Skip to main content

Moana 2 Review: A Sequel That Doesn’t Disappoint

 

Moana 2

I have to admit that I’m suspicious of movie sequels. Especially when I really liked the first movie.

Something about a second film makes me expect disappointment. The characters are already established, the story has already had its big emotional moment, and sometimes it feels like the sequel exists simply because the first movie was successful.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised by Moana 2.

It isn't perfect, and I don't think it has quite the same freshness as the first film, but I genuinely enjoyed it. 

A Different Kind of Disney Heroine

Modern Disney has moved away from the idea that every heroine needs a romantic story, and Moana fits into this new view.

She doesn't need a boyfriend. She doesn't need a boy to rescue her, complete her, or give her story meaning.

She can stand on her own, but that doesn't mean she's completely alone, either. Moana is independent, but she still needs other people.

Friendship and Teamwork

Independence doesn't mean isolation.

Moana has her crew, and I really liked the group Disney created around her. They are very different from each other, with different personalities, skills, and ways of approaching problems. They actually feel like a team rather than a collection of characters who happen to be traveling together.

My favorite is the old farmer. I found him absolutely hilarious.

He brings a completely different energy to the group, and some of the funniest moments come simply from having these very different personalities together.

Maui Is Growing Too

Maui is still Maui, of course. But I liked seeing some of his character development.

He has always been a larger-than-life character, but Moana 2 gives us more opportunities to see him becoming a better person and learning from his relationship with Moana and the rest of the group.

Their relationship works particularly well because it isn't about one character saving the other. They challenge, support, and learn from each other.

And sometimes that is a much more interesting relationship than romance.

Coming Together

For me, the most beautiful part of Moana 2 is its final message.

The movie is ultimately about people coming together. Different people, different communities, different strengths.

The idea that we don't evolve by remaining isolated, but by connecting with others and working together, is a simple message, but a beautiful one.

We don't have to all be the same. We don't even have to be good at the same things. We can bring different skills, experiences, and perspectives, and accomplish things together that none of us could accomplish alone.

There is something very hopeful about that, and I think it is a particularly good message for children.

Beautiful and Fun

Of course, Moana 2 is also beautiful.

The animation is gorgeous, the world is full of color and movement, and it has that Disney ability to make a fairly simple message feel much bigger through music and visuals.

It isn't a perfect movie, and I don't think it has quite the same impact as the original. But it doesn't need to.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Handmaid’s Tale – From Brilliant to Frustrating

  When The Handmaid’s Tale first aired, it felt sharp, terrifying, and painfully necessary. I wrote about the first season as a dark and brilliant adaptation, one that used restraint, symbolism, and dread to tell its story. Now that I've finished the third season, my opinion has shifted — not wholly, but noticeably. The show is still good . Sometimes very good. But it also became frustrating, uneven, and less powerful than it could have been. June Osborne: From Survivor to Exhaustion Let’s talk about June (Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men ). I understand the idea behind her arc. She was meant to evolve — to become more confident, more assertive, more dangerous. A woman shaped by trauma who stops surviving and starts fighting back. On paper, it makes sense. On screen, however, it often doesn’t work. June becomes reckless to the point of irresponsibility. She repeatedly puts others in danger without seeming to fully care about who might be caught in the crossfire. Her actions feel impuls...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grief in the Shadows: Why 'The Silencing' Stands Out

  A moody thriller about grief, violence, and how far we go for the ones we love. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ( Game of Thrones ) is Rayburn Swanson , a former hunter who now lives in isolation, running a wildlife sanctuary named after his missing daughter. Years after she vanished, Rayburn is just barely functioning—haunted, grieving, and clinging to the hope that she might still return. When a murdered girl turns up in the woods with eerie similarities to his daughter's disappearance, the local sheriff, Alice Gustafson ( Annabelle Wallis ), launches an investigation. Rayburn, meanwhile, accidentally crosses paths with a mysterious masked figure hunting a girl on his land. This encounter pulls him into the heart of the case in ways he never expected. The investigation twists, misleads, and slowly unravels, building toward a reveal that isn’t obvious—and intentionally so. Nothing is as straightforward as it seems. Themes of Grief and Family What makes The Silencing compelling is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gangsta Granny – Hilarious and Surprisingly Moving

  I have a ten-year-old daughter, and one thing we like to do is read the same books so we can talk about them afterward. Gangsta Granny was a birthday gift for her, and she read it so quickly that it immediately made me curious. When a child finishes a book that fast, you know something is working. When I finally read it myself, I was pleasantly surprised — and completely charmed. A Story That Is Funny and Moving At first glance, Gangsta Granny is a crazy, over-the-top, and very funny story. David Walliams clearly knows how to make children laugh, using absurd situations, exaggerated characters, and a fast-moving plot that keeps young readers hooked. But beneath the humour, the book is also sweet, touching, and emotionally rich. What starts as a wild adventure slowly reveals a story about family, loneliness, empathy, and learning to truly see the people around us. This balance reminded me of Roald Dahl’s books , where outrageous humour and emotional depth coexist effortles...
Post a Comment
Read more