User reviews

The original Moana was a film that surprised me. I thought it was great. It was brimming with heart, humour, and unforgettable songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The performances, especially from Dwayne Johnson as Maui and Auli i Cravalho as Moana, brought the characters to life in a way that felt fresh. Naturally, I was eager to see how a sequel would expand on the magic of the first movie. However, Moana 2, while enjoyable, doesn't quite recapture the same magic that made the original such a standout to me.

One of the biggest differences is in the music. With Miranda not returning to compose the songs, the sequel lacks the same level of musical brilliance. The new songs are decent and serviceable, but they don't have the catchy, emotionally resonant quality that made tracks like "How Far I'll Go" unforgettable. While the tunes in Moana 2 are pleasant, they fail to leave a lasting impression, making the musical aspect of the film feel less integral to the overall experience.

The story, too, feels like a weaker reflection of the original. Without delving into spoilers, the plot revisits themes and beats that feel overly familiar, which might leave fans unsatisfied. That said, the ending provides a heartfelt resolution that ties everything together in a satisfying way. Despite losing momentum in the middle, the final act does a great job of recapturing the story's emotional core, leaving me curious about what future adventures could look like.

Visually, Moana 2 is a feast for the eyes. The animation remains top-tier, with solid visuals of the ocean, lush islands, and intricate details that make the world feel vibrant and alive. While the sequel doesn't quite reach the heights of the original in terms of story or music, it's still an enjoyable watch. For fans of the first film, it's worth checking out, even if it doesn't fully live up to its predecessor.

Saw this with my nephew today--we're each a fan of the first one for different reasons--and both of us were whelmed. It feels like they didn't push or take any creative risks with this one. Flows like a recycled, watered-down attempt to replicate what the first movie captured so effortlessly. The emotional core is painfully missing with this one. None of the musical numbers have you at the edge of your seat like How Far I'll Go, or choking up like the Song of the Ancestors. It's beautiful enough to look at, but without a good story to ground it, it makes sense that the characters, the music and the overall experience falter. It was still as good a time as many animated films I've seen, don't get me wrong, but it pales in comparison to its predecessor.

Moana 2 is an enjoyable sequel that I saw with my 4 and 8 year old daughters. I would recommend it for anyone with children as they are likely to be held for the duration and enjoy it.

The plot contains a lot of the same formula from the original movie (and Disney Princess animated features in general). This is not an issue, but for me what slightly disappoints is feeling shortchanged on story for what feels like the setting up of a third movie. On reflection (at the end) it feels like the slower character focussed aspects of the pre-adventure scenes (although good) are making up for the lack of material during the adventure. Compared to the original where the main antagonist had a fully realised character arc with a great twist, this one makes no contribution other than to pitch the next instalment. (There is a mid-credits scene so don't leave the cinema too early)

That being said there are no weak sequences, spectacle or character moments. I like how all the characters are used, particularly Moana's sweet little sister and all the relationships portrayed between people. The underlying message of togetherness and connecting people is very worthwhile. The new slant on the Kakamora is great.

As for the songs, I think, as always, it is a matter of taste, but for me they are not as memorable as the original.

As always with Disney the animation is incredible and the voice performances are great.

"Moana 2" has to be one of the most unexpected sequels in recent memory. It only came to my attention earlier this year when Disney announced they retooled a TV show that continues the original film's story into a theatrically released sequel. That's not even mentioning that they're releasing a live-action remake in 2026. The original "Moana" is an incredible film with spectacular voice acting from Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson as Moana and Maui, dazzling animation, iconic songs in "How Far I'll Go" and "You're Welcome," a legendary side-character in Schaffrillas...I mean Tamatoa and an engaging narrative. I was curious to see how a sequel would work, and after seeing it, I realized one hard truth: I'm not the target audience.

For the positives, the voice acting is still remarkable, with Cravalho and Johnson again delivering energetic performances. Even though the story is not the strongest, which we'll get to, their work manages to get me somewhat invested.

Of course, the animation is phenomenal. Disney films have always been known for their terrific animation, so it goes without saying that "Moana 2" is no different.

While this film does not have as many memorable songs as the first, "Can I Get A Chee Hoo?" is hands down the standout. The song doesn't reach the heights of the powerful "How Far I'll Go." I don't think it will become as well-known as that song, but I enjoyed it.

For the remaining positives, three solid jokes landed here, its mid-credit scene was delightful, and the film is not that long. Sadly, negatives prevail and weigh down the experience - for me, at least.

Although the runtime was short, I was bored even more than "Gladiator II." Many factors I'll mention possibly led to me thinking the movie was tedious, but its pacing left me dissatisfied.

I also felt the villain fell flat, not as much as The Rock's other release this month, "Red One." I won't reveal who it is to avoid spoilers, but I didn't feel the threat from the film's antagonist.

So I don't over-critique it, I'll bring up one more point: I felt the narrative was weak. The setup of Moana going on an adventure to unite the islands seems simple at first, but the overall handling of that story comes across as convoluted. Said convolution leaves me with no investment in potentially emotional moments.

Overall, "Moana 2" didn't work for me. I don't think it was unnecessary, but it didn't entirely justify its existence. It's simple and inoffensive yet oddly forgettable, so it's a fine enough trip to the movies. However, I'm not recommending this in favor of "Wicked" for the Thanksgiving holiday season.

Technically, outside of issues with the story, the animation remains stunning, the voice acting is stellar, and the music is well-done yet average from my perspective, so the technical score is an 8/10.

For the enjoyment score, it is a standard sequel that has enjoyment but a standard sequel that is undeniably weaker than its counterpart. For me, the enjoyment score is a 5/10. Again, it is okay and will leave you interested to an extent, but I'd recommend waiting until Disney+.

An unmemorable movie that represents the current state of Disney. It started out as a Disney+ show and definitely feels like a pointless side quest made to add content.

Moana has no arc and there is nothing new with her. She already achieved her goal in the first film and there's little go forward with. Her plot is about finding other people, but there's no reason for her. She's lacking nothing, beloved by all, and gets everything her way already. There's no reason to root for her.

Maui also hasn't changed. He's still the same smarmy guy from the start of the first, basically undermining any meaningful development that could have been had following his terrific arc last movie. The movie does lighten up when he has friendly banter with Moana, but they're away from each other so much it's hard to care.

The other new characters don't fare much better. There's more added to the crew but they're one-dimensional rip-offs of the sidekicks from Pixar's Lightyear. They are nothing more than the fat one, the old one, the geeking out fanboy, and the brainy woman who knows more mechanical knowledge than people today could.

The villains are horribly misused. There's the bat-woman who is treated like a big deal in the first half only to disappear completely by the second. The movie builds her up as something just to fail on that promise, obviously she was intended to be a bigger deal in an intended second season. The primary villain, Nalo, falls prey to something that has killed a lot of franchises recently: a villain that's all setup and no pay off. Between Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Sony, fans are tired of seeing potential villains built up only to have to wait for a possible sequel just to pay it off. It's tired and cliched.

The songs are another disappointment as none are memorable. The first movie had one really good song and some others that grow on you after repeat viewings. Lin-Manuel Miranda's style is overused, but these songs sound like a bad imitation.

The animation looks good but only because it's the same stuff the first movie used. The only sequence worth remembering visually is the final battle in the storm. Otherwise, everything else is more of the same. Where other studios are emboldened to take animation into new styles, Disney seems content to just play it safe and reuse assets.

The movie screams that it's just going through the motions. It's enjoyable to sit through, but something that will be completely forgotten by the end of the credits.

Giving this an 8/10 rating

Not as good as the first film, but still, it has magic and adventure and lots of fun, and the animation is just wonderful. The firm is set well after the events that have changed Moana's destiny in the last film, and leads firmly into where she and here people must go next.

Thankfully, even with a nice runtime, this is not rushed, the new cast gets used good and proper, the songs are snappy and fit well, and yes Dwayne Johnson does sing too, and has settled int well for voice work so expect more. Good that Aull'i Carvalho is back as Moana, and really runs with it.

You have three writers and directors working on this, sounds chaotic, but it works out just fine, and does not feel episodic, the ocean and sea life is never dull looking, and the whole soundtrack fits in and not in the way as are the songs, this is a very good sequel, even if I didn't want one, the story has plenty of room. Just have to wait and see how this performs in the coming weeks of December, now.

A great animated Disney film that has noting political or stupid messaging in it, pure entertainment and a one for IMAX if you can catch it there. Happy to see this picture in the cinema.

Let's face it. The first Moana was amazing. Great soundtrack, great characters, great character arcs, and it was fun for the whole family. It was one of those movies that didn't need a sequel, because it was just perfect.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about its follow-up.

Moana 2 felt soulless. It felt as if there was no heart behind it, unlike its predecessor. Each song that was sung (except for 1 or 2) wasn't that great. They weren't catchy, and didn't make me excited for what was about to happen!

And the side characters...where do I begin?

I couldn't tell you their names, even if I tried. They felt unnecessary throughout the movie except in very few scenes. It was just all so forced. We're given basic information about them and that's it. They don't really have any character development, and if they do, I don't feel like I know them well enough to care.

There are also some plot holes. There is a scene (and to avoid spoilers I will be as vague as possible) where we're introduced to a character who has been trapped by the "villain" of the film. (Why I have quotes around villain, I'll get back to later on.) After her 5 minute introduction, she is left behind and we never find out what happens to her, even after the defeat of the villain.

To get to my point on the villain, he was barely introduced. All we get told as an audience is that he's a power hungry god and that's it. We get barely any exposition, and the final battle is so fast. It felt like so much build up for nothing.

Not a lot felt like it changed for Moana and her character by the end of the film. The stakes just barely felt like they were there.

Which also reminds me, the pacing for the movie was very off. Some scenes felt so fast while others took their time, and it gave me a weird feeling of not caring as much as the first film, although I wanted to care.

All in all, it's not the worst film ever. It's a family flick, that your kids will probably enjoy, but for me personally, it's definitely not one that I'd watch more than once.

Compared to the first film, I would say it falls short, it is very difficult to surpass the standards that were set with the first release. The film was very enjoyable, there are 1 or 2 songs that were really good and the plot follows very well the narrative line that was proposed to us at the end of the previous film. I really appreciate that it paved the way for a sequel. Dspite that, it feels like the plot, especially at the beginning of the movie, was forced to pave the way for what would happen, making it very predictable, therefore it was difficult to get emotional. Personally, I think the film deserved a little more time to study the script and the characters. Many things feel out of place. Even though it has its small flaws, the movie is really good, the graphics are beautiful, the audiovisual effects give you goosebumps and you really get fond of the protagonist. Therefore I highly recommend watching this movie and make sure to watch it with headphones if you're going to do it at home, because it will greatly improve the experience. I will be waiting for a new release, as long as they take their due time to make the sequel since it is preferable to wait for the Moana 3 experience to be the best they could have done.

Visually, the movie was super beautiful with stunning animations to rival the previous movie. There are lots of funny call backs, and fun new characters, but the story is very formulaic. It's the same movie again with more bells and whistles and worse music. The music is a major let down. The fact they didn't have Lin Manuel Miranda really showed in the music. You're welcome was written perfectly for Dwayne Johnson but this time around, his lack of singing skills really show.

I think kids will love this movie, with the cute characters and fun call backs. All the new characters open up more merchandising opportunities of course.

Frozen 1 and 2 were so uniquely different yet such strong movies all around, but I find Moana 2 is just a repeat of the same story. I had higher hopes!

I took my daughter to see this at the cinema. We watched the first Moana movie the night before to refresh or memories. Is not a bad movie, just dull. The story is so basic and predictable, it's just very lazily written. It has this "thing" they have to overcome, and they overcome it. It feels like they sat down and said "right, we need to make some money out of this franchise" and they pushed a button on an AI story generator. It doesn't feel like it was created by a writer with a passion for telling a story. It feels like it was created to make some money. And it will do that very well.

The Rock character is becoming irritating, not as bad as JarJar Bink's, but not far off. I think for a kids movie it should be funnier and more engaging. There wasn't much laughter in the cinema and a lot of parents seemed to struggle to keep their kids attention on the movie.

A kids movie should really capture their imagination. Usually after a movie my daughter can't do talking about it. She gets so caught up in it that her mind is buzzing. However after this movie she hasn't said anything about it at all. And I think that sums it up. There's nothing to say about it.

Moana 2 argues that she has to stop playing it safe and go off the beaten track only to then do the exact opposite as it copies the plot of the original just with greater scale and weaker everything else. Its origins as a TV show are definitely felt in the very choppy first act where no scene is allowed to last but it thankfully finds a better rhythm afterwards as it actually begins to feel like a film and then comes together nicely in the third act.

Auli'i Cravalho gives it her all as Moana again, bringing as much emotion as possible to her new songs and every scene with Khaleesi Lambert-Tsud as her adorable younger sister is heartwarming to counterbalance the fact her journey is so much weaker here. Her new crew are mildly annoying even if they all find their purpose by the end and it needed way more of Awhimai Fraser. Dwayne Johnson is still charming as Maui but all the flaws and vulnerability have sadly gone.

After the shaky start, directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller make sure the film feels epic enough to warrant a cinematic release and the visuals during the musical numbers are suitably inventive. The animation is the one aspect that comes close to the original thanks to its stunning detail and vibrancy from beginning to end. The new songs don't come close to the quality of their predecessors and the score is only memorable when reusing previous work.

Yes it was fast pased, yes there was not much character development, but my children loved every minute of it. I personally really liked the music. I am still humming some of the songs like Beyond, and my daughter was doing chee hoos in the car ride back home. The singing of Auli i Cravalho was incredible, I did not like the singing of the Rock that much, but that's ok.

It was a visual and musically great experience. Disney did not dissapoint me or my childeren and that is what it is all about. So dont mind al'l the saurkraut eters that say it is not as good as the first movie, just go and enjoy it for what it is!

Moana 1 was so magical and with Lin Manuel Miranda's Soundtrack, it was one of the best kids movies. Not to mention, there is a lot of cultural context about collective societies. Unfortunately, part 2 didn't keep me interested at all. I kept waiting for it to get better. This movie proves that a financial success is meaningless. It's not an indicator of a great film. It's just what was playing that weekend when you want to take your children to see a movie. The new characters lacked any depth. There wasn't half of the emotion of the first part. Grandma was missed dearly. I cried in the first Moana, a couple of times. I couldn't wait to get out of this short film. I wanted my money back.

I'm surprised at the negative reviews here and around the 'net. For context, I rewatched the original a few days ago, in anticipation of seeing the sequel, so both are very fresh in my mind. If you haven't seen the original for a while, I honestly can't see that as anything but a plus.

This movie builds on the mythology and world of the first. Moana, now a celebrated wayfinder, is tasked with finding a specific island for the sake of her people. She recruits some new (very fun) characters, but some old friends return too. (And yes, I am the sort of simple person who laughs every time Heihei does something)

I particularly liked how the characters have aged since the first movie (Moana's parents have grey hairs and crow's feet). And while there are numerous callbacks to jokes from the original, it doesn't feel like too much.

On to the important part: the songs! I personally judge musicals by the amount of songs I want to rewatch/rehear as soon as the credits roll. In this film I counted three original songs (not to mention the gorgeous incidental music and callbacks) that I could play on repeat. Which is pretty good for a new Disney movie, in my case.

TL;DR: It's a sequel that doesn't feel unnatural or unwarranted. Some great songs, some new characters to love. Give it a try.

All I can say about this movie is that I am very disappointed. After Moana I had quite a lot of confidence in the sequel, but apart from the visuals it is an empty, boring film. There is no story that makes you think after 1.5 hours what on earth I was watching. This was easy money for Disney and we fell for it. This sequel completely capitalized on the success of Moana but didn't deliver the quality of Moana. This makes both the story and the new characters completely forgettable and empty. That's why I only give this one star because it was so dull and empty that I immediately forgot a lot of the movie and it left no impression and I think that's a shame because Moana was great.

The film works for children, just like its predecessor, but it leaves little to be remembered, unlike the first one.

The original Moana was a visual result that oscillated between the beautiful and the sublime.

From the beauty of the crystal clear ocean to the green colors of the island, the beauty of the universe was seen in a duel with the equally beautiful and captivating protagonist and due to the feeling of weight we feel on screen, the entire world-building of the film perfected the journey and gave it a proven strong iconography, with memorable music and perhaps the best performance of The Rock's career.

The original Moana captured a cultural element that for a long time was seen as taboo, such as tattoos, and made it central to its story with beautiful arguments and gave its film a purpose and respect for the minds of children, teenagers and adults, with other viable messages for everyone.

This movie doesn't have that. At least not to the same extent.

Moana 2 is similar to a walk in the park to distract the little ones while the parents have some peace.

This walk certainly shouldn't be a waste of time for them and probably not for the parents either, since there is enough movement, color, humor and music to disguise the lack of ideas.

The film is concerned with following the model of contemporary animations in the speed and volume of jokes, action scenes and use of music inserted into the story in exchange for capturing your attention, instead of winning it over with a good narrative.

The absence of Clements and Musker is palpable. It's ok, but not memorable.

If this sequel was released 20-30 years ago it would be just another straight to DVD/VHS sequel from disney that no one really cares about and gets forgotten but in today's day and age it gets a whole theatrical release! Seriously...there's just nothing about this that's worth your time. One of the most vapid, soulless and painfully obvious cash grabs I have ever seen, as a huge fan of the first one I am incredibly disappointed that a sequel even needed to be considered.

Moana's character arc in this makes absolutely no sense and the pacing is so jarring that you can tell how lazy Disney was when editing this from the scrapped TV show spin-off that was supposed to happen... If you must watch this, just wait til it streams on Disney Plus at no extra cost...

Moana 2 takes us back to the ocean and gives us another exciting chapter in her journey. The visuals are stunning, the story is okay solid (U'LL LOVED THE LAST 20 MINUTES), and there are plenty of fun, heartwarming moments. But let's be honest-the music just doesn't hit the same way it did in the first movie.

In the original Moana, Lin gave us absolute bangers like "Where You Are" and "You're Welcome." Those songs weren't just good-they were unforgettable. They added so much life to the movie and stuck in your head (in the best way). But in Moana 2, the songs feel... fine? They're okay, but there's no wow factor, no song that makes you want to immediately add it to your playlist (except for Beyond 😉).

Still, it's hard not to miss the kind of music that made the first Moana so special. If you're a fan of the first movie, you'll probably enjoy this one too, but you might find yourself wishing for just one more Lin-Manuel masterpiece to hum along to.