live-action or otherwise, Moana was a great standalone movie, it didn't need a sequel, but we got one anyway. It probably would have been fine as a miniseries, but it was successful enough to warrant a Moana 3... yay.
Kids will probably enjoy the movie, but might not remember what happened afterward.
I don't have a favorite scene or quote for Moana 2.
Rated: PG
Where to watch it: According to Google, Moana 2 is currently available to watch with a subscription to Disney+. Or you can purchase or rent a digital copy for a few dollars.
The Emil M. Larson Public Library will be showing Moana 2 as part of their Summer Reading Program Movie Lineup on August 14 at 2:00 p.m. Go and enjoy!
