Review: Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho Return for Visually Dazzling 'Moana 2'

Eight years ago, Moana (impressively voiced by Auli'i Cravalho), the strong-willed Polynesian wayfinder — don't call her a princess — made a mark with her eponymous Disney debut. Her one-of-a-kind marine journey with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson in top form) grossed over $665 million worldwide for the studio and won an Oscar nomination for best animated film. But it was the heroine's charm and tenacity in saving her people from environmental devastation that gave Moana her most lasting features. 

'Moana 2.'

Walt Disney

Moana, like other economically profitable Disney creations, was destined to become a franchise. Four years after the original's popularity, Disney revealed plans for an animated television series. Then they abandoned the idea in favor of a more typical movie sequel and announced a live-action remake.

However, Moana 2, directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller, and David G. Derrick Jr. from a script by Jared Bush and Ledoux Miller, may have worked better as a lengthier series. While the widely anticipated sequel boasts amazing animation, it lacks the unified plot and emotional closeness that distinguished its predecessor.

Cravalho and Johnson return as Moana and Maui, respectively, whose most recent assignment takes them into new territory in Oceania. Their marine adventures are enhanced by a vibrant style (Byron Howard is the animation director, with Kevin Webb and Amy Lawson Smeed serving as heads of animation) and eye-catching visual effects (directed by Carlos Cabral and Kyle Odermat). In spectacular passages, Moana, Maui, and a new motley crew led by the spacey chicken Heihei (Alan Tudyk) meet tremendous seas and intriguing animals that remind viewers why 95 percent of the ocean is undiscovered. The scope of the action highlights Disney's animation abilities.

But the peacocking does not extend to the plot, which is disjointed and superficial in comparison to the previous picture. Whereas Moana focuses on the eponymous adventurer's romance with her hesitant demigod sidekick, Moana 2 spreads its emphasis among other characters. These characters, who include fellow Motunuians and new enemies, serve as window decoration in a film with a tight timeline. 

Moana 2 begins three years after Moana saves her island from an environmental crisis. The young navigator has been sailing about looking for other cultures, and at the beginning of the film, she comes to Motunui with evidence of other inhabited islands in the area. The charming homecoming includes new characters such as Moni (Hualalai Chung), a passionate island poet; Loto (Rose Matafeo), a quirky shipwright; Kele (David Fane), a cantankerous farmer; and Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), Moana's stubborn younger sister. 

Except for Simea, these islanders accompany Moana on her quest to complete another of her ancestors' duties. During a ceremony in which Moana gets her society's highest accolade for wayfinders, the predecessors appear to her in a vision to explain why the previous person to earn the award, who never returned from their last journey, embarked on such a risky quest in the first place. They push her to embark on a similar adventure, as if repairing Te Fiti's heart wasn't perilous enough. The destiny of her tribe, she discovers, is dependent on locating an island concealed by the furious deity Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea'i) that ties Motonui to the rest of the Oceanic archipelago.

Before leaving, Moana spends time with Simea. The two, affectionately known as Big and Little Sis, slip out to various sections of the island to share stories and secrets. Moana tells Simea about their people's history with enthusiasm reminiscent of Gramma Tala (Rachel House) from the 2016 film. Close-ups of the sisters, whose curly hair appears more bouncier in IMAX, emphasize their closeness. Their exchanges are a highlight of the film, offering an important emotional anchor as well as a sense of Moana's personal progress since the previous story. She's an older sister now, and she's more concerned about what she may lose if these missions fail.

After some persuasion, Moana obeys the ancestors' request and travels across the reef with her motley company to locate the lost island. After a wild confrontation with the coconut-armored Kakamora and a mountain-sized clam, they are reunited with Maui. Matangai (Awhimai Fraser) has locked him in a dark underwater lair, a cunning villain with a penchant for bats and murky nooks who is reminiscent of legendary Disney villains such as Ursula. Her song, "Get Lost," is one of the most memorable numbers in a show where Lin-Manuel Miranda's absence is felt.

From the time Moana and her gang rescue Maui from Matangai's jail, Moana 2 delivers great action sequences despite a lackluster storyline. Bush and Ledoux Miller's screenplay has more amusing quips, but it lacks the narrative depth of its predecessor, with members of Moana's skilled crew particularly shortchanged. One can't help but wonder whether extra time — the film is just 1 hour 40 minutes long — or a more episodic approach would have been beneficial. (A post-credits scene hints at more in store for Moana.)

The images certainly benefit from scaling up, however. The water has never looked so dangerous, and the farther Moana and crew go into its unexplored zone, the more dangerous the atmosphere gets. Intense waterspouts whirl uncontrolled on the water, threatening to destroy anything in their path. Glowing, eel-like leviathans jump through the air before attempting to devour Moana's little boat. Facing these gigantic forces, the group embraces new methods of cooperating. Even when Moana 2 falters, their tenacity is a constant source of encouragement.