Review: In ‘Moana 2,’ a groundbreaking Disney hero dreams bigger, venturing into new territory

Parents of young children should let loose a hearty “chee hoo” upon the Thanksgiving-timed release of “Moana 2.” That’s the long weekend’s entertainment sorted, with a sequel that comes close to the soaring storytelling and exhilarating anthems of the first film, which delighted young audiences eight years ago, resulting in countless Halloween costumes and babies belting about how far they’ll go.

That first film, which celebrates the strength and power of young girls — as well as Polynesian culture with reverence and specificity — was a balm in the uncertain November of 2016. It was a massive box office hit and was nominated for two Academy Awards — for animated film and for original song for a tune by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“Moana” felt revolutionary within the Disney canon because our spunky protagonist is decidedly not a princess (she’ll be the first to tell you that). She felt radical, especially for older generations that grew up on passive heroes whose lives were dictated by weddings or resistance to them. That Moana was a girl of action, an explorer — strong, capable, brave, family-oriented and empathetic — made her a remarkable role model, and the character has lost none of her moxie in the sequel.

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The cultural significance of the catchy ‘Moana 2’ song ‘Can I Get a Chee Hoo?’

Actor Auli’i Cravalho and the ‘Moana 2’ creative team break down the cultural significance of the sequel’s earworm, performed with gusto by Dwayne Johnson.

Nov. 27, 2024

Although the impressive voice cast of Pacific Islanders, including original Moana voicer Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, has returned (with a few additions), a new creative team has been assembled for the sequel, which was originally developed as a series and then reworked into a feature-length film. The good news is that the seams don’t show on the finished movie, which is as visually dazzling and culturally rich as the first and an apt continuation of Moana’s story. She is now a revered “wayfinder” in her community on a tiny Pacific island.

Moana has a desire to explore even farther into the ocean, to go beyond where she’s ever gone before — specifically to connect with other people. During a ritual ceremony, she receives a vision of an island, Motufetu, that once connected all the people of the ocean but that has since been cursed by a god named Nalo. Moana puts together a crew that includes her friend and historian Moni (Hualalai Chung), boatmaker Loto (Rose Matafeo) and farmer Kele (David Fane), in order to find Motofetu.

Along the way, they’ll have to scoop up the demigod Maui (Johnson), who has been waylaid inside a giant clam by Nalo, with only the company of a mysterious and nefarious bat-woman, Matangi (Awhimai Fraser). The entire team will have to collaborate — even with the feisty bunch of coconut warriors known as the Kakamora — in order to break Nalo’s curse, achieve their goal and assemble the community of Moana’s dream.

David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller are the trio of directors on the film, with Miller and Jared Bush writing the screenplay. But the biggest creative difference that audiences will notice is the songs. With Miranda moving on, the songwriters known as Barlow & Bear (Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear) have written all the numbers for the sequel, collaborating with returning composers Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i. Barlow & Bear went viral in 2021 with their “Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” album, which eventually won a musical theater Grammy.

The songs in “Moana 2” are good, to be sure. They’re just not as addictive as Miranda’s ear worms — the man has an uncanny skill for sprinkling seriously habit-forming syncopations into his songwriting — and while the big ballad “Beyond” and the jazzy rock number “Get Lost” are certainly stirring, they don’t quite stick in the brain like “You’re Welcome” or tug on the heartstrings like “How Far I’ll Go.”

But “Moana 2” is a worthy sequel, with gorgeous animation, a thoughtful representation of Polynesian culture and another exciting adventure for our inspiring Moana. Does it go beyond the first film? No, but that would have been a tall order. That it stands up as a sturdy and satisfying follow-up is more than enough.

Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.