Families can rest assured that younger children will enjoy “Moana 2” in the theater just as much as their older siblings and friends. The film boasts catchy songs, a powerful female lead character, and breathtaking special effects. Eight years have passed since that spirited Polynesian girl captivated Disney fans, and this sequel promises to deliver an unforgettable experience. From the get-go, she was groundbreaking, as there are no references to her being a princess. Quite the opposite, she’s an explorer who cares about her people and family culture and sets a strong role model for all.
In the animated musical Moana 2, Moana (voiced by Auli‘i Cravalho) reunites with Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) three years later for a new voyage with a new crew. She receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors and decides to journey to the far seas of Oceania, a place she’s never been before. She shows courage and determination in her new quest.
In reading the press notes, the three directors discuss the story. Director Dana Ledoux Miller, who wrote the screenplay with Jared Bush, has said that the story of “Moana 2” was inspired by the island communities themselves. “There are old stories within the Pacific of meeting points for navigators from different islands,” she explains. “We were inspired by that idea that people would travel to find each other—we imagined that, generations ago, many channels of the ocean led to one island, enabling wayfinders from across the ocean to come together to learn from each other through shared experiences.
Director David G. Derrick Jr. said, “Moana’s island of Motunui and her people are thriving, but she knows that they’re not done growing. There must be people out there beyond their island—and when she actually finds evidence of it, she must go farther than any of her ancestors have ventured to find the answers to her questions.”
The ocean, says director Jason Hand, is everything. “The ocean connects us,” says Hand, who—like Derrick— worked on the first film as a story artist “Everywhere we go, people talk about the seeing of our film, the inspiration behind it, the natural beauty of the Pacific—it really is a magical place. We’ve connected with so many people from the Pacific Islands and there is such a deep respect for nature and where they live.” The island sense of place and profound respect for their community is evident even when newcomers visit as I have done a few times while traveling to different islands around the world.
There’s a phrase that’s often used in the Pacific, and it’s been said by many people: ‘The ocean isn’t what separates us; it’s what connects us.’ That’s always resonated with me.” Here, Moana will have to risk everything to take on Nalo, the god of storms, and find an unknown long-lost island that connects the people of the ocean. She sees this in her vision, yet needs a crew to help with the voyage.
The crew are along for adventure as Heihei the chicken and Pua the pig are always ready to explore.
And of course Moana’s story has to include Maui as these friends are great together. They tease each-other, also push each other to reach beyond their capabilities as they work together beautifully as any caring friendship does.
Maui does have an important role to play in the mission. He needs to break the curse, which is more complex. Maui is needed to help get Moana through many complicated twists and turns as she navigates her journey. Dwayne Johnson says about the new film’s story, “There’s this idea that it’s OK to think beyond—in this case, beyond the reef, and it’s OK to think outside of how society may box you in. It’s OK to feel like there’s more. It’s okay to ask, ‘well, what if? ‘What if there’s more out there that I want to look for and explore and discover?’ And that, to me, is the most powerful thing. It transcends the movie.”
I screened the film with five children ages 6-8. They all laughed, sang, clapped, and stayed with me during the credits. Their parents also enjoyed the film, especially the music and cinematography. We all felt there could have been more additions to the story, yet we enjoyed the movie, especially the story art.
Sarah Knight Adamson© November 30, 2024