Joel Hilke’s review published on Letterboxd:
Yes, it's true. Moana 2 isn't nearly as good as Moana, but I'd also posit they both share similar problems. Moana just gets over the hump by having a better, more coherent story and a lot better songs. Moana didn't feel like a setup for a tv show or sequel.
Moana 2 picks up with Moana scouting for other humans now that the island has opened up for voyaging. But she can't find anyone because random bad guys have cut off travel between islands. So she sets off with a new crew to... <hand waves a bit> restart the ocean currents?
Obviously the film smacks you across the face with how good it looks. Disney's artists are at the top of their craft and would you LOOK at how good that water looks!
I also enjoy Moana as a fearless (but a little goofy) hero. She's inspiring a little bit even to me, forget about all the little girls who probably look up to her. Heck, the movie drops my new favorite word "Moanabes" to describe her little fangirls. I love that. I'm sure the actresses playing her in the parks loves it too.
The rest of the characters they added... maybe a little too chaotic and pointless? I'm not sure what they brought to the table... though I did like the engineer and occasionally the farmer for some decent gags. Both Hey Hey and Pua (the mascots) get screen time and they even add in one of those coconut dudes. They all amuse.
I'm tough on songs in musicals since they usually don't catch me first go. Moana did but Moana 2 did not. I think they have the potential to grow on me and I really liked a You Go Moana song in the middle of the flick... but that's the only one that caught my tin ear.
The plot is a little shaggy... but I though Moana had some shaggy plotting in the exact same way. They bring back the coconut people and some weird mythological animals that seem to just fill time. It didn't feel cohesive in Moana nor does it feel cohesive here either.
Moana did something smart and rule-breaking with its villain that Moana 2 fails to do. There's more pronounced villains now and they are only a little interesting. I'm also not sure we got much of a payoff with them. In fact, the mid-credit scene just shouts "Moana 3 is on the way" or, perhaps, "Look for the Disney+ tv show in 2025".
I still enjoyed Moana 2 well enough... the songs weren't great but they were serviceable, the art and animation are great, and Moana and Maui are fun. The story is not strong and it feels only half finished due to the need to extend the franchise. But, ignoring that, the movie is fun and watchable.
Disney Animated Films - Ranked
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