Disney fans around the world are swarming around the newest addition to the media company’s cinematic universe: “Moana 2.” Moana’s journey of self-discovery continues as she travels across the sea to Oceania after a call from her wayfinding ancestors beckons her on an adventure. People are eager to see if the movie will meet their expectations or if Disney has fallen short.

‘Moana’

The first Moana movie is by far one of our favorite Disney princess films. The impact the grandma has on young Moana shows how sometimes we just need a little push to see how far we’ll go. 

Our tattoo-covered, hair-commercial-worthy, Dwayne-Johnson-voiced Maui goes through a lot of character development in the first movie. He goes from being a narcissistic demigod to returning to Moana during the climax to help her return the heart of Te Fiti even though he was the one that stole it in the first place. 

The music was also accurate to Hawaiian and indigenous Pacific Islander culture, much like it was in the first movie. In a behind the scenes interview with the songwriter behind the first Moana, Lin Manuel Miranda,  said he and other people on the Moana production team, such as Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, drew inspiration from local groups in New Zealand. Miranda says that seeing lots of local groups perform and seeing incredible choruses and musical groups and really getting a sense of the diversity of music in this world in this part of the world,,.one of the first things that came out of that experience really in New Zealand was the song that you hear in the trailer ‘We Know the Way’”.

Moana sets herself apart from traditional Disney princesses. For starters, she is not a  traditional  Western princess; being the daughter of a tribal chief. . Additionally, she doesn’t have a “Prince Charming” like most princesses. Younger audiences can connect with Moana more than other Disney princesses because she represents a balance between independence and relying on others, and we cannot wait to see where her new film takes her story.

Trailer Unboxing

The “Moana 2” trailer had audiences buzzing with interest and excitement. We see many fan-favorite characters return, like the Kakamora — who are more commonly known as angry coconuts — Moana’s grandma, and of course the beloved Maui. Moana’s little sister, Simea, is one of the most notable new characters, and seems to play a major role in the movie. The main antagonist appears to be some form of a lightning god, but the movie leaves the antagonist’s full background unclear.

‘Moana 2’

“Moana 2” featured a similar perspective to the first Moana film, using a similar plot structure and incorporating many new and returning side characters. The plot of “Moana 2” is not about Moana’s home island but rather follows Moana’s quest to connect her people with other islanders across the Pacific. At the end of the movie, a scene with the main antagonist hinted at the potential for a third movie, but nothing’s been confirmed as of now. 

“Moana 2” also added new songs, as well as reprises of the first movie’s music. Lin-Manuel Miranda wasn’t part of the composing team this time, and was replaced by the  creators of  “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical”, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, a surprising choice we thought. After seeing the movie, we feel that the music was still accurate to Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture but added more Americanized elements, like more English terms and slang.

Closing Remarks

Ultimately, we enjoyed “Moana 2” and we think that Disney did a wonderful job building upon Moana’s story. While the adventures we see Moana go on are thrilling, we also want to note that we appreciate the way that Disney created a movie with messages — such as connection between people — that audiences could connect to. We love what Disney has given us and we cannot wait to see where they go from here.