Originally published to 8 News Now on November 19, 2024.

Moana 2 continues the tale of the titular young wayfinder and her demigod counterpart, Maui. While the 2016 original emerged during Disney’s musical renaissance, alongside hits like Tangled and Frozen, Moana 2 finds itself in quite a different spot, following 2023’s underwhelming Wish.

One noticeable change is the absence of Lin-Manuel Miranda as songwriter, a departure that has a clear impact. Indeed, much of the original film is interlaced with Miranda’s unique sing-speak songs. His lyrical stylings led to the uniqueness of the Oscar-nominated “How Far I’ll Go” and to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s sensational earworm “You’re Welcome.” In the sequel, it’s reasonably certain filmgoers won’t be humming along to any of Moana 2‘s songs. While serviceable, nothing here is as memorable as the least memorable song from its predecessor.

Where Moana 2 excels is in its visual presentation. The animators have expanded on the original’s vibrant, oceanic palette, creating a colorful world that feels rich and alive. Returning sidekicks Heihei the rooster and Pua the pig bring their beloved slapstick humor back, providing reliable laughs. The new human sidekicks—Loto, Kele, and Moni—initially seem at risk of blending into the vivid scenery but gradually carve out their own identities. However, their arcs are somewhat underdeveloped, leaving them as likable but not particularly memorable additions.

And then there’s Moana and Maui, played by Auliʻi Cravalho and The Rock, respectively. Both bring their unique charm to the role but are nearly immediately undercut by the “here we go again” mentality of the film. The events of Moana 2 are played as inevitable, making for a bit of an “adventure of the week” feel, similar to that of a direct-to-video Disney sequel or a Disney+ streaming show or movie. Moana 2 plays like it could have been as comfortable on a living room television as on the large-format IMAX screen.

Despite these shortcomings, Moana 2 clearly aims to engage its target audience: children. The slapstick humor, vibrant visuals, and fast-paced adventure are likely to captivate younger viewers, even if older audiences may find the emotional stakes and musical moments less impactful than in the original. While Moana 2 fails to rise to the cinematic, storytelling, and musical heights of its predecessor, its slapstick humor and colorful characters will be just enough to keep youngsters glued to the screen, and isn’t that kind of the point?