Moana 2 would have made for a very nice television series – as it was originally meant to be. But as a reskinned theatrical sequel to one of Disney Animation’s biggest hits, it’s a little harder to justify. Certainly it looks good, shaded like a pearlescent shell, all shimmering hues of pink, blue, orange, and purple. It’s bright enough to draw in, like a moth to a candle, anyone who’s been craving some release from the mottled grey landscape of contemporary Hollywood.
Moana herself, Auliʻi Cravalho, has a voice that’s only grown stronger and more melodious in the eight years that have passed since the original’s release. She’s exactly the heroine you want every kid to look up to: self-empowered but tender-hearted, adventurous and righteous. And, here, having spent the previous film discovering her capability to lead, she’s allowed to follow through with the job. She inhabits a world of Polynesian myth that feels rich and deep-rooted, not a culture merely slapped on as costume, and benefiting from Polynesian talent across its voice cast and behind the scenes (Samoan-born composer Opetaia Foaʻi returns to collaborate with Mark Mancina on the film’s score).
