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On November 27th, the much anticipated Moana 2 was released and our little group of kids and adults were among the masses who very eagerly ran to our nearest movie theater opening weekend armed with popcorn and slushees.  

For those not in the know, Moana 2 is the sequel to Moana, which debuted in 2016 and took the world by storm with its newest Disney princess, story, and soundtrack. As someone who grew up with Disney in the era of Ariel and Belle, when Moana burst onto the scene, it indeed did feel like a new era of the Disney princess had arrived — and I was so here it!

Standing on its own

Fast forward to Moana 2: I can confidently say that the younger generation that loved Moana, as well as the older generation like myself, were beyond thrilled to learn that there was a sequel in the works because the original movie just hit the mark in all ways possible. But that’s a double-edged sword for the fact that the question of whether the sequel would live up to the original is always the big question. In my humble opinion, because no one really asked me, Moana 2 did in fact live up to the original – but in a different way.

Moana 2, to me, very much felt like its own story rather than a sequel, per se, that would need to float on the coattails of its predecessor. Sure, we all have expectations of not only Moana but of Maui, Pua, and Heihei, too. But to me, this was more and it transcended this movie into standing on its own. 

This story takes place three years after the original movie’s storyline, and the plot of Moana 2 is that Moana is now kind of the leader of her tribe on the island of Motonui, and has been traveling the seas in search of other peoples connected to the ocean. In Moana’s travels, she found proof of other people having lived in the places she visited, but she couldn’t find them. 

Then, in a vision, Moana’s ancestor Tautai Vasa reveals to her why she can’t find any other people and therefore why none of them are connected anymore: Nalo, the evil and spiteful storm god, wanted to control all of the mortals. To do so, he sank the legendary island of Motufetu to the bottom of the ocean. Motufetu was the island that connected all the islands, and therefore connected all of the people. Tautai further showed Moana in the vision that all of Moana’s people on Motonui will go extinct if she does not raise Motufetu from the depths of the ocean. In response, in true Moana fashion, she sets sail. 

This time, however, she does not go it alone. She brings with her members of her community that will contribute to the success of her mission.

While this is all happening in Moana’s life, her friend, the demigod Maui has been doing his own thing. He too has been trying to get Motufetu as a result of his fight with Nalo. Do we detect a theme here? In the first movie he upset Te Fiti by stealing her heart, and now in Moana 2, he and Nalo are at odds… one begs the question, what did you do this time Maui? 

Regardless and back to the plot, we enter the story as Maui has been captured by Nalo’s enforcer of sorts named Matangi. Maui doesn’t want to contact Moana because he fears that she won’t survive the trek to where he’s being held to rescue him. But little does he know, she’s already on her way.

New and familiar faces

For me, I loved seeing so many of the characters from the previous movie. But in Moana 2, we gain insights into those characters, like the Kakamora. Hey, maybe they aren’t so bad after all! I mean, they are pretty cute and funny coconuts after all. I for one loved seeing them in this new light and I was literally laughing out loud in parts.

But this sequel is chock-full of new characters too! In fact, one of those new characters is now one of my daughter’s favorite characters. 

I must also add that the moment of reconnection between characters is just so dang heartwarming! For example, when Maui and Moana see each other for the first time again, it just feels right in your heart and soul. And those moments aren’t even the only feel-good moments! I will fully admit that there was one moment in particular in the movie where I was literally on the verge of tears! I kid you not. Ohh, Maui, you have my heart.

The music

I cannot pen this review without discussing the music of this movie. It just wouldn’t be right. So, admittedly, Moana had a killer soundtrack! Hands down, no arguments about it. Moana 2 certainly introduced us to a whole new set list. I found myself bopping my head and tapping my foot to these new songs. I can’t say that I found these new songs necessarily as catchy as the first soundtrack on the offset, but in all fairness, the Moana soundtrack ran on repeat in my car for almost two years straight, and I can still to this day recite all of the lyrics to “How Far I’ll Go”, “You’re Welcome”, and my favorite, “Shiny”. And yes, I always had to sing the Maui parts, while my daughter solo sang all the Moana parts.

Will Moana 2’s soundtrack be played on repeat for the next two years? Ehh, maybe not. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that this movie was not only visually captivating with its graphics, but the storyline was truly fantastic. And the music was great in supporting the film.

I definitely encourage anyone who loves Disney to go see this while it’s in theaters. If you loved Moana, then you simply must go see this film – independent of your age. This film can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Case in point, my brother and I sat in the theater with our daughters and his wife, and he and I were cracking up throughout the film while the girls squealed and awed in other parts. There’s something here for everyone. 

So go grab yourself a ticket, a seat, and don’t forget the bucket of popcorn, slushee, and some form of candy while you sit back and immerse yourself in this new generation of Disney princesses.