Nov 28, 2024

"Moana 2" Review summary: Critics classify it as a boring and confusing corporate product

Earlier this year, we wrote that the new sneaky My review summary is an almost pointless exercise. The audience turns out for it, regardless of the quality of the film.

The same goes for Moana 2 at Walt Disney Animation Studio. The original 2016 movie is one of the most streamed movies ever.1 There are audiences who want more moana, and in our current era of IP-driven filmmaking, it's frankly all a problem.

Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, Moana 2 was originally conceived as a Disney+ limited series. Sometime last year, it was readjusted as a feature-length product to take advantage of the original film's dedicated fanbase. The series was originally produced by Disney Animation's new Vancouver Studio, but after a format shuffle, the work was more evenly split between Vancouver and Disney's Burbank Studios. The division of labor between the two studios is not entirely clear at this time, but it suffices to say that the film had a different unconventional production history than the traditional Disney animated films.

Whether it's a complex production structure or other factors, critics are tough on the film, giving it only a satisfactory grade of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even more surprising, even positive reviews come with warnings and strong reservations about the overall quality of the film. Having said that, the reaction is still significantly better than the critics and wishes of Disney's last animated feature, which landed at just 48%, but managed 72%.However, unlike these 2 previous films, Moana 2 is becoming a Disney mega-hit.

For what it's worth, here's a look at what critics have said about critic Proof Moana2.

Radheyan Simonpillai of the Canadian Globe and Mail made a very general criticism about the mediocre music of the film:

Big, disappointing Here are a number of flat music that bide time between adventures and can't sink the Maui hook in us. The original includes Lin Manuel-Miranda and Samaon singer Opetaia Foa'i, who was cooking resilient and infectious numbers with composer Mark Mancina. Foa'i and Mancina return to the sequel, bringing some vitality, but they don't get much help from theatre kid showtunes, written by musical duo Barlow & Bear. Their music tends to feature characters singing their most obvious intentions ("I go beyond") because they are directly related to the plot. I would be surprised if I found these numbers resonating beyond the movie's run time. The song also does not highlight Polynesian culture with the original and the way this sequel does in a richer and invigorating moment.

Alison Willmore of Vulture cites the lack of tension in the film as a key issue.

Seriously, what a girl has to do to make a good old conflict here - this is like a recent Disney animation issue. After a long, fraught history of villains that are more exciting, more colorful and always oddly coded than heroes, the entertainment giant has in recent years moved away from having clear bad guys and has instead chosen to face systemic problems, their own anxieties, or enemies that are truly misunderstood. There's essentially no problem with this squeeze approach to creating tension, but David Derrick Jr.In the case of Moana2, directed by Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, the results are boring.

Slate's Dana Stevens made another recurring critique by comparing the sequel unfavorably to the original:

Scene-by-scene, especially if you're a parent of little kids hunting for fun family outings, this rich animosity to exploration, teamwork, and plucking. There is nothing to enjoy about the ode to the Moon. But for all its verve and polish, Moana 2 is more like a consumer product in some subtle but unmistakable way than the first film did. (Given that both were hyper-promoted Disney releases, it's probably more accurate to say that the sequel wears its inevitable status as a lighter, mass-produced consumer product than the original.The little touches and weird character quirks that distinguished the first Moana have been sanding down or, worse, being recycled as nostalgic callbacks.

Asher Luberto of LA Weekly was sick of everything happening on the screen:

The new Moana is so confusing that it makes you seasick. Like most Disney sequels, a bunch of new characters are on board to distract you from the fact that you're watching a similar voyage. They are surrounded by unpleasant caricatures that, while at the heart of the beating heart of this franchise, have only 1 characteristic, which will certainly distract you from our heroine, whether it is sullen or geek. They are not the people you want to get stuck in a boat. But you are. Whether you like it or not, the film is another example of Disney stepping on the water.1

A distinctive positive review is by Brian Eggert of Deep Focus Review, who, while praising it, calls it film production by the committee.

Whatever shit I have, Moana2 is handled competently enough. My biggest complaint is that even though it's been thoroughly watched, it's not good. It's refreshing to see Disney's animated feature about a strong woman who is not a storybook royalty. "I'm not a princess yet," Moana reveals. "Well, a lot of people think you are," Maui jokes, referring to widespread assumptions, even though it's been years since Disney told the Princess story. Set 2,000 years ago, the sequel also continues to expose a largely unversed audience to Polynesian mythology, as cursory as it is. But most of the goodwill I offer Moana 2 stems from my withheld affection for its predecessor, and without it, the per-film quality of the sequel might overwhelm and neutralize that joy. Kids will definitely enjoy it no more than their accompanying adults who might be reassured by the new Moana entering the rotation of an animated film played in an endless loop at home.

Variety's Owen Gleiberman summed it up in this behind-the-scenes tribute:

Moana2 is a fine movie, an above-average kid's roller coaster, and a pure product in a way that the first Moana transcends at its best. The new movie will wear you to win you; it's just an effective enough transmission system for the inspiration of your dreams to follow to be a major holiday shot.