The long awaited Disney movie, Moanna 2, is finally released on 24th Nov. The sequel debuted on Thanksgiving holiday, aiming to attract the maximum family audience on the festival.
The original movie, Moana, which was released in 2016, captured millions of hearts. The musical adventure film, made by Disney, features an independent female protagonist and beautiful representation of Polynesian culture. The animated movie is about a strong willed girl named Moana, who embarks on a journey to save her people. Faced by numerous challenges and self-doubt, Moana continued her mission and returned home as a confident leader, embracing her destiny. Blending innovation with cultural authenticity, the captivating movie received widespread acclamation for its animation and storytelling. The audience loved Moana’s journey of self-discovery and praised the mythology, music, cultural heritage and the storyline of courage and identity.
Fans waited a decade for the sequel of the original masterpiece, Moana 2, and now the long awaited sequel has finally hit the big screen. The sequel picks up the story from a few years after the events of the first movie, Moana. Embracing her role as the confident leader of Motunui, Moana continues her way forward to protect her people. While new challenges arise from the environmental forces and long-forgotten mythical forces, Moana teams up with old allies like Maui, giving fresh dynamics to the tale.
Understandably, the expectations of fans from the sequel, Moana 2, were quite high. Millions were expecting another universal acclaim but the viewers are not entirely happy with the recent release. The movie has got mixed reviews and fans and critics are expressing the same complaint about the much awaited sequel.
“Moana 2 is disjointed and poorly placed”
Dominating online debate, the specific complaint about the sequel being disjointed, might have originated as the film’s story was initially developed as a planned TV series. Critics argue the film does not feel cohesive like the previous film, Moana, that made the original so compelling. The sequel feels like a series of unrelated scenes, rather than having a unified storyline.
Many people took to social media to air their frustration. One user commented,
“Disjointed, messy, low stakes story; underwhelming songs that unsuccessfully imitate the first’s masterful tunes; forgettable new characters. Feels like a 2000s direct-to-video sequel. Would’ve worked far better as the Disney+ limited series it was originally planned as.”
Another one said,
“They made us wait 8 years for this? The plot is all over the place, with no clear emotional core or stakes.”
On the positive side, many are applauding the stunning visuals which are captivating and vibrant, capturing the beauty and danger of the ocean. However, fans felt the visual artistry could not compensate for the weaker plot and character development.
GamesRadar+ highlighted that while the movie excelled in its visuals and cultural representation, the film lacked new conflicts or significant character development.
Watch the official trailer for Moana 2 below…
