As a seasoned gamer and a connoisseur of animated films, I have seen my fair share of sequels that were lackluster compared to their predecessors. But “Moana 2” takes the cake (or maybe it’s a coconut) for being the most forgettable follow-up yet.
For centuries, fairy tales have ended with “happily ever after,” and children have been content with this conclusion. This approach has also been followed by Disney for many years, as they typically avoided creating sequels except for those meant for direct-to-video release. They understood that any additional stories about their magical tales wouldn’t be as vital or important as the original ones they had already shared.
Initially, the phenomenal success of “Frozen” didn’t immediately shatter old beliefs, but it did start to melt them. Six years after its debut, “Frozen 2” surpassed all other animated films in box office earnings, validating the business decision. However, there was a significant oversight: ask an average person (not one compelled by young kids’ repeated viewings) about the plot, and they would probably struggle to recall it.
In simpler terms, “Frozen 2” is seen as an unnecessary continuation of a story that didn’t seem to need further exploration, with many of its songs appearing as deliberate efforts to recapture the enchantment of specific numbers from the original. Regrettably, this formula has been adopted for “Moana 2,” which started as a streaming series but was later reshaped into a theatrical release in post-production. The best thing I can say about the sequel is that it doesn’t exhibit any signs of being a TV show in its past life, and if this sounds like faint praise, it’s because it is. There isn’t much about “Moana 2” that stands out even while watching, and it becomes more interesting to try and spot any indications of production struggles along the edges. However, this film runs so smoothly that there are no signs of these struggles, with the only visible manipulations being the obvious ways the story bends itself to imitate its predecessor as much as possible.
A carbon copy of the first
In the original “Moana,” the main character, Moana (previously and currently voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho), embarks on a journey from her isolated Polynesian island. She traverses the ocean to revive the Goddess of Nature, Te Fiti. However, it’s revealed — caution: spoiler alert — that Te Fiti was not dead but had disguised herself as the villain, Te Kā, following her heart’s loss. In the end, Moana manages to restore balance and returns home, becoming the new navigator of her island.
Three years on, “Moana 2” initiates its storyline right away, with Moana sensing a summons from across the sea hinting at other isolated societies yearning to be discovered. Her voyage takes her to an island afflicted by a curse that she must vanquish in a perilous mission close to claiming her life, aiming to revive its dying spirit. While there are minor variations in her assignment – for instance, a group of comical, hapless assistants from her village tagging along – the movie maintains a familiar vibe, resembling an almost scene-by-scene reenactment of the original.
In the opinion of many, one aspect where the repetitive pattern in storytelling is most noticeable is through the songs. For instance, with “Frozen 2,” it seemed as if the songwriters were under immense pressure to create a hit on par with “Let It Go.” However, they stumbled at the first hurdle, attempting to surpass something that was virtually unattainable. The standout song in “Moana” was “How Far I’ll Go,” a ballad that succeeded in both musical theater and pop charts by embodying broad empowerment themes while being closely linked to Moana’s character development within the story. The songs of “Moana 2” have been accused of being mere copies, but songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear have made their catchy tunes feel unique compared to those in the original, which is something the “Frozen” franchise failed to achieve.
It will sell a lot of toys
In a new twist, the composers for “Moana 2” face the challenging duty of following in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s footsteps, whether fans adore or dislike him, he has undeniably become one of Disney’s top songwriters. However, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear’s compositions won’t resemble cheap copies of Miranda’s work, but they do share similar narrative ideas that make them seem less impactful by comparison. For example, “Here,” an empowering ballad where Auliʻi Cravalho sings “‘I am Moana!’” in the final chorus, is so obviously trying to recapture the magic of “How Far I’ll Go” that the film’s creators have openly referred to it as a “spiritual sequel.” As for “You’re Welcome,” Dwayne Johnson’s upbeat number sung by his Demigod Maui, it is mirrored poorly in the form of “Can I Get A Chee-Hoo,” the weakest song on the soundtrack, simply because it’s the one time the voice actor seems to be putting in minimal effort. If the other songs never quite feel as blatant in their imitation of numbers from the first movie, then you have Cravalho’s powerful vocals to thank.
In another context, one might suspect that the main purpose of this film is to sell “Moana” merchandise before the holiday season, given its strategic Thanksgiving release date and apparent focus on expanding character toys from the original. While it’s not unprecedented for a Disney production to face such criticism, the films typically offer enough depth to overlook this point. However, in the case of “Moana 2,” it appears that new characters and even more of Moana’s pet pig Pua have been given prominence primarily for merchandising purposes. Heihei the chicken also makes a return appearance, but so does an expanded group of coconut pirates, which remain charming from an animation standpoint. Despite their appeal, it is challenging to understand why these elements have been reintroduced in this sequel. While I can’t fault a children’s film for recycling familiar characters for profit, the justification here seems somewhat lackluster compared to, say, a Pixar sequel.
For the youthful audience, this sequel is sure to captivate them and become as popular as the original through repeated viewings. While both adults and children may have been enamored with the first movie, “Moana 2” might not hold the same appeal for anyone beyond the very young viewers. However, it’s expected to gross a billion dollars regardless.
“Moana 2” premieres on November 27.
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2024-11-26 20:30