Moana 2 2024
I liked the first Moana, but only gave it an A-, though I've rewatched it a few times and that may have been too low. People are saying the sequel is not as good and from the previews it looked to be another Disney sequel that just repeats the formula of the original movie. While there are similarities, I feel like this movie actually has a stronger narrative and an important new story to tell. I think with the absence of Lin-Manuel Miranda writing the songs, that musically the movie is not as strong. However, it is hard to know how good a song is on its first listen or two, and some of the sons still seem pretty good, though very similar to the songs in the first movie. I like that Moana is a little more grown in this movie and has a crew to help her out, though they are not always put to good use. A TV series was in the works at one point, and I think these characters were probably part of that effort, realizing that the chicken and pig were not carrying their weight. I would not doubt that they want to push Dwayne Johnson as Maui out as well because he adds prohibitively to the cost, but that is speculation on my part. Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie despite a few slips here and there and I feel like it adds substantially to the story told in the first movie.
Written: 16 Dec 2024