Spoiler Alert
The world being set up in Moana 2 feels more suited to be a television series than a film. That’s because when Disney knows they have a hit, they better get on it fast otherwise it might get Frozen behind. Making computer animated films takes a long time, especially when it concerns figuring out the right story to tell. Here, what’s manufactured feels like it’s done by committee rather than from Jared Bush, the only individual who shares writing credit in both films.
Also, the songs aren’t as catchy as those from the first, and felt too loaded to keep the momentum going. After Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) sings about how much has changed since the events of the last film, she also pines for more adventures with Maui (Dwayne Johnson). One night, she reveals to her little brother that once upon a time, all the island’s various tribes were united, but over time, something caused them all to split apart. Afterwards, she gets a vision to learn why, and she wants to help bring everyone back together!
