The magic of the Pacific returns to the theater screen in Moana 2. Moana 2’s comeback has fans disappointed, leaving them with many mixed feelings and opinions on the potential of this movie. The first movie Moana that came out in 2016 was about a Polynesian girl who sets sail on the ocean to save her island, despite not being allowed to by her family. With the many creatures lurking out in the sea, Maui, a demigod, helps Moana find her way to restore the ocean’s balance and become a Wayfinder. Many fans loved this movie but recently, Disney, the company that made this movie, has been releasing sequels and live actions of their previous hit movies which leaves fans feeling distraught by the many reused ideas from Disney. Some believe they should have left Moana as it was without making a sequel.
Regardless, while fans eagerly anticipated the sequel to Moana in the theaters, there were many mixed opinions about it. For example, DHS senior Eva George stated that “the plot structure was similar… having a secondary and main antagonist, and Moana sings and Maui sings.”Whilst that may be true, another fan Isabella Moran Vidal contrasted that statement, saying that“the lights were better… more actions, more characters.”With both opinions combined, it can be seen that while there were elements of Moana 2 that remained relatively the same, there were a lot of aspects of the movie that improved such as the animations, the story progression in the action, and some of the new character additions.
Though there were many mixed reviews regarding the plot of Moana 2, there was consistency with its commitment to cultural representation. Just like the original film, Moana 2 centers on Polynesian heritage. The story focuses on Moana’s journey, and the cast remains predominantly Polynesian, with new characters likely following suit. They kept this consistency from the first movie in the sequel which extends to behind-the-scenes with Disney partnering with Oceanic Cultural Trust. This collaboration was done to ensure an accurate representation of Polynesian culture within the film. Josiah Jose, a college student who had recently watched this film, shares this positive reception as he states that he “like[d] the incorporation of Labita pottery which is a specific type of pottery home to Pacific Islanders.”Jose’s comment highlights how details like this pay homage to Polynesian culture and resonate with audiences.
Whilst this was a sequel this had fans with some expectations and theories of what’s going to be in the new movie is going to live up to their first movie or not. With fans’ excitement for new adventures, even more stunning animation, and new characters, the sequel undoubtedly had a lot to live up to. After watching the movie, some fans were thrilled, praising the film for exceeding their expectations. Jose, for example, noted that “The movie went beyond what I thought it was going to meet, as well as the songs Moana sounds much more mature in her singing… and how she acts she’s all grown up now.”For some fans, this movie has exceeded their expectations and has blown their mind but other fans thought otherwise. This contrasting opinion can be seen in the article Can Disney go ‘Beyond?’ ‘Moana 2’ meets but does not exceed expectations. The article stated that “Many elements of the plot are poorly explained.”The sudden introduction of Moana’s sister without a clear context or time frame was a point of contention for some viewers.
Ultimately, while Moana 2 offered a nice plot, a homage to the Polynesian culture, and a visually stunning continuation of the beloved story, its narrative and plot left room for debate among fans.
