Moana 2: Scared To Be Daring

There are two types of sequels in this world, sequels that exist because there's another story to be told in a given world, and sequels that exist because money needs to be made. The latter is not entirely a bad thing. Animators and employees of big companies need to put food on the table just as much as the rest of us do, and sometimes, a lackluster sequel is necessary to bring home the bacon. But a release slot right after the excellent Inside Out 2 remains a deservedly unfortunate and underwhelming method of cinematic execution for Moana 2, a sequel to an excellent Pixar feature that neither knows how to nor cares about finding an identity to call its own. Its own Google description lauds it with praise, proclaiming that a strong-willed girl must stand up to the challenge of an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced. The only problem is that Moana 2 is precisely like what Moana faced on her maiden voyage, only less exciting this time around. I understand that very few seven-year-old girls will be complaining about this movie's lack of ambition, but for a movie about an adventure, it's remarkably cautious.

Nevertheless, not all is lost. I've always found Disney's animation trademarks incredibly endearing and complementary to the world of Moana, and in some ways, this sequel continues the trend. The animation of this movie is naturalistic and even eye-popping at times, mining the natural beauty of the world for solid results - and so I hope I'm not letting you down when I tell you that the visuals of this movie remain a significant step down from a visually stunning predecessor. Though not all may be lost, some certainly is. Originally planned as a limited series, the downgraded animation of Moana 2 is hard to miss, an earthier and disappointingly muted blend that doesn't revel in the daring color of the first film. In some ways, I chalk this up to less focus on the ocean in this film and a secondary studio being the main workhorse behind the visuals, but in others, I plead laziness second, but fear over a financial flop first.

I likewise have some beef with the premise of Moana 2. It's not so much a thoughtful continuation of the first movie as it is a virtual retelling of it. In other words, this movie lacks creativity, which could be too much to ask of a sequel to an animated film. It pulls shots from both its predecessor and Frozen 2, and ultimately lives in the shadow of both movies because of it. I mentioned that it was initially conceived as a miniseries, and it's painfully easy to see where Disney planned to start and end each episode, an overwhelming distraction that stripped this movie of much of its immersion. Still, the music of this movie has its moments, and drew me in more than I expected it to. While it lacks that signature Lin-Manuel Miranda flair, some of this soundtrack contains sparks of creativity that play with time and perception in fun and unexpected ways. Get Lost, this movie's rough equivalent of the infamous, glamorous Shiny, stands out. Still, this sequel doesn't shine enough to escape the shadows. You know I love momentum in a movie, and the pacing of Moana 2 doesn't have it. It's more or less a series of setpieces with nothing more than the title of the movie to hold them together, and even if about zero seven-year-old girls will care about a nuance such as this one, it's a blemish that remains, nonetheless. Despite a handful of strengths, Moana 2 is an adventure to nowhere, a redundancy to rival all others.

Moana 2 is seriously lacking in the virtue of ambition, and for a sequel that's supposed to be about a group of explorers trying to break new ground, that's a frustrating thing to have to say. Visually, this movie is also less interesting than its predecessor, cast in a darker, cheaper shade of what I suppose to be some level of realism that doesn't do the beautiful world of Moana the justice it deserves. Still, there are some good things to say about this sequel, and between some striking musical numbers and a cast of mostly interesting characters - some of them new and some of them otherwise - Moana 2 isn't a total loss. It's simply frustrating that I have to explain why it's salvageable when I honestly wish I could have laid out why it was great, instead.

Moana 2 - 5/10

Proverbs 10:4