The Disney Animation’s Heartwarming Story Is Undermined By A Questionable Villain

On the heels of the successful original animation, a lot is riding on Moana 2, a sequel that nicely builds on what came before. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) gets a sweet little sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), and that personal element really raises the stakes in terms of what the title character is fighting for and who she’s trying to get back to. The animation is still strong and the main character beats are affecting, but there are certain aspects of the story — namely, the villain and his motivations — that stand in the film’s way of true greatness.

Moana 2’s High Points Are With The Characters’ Relationships

Moana’s Dynamic With Simea Is Especially Sweet

Moana 2 was initially developed as a TV show before being turned into a feature film. It could have worked just fine in that format, better allowing the supporting characters to flourish and develop deeper relationships with both Moana and Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who’s stuck inside an oversized killer clam until the second half of the film. In terms of the story — which sees Moana on the journey to find the island of Montufetu and reconnect the humans from other islands who have been separated by the god Nalo’s curse — Moana 2 has its standout moments.

Between its exhilarating adventure sequences and the heart of the story being the relationships between Moana and Simea and Moana and Maui, the Disney animation packs an emotional punch. For Moana, growing up isn’t just about being a wayfinder; it’s about the very real responsibility that comes with it. It’s a responsibility Moana takes seriously and she feels the effects and constantly worries about what would happen should she fail in her endeavor. In Moana 2, our titular character is looking beyond herself and to the future and what it means for her people. It’s powerful in that sense.

A couple of songs — “Beyond” and “Get Lost” — are especially catchy and the sequel doesn’t take the easy way out. That is to say, it isn’t primarily focused on the nostalgia we may have for the original animation and actually takes its time setting up Moana’s journey before she takes to the ocean once more. The animated sequel shows just how much Moana has grown since we last saw her, and she’s got new dreams and fears to contend with that give her character development a lovely, thoughtful boost and the story its higher stakes.

There’s a thoroughly lovely theme about the strength of togetherness that also shows up in the way Moana and her wayfinding crew — brainy canoe maker Loto (Rose Matafeo), Maui superfan Moni (Hualālai Chung), and grumpy farmer Kele (David Fane) — come together. The sequel underscores unity by contrasting isolation, the true community killer. Sadly, this theme becomes less defined by Nalo’s machinations, which have unclear reasoning. And whereas the first film had a personal slant in terms of Maui’s actions against Te Fiti and making things right, Moana 2 doesn’t.

Moana 2’s Villainous Motivations Are Not Strong

Nalo Never Appears In The Main Story

Sometimes a movie is only as strong as its villain, and Moana 2 could have used a better one. On paper, Nalo is interesting, though the fact that he doesn’t appear onscreen until the mid-credits scene (yes, really) is a glaring weakness of the film. We’re often told about Nalo — from Maui and Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), a goddess who’s also bound by Nalo’s curse — but the lack of him is strange. The characters claim he gains power by separating the islands, but we don’t see what that looks like from a visual storytelling standpoint, lessening his villainous power overall.

I thought about this a lot while watching the film, which took away from the experience of enjoying it. Younger audiences may not be so worried about what Nalo is or isn’t up to and why, but it’s a hole in an otherwise decent sequel that pushes the limits of its main character and how far she’s willing to go to help her beloved island. Nalo’s absence undermines the Disney sequel as a whole. Without his appearance, Moana is left fighting a scary thunderstorm in the god’s place, which is far less effective. It’s a good sequence that ultimately falters.

The supporting characters are also less defined, sticking to one-dimensional traits that don’t grow beyond that. In one instance, Moni experiences something scary but there is no time dedicated to the expression of his feelings. He clearly looks traumatized by what happened to him, but it feels like something that was either cut for time or could have been expanded upon in an episode dedicated to him had Moana 2 been a series. It’s a shame because the characters are great and I was thrilled that Moana had someone to play off of besides her pet rooster and Maui.

I enjoyed Moana 2 for what it was and the heart at the center of its story, but I also saw all of its lost potential. For some reason, Nalo’s mid-credits appearance teases yet another sequel that, at this point, would be questionable considering his lack of influence on this film. Perhaps co-directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller’s decision to cut him from the movie was meant to make him a more terrifying presence, but it has the opposite effect.

Moana 2 opens in theaters on Wednesday, November 27. The film is rated PG for action/peril.

Pros

• The relationship between Moana and Maui and Moana and Simea are the heart of the film
• The film’s action and animation is great
• The sequel nicely builds upon what came before and expands it

Cons

• The supporting characters are thinly drawn
• Nalo doesn’t appear onscreen during the film & his motivations are questionable