At The Movies: Moana 2 charts familiar waters, but stays buoyant

Moana 2 (PG)

100 minutes, opens on Nov 28
★★★★☆

The story: Three years after the events of the first film, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), now her people’s finest wayfinder, is haunted by visions of her island’s population vanishing. Unless she discovers Motofetu, the ancient crossroads of oceanic travel lost to a curse, humanity faces a grim future in isolated pockets, unable to share life-sustaining crops and knowledge. She assembles an unlikely crew – genius shipbuilder Loto (Rose Matafeo), strong-bodied storyteller Moni (Hualalai Chung), farmer Kele (David Fane) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson), the trickster demigod with a soft spot for humans.

The hit musical Moana (2016) masterfully blended Disney tradition with ground-breaking ideas. While it featured familiar elements – a Disney princess; anthemic songs, including work from musical Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda; and the classic plucky mortal-comic spirit pairing – it charted new waters. 

Rather than adapting an existing fairy tale, it created fresh mythology inspired by Polynesian culture, weaving an eco-fable that celebrated indigenous connections to land and sea, all while honouring native art styles. It blazed a trail that Raya And The Last Dragon (2021) would follow.

This sequel, while treading familiar waters, remains engaging entertainment.

The story beats echo the original: a spirit-guided quest with accompanying songs, maritime adventures featuring the adorably roguish Kakamora – think Minions of the sea – building to a climax where human ingenuity meets divine nature. The charming dynamic between serious Moana and wacky-uncle Maui remains delightfully intact.

The writers balance humour for all ages. Young viewers get the antics of floppy rooster Heihei, pig Pua and the piratical Kakamora, while adults enjoy Maui’s verbal wit. 

While the new songs do not quite reach the earworm intensity of the original’s How Far I’ll Go – though its lyrical soulmate Beyond comes close – they still carry emotional weight. 

Johnson’s Maui is the actor’s most likeable character in ages, mostly because Maui is comically egomaniacal, a trait found in abundance in his characters in the Fast And Furious franchise (2001 to present) and other action flicks, but without the irony. 

For culture-spotters, the film reinforces how Pacific peoples saw the ocean not as a barrier but a highway, while exploring the wisdom of thriving societies versus those that vanished, like Easter Island’s Moai builders. It elegantly weaves in warnings about inbreeding and environmental stewardship.

Hot take: Though it may not reach the emotional or musical peaks of its predecessor, this sequel delivers solid entertainment for all ages.