We’re sailing back to the Pacific with the release of Disney’s Moana 2.
Moana, a Disney classic, broke box offices in 2016 with its theater debut. This year, the long awaited sequel, Moana 2, landed as the ninth highest grossing movie of the year, bringing in around $400 million.
Many fans quickly fell in love with the charismatic cast as well as the playful and inspiring story Disney created with the original Moana movie.
The storyline follows a young teenage girl by the name of Moana who is the princess of a Polynesian Island. She sets out with a demi-god, known as Maui, and they embark on an adventure filled with many obstacles that they must overcome in order for Moana to save her home island and discover herself.
Moana 2 is set three years after the first Moana on her home island of Motunui, except this time Moana’s character has developed a sense of maturity, confidence, and perseverance that she lacked in the first movie.
This new film reunites the iconic duo of Maui and Moana, as well as other new crew members as they once again set out on a new, dangerous adventure in order for Moana to further save her island.
This sequel showcases many new themes that weren’t present in the original film such as teamwork, family, and multicultural connections. Teamwork was shown especially with the addition of a new crew of characters that join Moana on her quest.
Additionally, at the beginning of the movie, we are presented with Moana’s younger baby sister, Simea, who was not included in the previous film. Simea looks up to Moana as a role model and as a result, numerous audience members have been able to empathize with their special relationship as siblings with a large age gap.
In addition to the thrilling plot of the movie, a new soundtrack has been introduced.
When Moana was released in 2016, people were raving over catchy songs like “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome.” This year while the songs may not carry some of the iconic lines and catchy phrases, the songs possess more emotional depth and reflect many elements of the Polynesian culture.
Overall, I would rate this movie a 7/10 because it is hard to not enjoy the reconnection of this lively cast of characters, and I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the rich storytelling and inspiring plot that Moana brings to the table.
