I was wrong about Disney’s newest sequel after 8 years-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

Moana 2 is coming to cinemas eight years after the first film (Picture: Disney)

Disney is poised to release its highly anticipated sequel, Moana 2, and I have to admit I was wrong about it.

In the current film landscape, the studio has been busy with what often seems an all-encompassing agenda of live-action remakes and sequels – Inside Out 2, The Little Mermaid, Disenchanted, Hocus Pocus 2 and Pinocchio in the last couple of years alone.

There has been one major box office success there, with the others debuting to mixed and then not-so-positive reviews and audience reactions.

With that in mind, I wasn’t very hyped for Moana 2, although knowing how dearly it is held by Disney fans – second only to Frozen, and it’s a very close-run thing – I hoped it would live up to their expectations.

It had also taken a slightly confusing detour through its development period, where it was initially slated as a Disney Plus streaming series instead. There’s also the rather confusing matter of a live-action remake of the first Moana film currently shooting and aiming for a 2026 release.

However, my doubts were silenced.

This time, Moana is now a big sister – and a ‘living legend’ among her community (Picture: Disney)

Continuing Moana’s (Auli’I Cravalho) journey eight years after the first movie, the heroine is now a big sister and continuing her journey as a voyager – this time her ancestors task her with breaking the god Nalo’s curse on the hidden island of Motufetu.

And, of course, she teams up once more with everyone’s favourite demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson).

This may sound rather similar to the first film’s quest – which involved another island and another goddess – but original screenplay writer Jard Bush has teamed up well with co-director Dana Ledoux Miller to provide a story that brings back everything you want to see return, but without it lazily relying on those tropes.

That means more of the beautifully animated ocean, more of Maui’s sassy tattoos trying to guide him to do the right thing (and getting relegating to his armpit for the trouble), as well as a – quite frankly – delightfully extended return for the fearsome coconut-like pirates the Kakamora.

Dwayne Johnson is of course back as Maui (as are Moana’s sidekicks) (Picture: Disney)

The film does well breaking new ground while harking back to elements that made Moana so beloved in the first place (Picture: Disney)

That Miller is a first-time feature-length director alongside David Derrick Jr and Jason Hand makes the deft touch of Moana 2 even more impressive.

Firstly, Moana 2 is an absolutely stunning film visually. It looks gorgeous, and ultra-realistic in the way it animates everything from hair strands to water. It also has a lot of fun getting creative with its array of often slimy, imaginative sea creatures, as well as the blobfish getting its moment in the sun.

The new songs – written once again by Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i, but with British musical duo Abigial Barlow and Emily Bear replacing Lin-Manuel Miranda – have a lot to live up to, given the prowess of Moana’s soundtrack. While they may not be destined to become the Disney standards of You’re Welcome and How Far I’ll Go, the brief has been followed to a tee. Beyond is sure to be the breakout hit.

Moana 2 is absolutely stunning visually, with Disney surpassing itself in terms of animation (Picture: Disney)

Moana 2 handles humour very well, allowing plenty of zingers for Johnson’s easy-breezy Maui, including a knowing exchange where he tells his young friend to ‘go get ‘em, princess’ – when she corrects him that she isn’t one, his retort to the Disney princess fans in the audience is: ‘Well a lot of people think you are.’

There’s also a crew of good supporting characters assembled for Moana’s new quest, from a wise-cracking inventor with a heathy dose of realism (‘failure, learning then death’), voiced by Rose Matafeo, as well as Kele the grumpy farmer and  Moni, an eager young man who hero worships Maui.

Fans are introduced to a new cast of fun supporting characters, who are able to cut through (Picture: Disney)

While at the beginning it may seem that all these new characters will overwhelm, the film’s narrative settles down well to support them.

The movie also offers a mysterious morally grey baddie in the form of Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), who is gifted with a good villain song but left me wanting more. That also seems to be the suggestion by the film’s finale – make sure you stay for the end credits for a few surprises – and I find myself not adverse to that.

Moana 2 is in cinemas on Friday, November 29.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More