Moana 2 - Review

[@MKLettis]

Back in my day, these Disney sequels were dumped on VHS where they belonged.

[@WERV2003]

nah, those sequels looked very low budget even though they came out years after the first film, this one has a visual style worthy of a film, it's just that the script needed to be on a larger scale.

[@Nanxi_wei7865]

I just hope Moana 2 will surpass avatar by making 3 billion at the box office.....imagine critics getting furious if this happens😂 I also agree that Moana 1 is better but doesn't mean it could hurt Moana 2's box office.

[@Nanxi_wei7865]

Also Moana had like 80 billion minutes views on Disney+ so it's a fan service movie and will be successful either way.

[@RoseyRK]

I’m glad we’re not living in your day anymore, VHS 😂😂😂😂

[@MKLettis]

@RoseyRK least we actually owned our favorite films and TV shows and didn't have to worry about them being taken off a streaming service.

[@1800renzo]

Despite the almost non-existent marketing, the original target audience of the first film did come through though because my showing was almost packed with teenagers to young adults and they sounded like they loved it

[@David-vn2id]

Bot

[@matthewhunter1193]

It's ironic how Disney has been criticized as of late for their MCU and Star Wars shows feeling like elongated movies, and now in their attempt to revamp a show into a movie, everyone's pointing out that it feels like a shortened TV show

[@queenofnevers6990]

They really have to figure out the preferred format for each story

[@ellicel]

@@queenofnevers6990 I think that's exactly it, Queen. They seem not to realize that writing differs from medium to medium in more than simply run time.

[@A-ro-2803]

It’s especially difficult for animation because of the time consuming nature of the medium. I imagine it would have taken a solid 3 years at least to turn this into a great film. I think Disney made the right call putting out. One year wouldn’t have been nearly enough time to fix the songs and the story. It’s already making bank at the box office. It’s definitely better than despicable me 4 and sing 2 and those movies were big financial successes. I would bet that Dan’s friends’s kid would really enjoy this movie. It looked fantastic and I am a huge animation buff. Illumination is the king of animation now and this is one of the closest Disney animation titles to their work in terms of story and jokes.

[@piusdoe8984]

If you wanna make a point then just say it yourself. "Everyone" lmao dont bring us all into your points to give yourself validation

[@JackSmith-ns1uq]

That’s because it literally is a short TV show. It’s not like oh it’s one or the other. When they try to make a TV show, they make a stretched out movie instead. Then to make money, they condensed a TV show into a movie. Both are bad products. Disney’s issue is instead of focusing on and telling an intentional necessary story they focus on checking boxes or doing what they think will make the most money. The story never comes first

[@TheBrookeJ]

If this was 20 years ago this would’ve been their obscure straight to DVD sequel movie😂

[@spiritualliberal]

I said this at the theaters

[@gregtroyan]

This was the vibe I got from seeing the trailers for the movie and I was hoping I was wrong. My wife loved the first Moana and for me it's one of the best Disney films, so I wonder how rough of a watch it'll be.

[@waywardmind]

"Don't ask questions; just consume product and then get excited for next product."

[@TheBenwardy]

Red Letter Media ;)

[@onslaught147]

But what if we don't like the product? Oh no, Disney suits are at my door! They say they want to answer my questions, but one of them has a Mickey Mouse themed bat. Help...

[@Rainekaine44]

What are next?

[@Erasureeraser]

The lack of Lin Manuel Miranda as songwriter was pretty concerning. Say whatever you want about him but he made some incredible bops for Disney and was one of the reasons why the first Moana was so fantastic

[@NinthShinigami]

Yeah, I’m personally mixed on the guy but his work in Moana and Encanto is a part of what makes those movies and their soundtrack great imo

[@A-ro-2803]

Which is why I have high expectations for mufasa. He picked that film over this one.

[@A-ro-2803]

But it’s also very concerning they haven’t been pushing the songs for mufasa at all.

[@aliali-ce3yf]

idk, they hyped him for mary poppins 2 , and that was very forgettable

[@monmothma3358]

​@@NinthShinigamiI'm mixed, too. Guy's talented, but not in the league of, say, Ashman/Menken. He's a bit hit-or-miss.

[@LizzyLoves91]

I was worried this would happen when the announcement was made earlier this year. I really wonder how long the studio and the animators knew that the series was getting retooled. Animation takes so long and is so expensive. But Disney was so desperate for a big animated hit after Strange World and Wish bombed that they probably didn’t care so much about the quality. They knew Moana 2 was gonna make money, so they took what animation had been completed and probably had it spruced up a bit. The reason LMM isn’t back, I’m sure, is because the songs were written for the series years ago and it would have taken too long and been too expensive to hire LMM to write new songs, have them orchestrated, recorded and newly animated in time for the release. Same thing with the late confirmation of the voice actors. They probably signed a deal with Disney for a TV show and had to renegotiate their contract once it turned into a theatrical movie. I just wish they had given this movie more time, or, better yet, made a sequel separate from the series. It’s just disappointing because the original is so good and means a lot to so many people (myself included). It just feels like Disney wanted a surefire money maker rather than a quality movie. I’m sure it will do well, but it won’t be remembered so fondly, which only hurts Disney in the long run.

[@A-ro-2803]

I’m not sure it does hurt them in the long run. Frozen 2, Minions, Cars, Shrek sequels after 2, Finding Dory animation has a way different bar than something like the MCU or Star Wars. None of these have prevented or damaged future hits like Puss in Boots, Inside Out 2, or the Mario Movie. Worst case scenario and most likely it’s an unremarkable movie and no one remembers it in 5 years. Best case scenario is that it sticks with the kids for years and becomes pure nostolgia cash cow. Overall thought it did enough to warrant a Moana 3, that I guarantee will get the full might of Disney animation behind it.

[@A-ro-2803]

Also like I said elsewhere, and you sort of alluded to. It needed a LOT of work to be truly great, three years at least, IMO. There really was no hope for this to really shine, so might as well throw out what they had, which definitely is a completely tolerable film. Keep the young kids interested with new content about an extremely popular character and expect to do better with Moana 3.

[@DYLNJ]

It’s insane how they fast tracked a sequel to such a monumental film. This is so disappointing to hear that the animation is not as thought out as the first. The visuals were a main draw for me and the songs obviously too…. So I’ll probably save my money on this one

[@Erasureeraser]

Wicked has such an insane huge marketing aswell as a huge positive word of mouth here and there to the point that I often forgot that there is even a Moana sequel coming out a week after Wicked 😂

[@kelownatechkid]

I regret not just going to wicked again instead. I can't get it out of my head. Moana 2 was such a dud

[@A-ro-2803]

Wicked and moana both absolutely crushing the box office this week. Charts is going to be insane!!!

[@HeartbeatCN]

You're in the minority though. More people are going in for Moana 2 because they loved the first movie (the most streamed movie) and Wicked isn't even in their minds.

[@echoecho57]

I knew it wasn’t going to be good given that it was initially a disney+ show that was hastily made into a movie. Also, the marketing hasn’t been that great. If they’re planning for a good threequel, I hope this doesn’t damage the brand too much cause Moana is a fun franchise

[@A-ro-2803]

Yeah, it was super rushed. They didn’t advertise any of the songs. My four year old daughter loved it though. She didn’t even like the original much at all. So it still probably going to do pretty well.

[@Kyle_Leinen]

The fact that viewers know this was initially a Disney+ series is hurting the film. People are already going in looking for holes in the story instead of enjoying the film.

[@benzaiten933]

he would have been too expensive for a show, as said show would certainly have required a lot more songs than just one movie. and to hire him afterward might have been problematic as well.

[@A-ro-2803]

@@Kyle_LeinenI had no idea this was originally intended as a streaming show when I saw it. I follow movie news and especially Disney info a lot, so I don’t think this is common knowledge. That said, the plot doesn’t work very well, and learning from Dan that it was a streaming show makes a lot of sense.

[@Kyle_Leinen]

@@A-ro-2803 Not sure what people are talking about. Loved Moana 2! Didn't notice any story issues.

[@Erasureeraser]

It's very funny how Jared Bush, the current CCO of Walt Disney Animation was writing this sequel and the live action remake at the same time. Like, what the hell is he even doing? 😅

[@stormtraitor6545]

Bob Iger appears to be micro-managing…

[@mohdamerulaidilbinrazisahm7317]

Cause Bob Iger need some money to pay his valet. If you threw him into the woods without any money, he probably went to bear cave and got himself eaten.

[@justanotherfrog]

Last week when I asked coworkers if they’re seeing Wicked or Gladiator 2, most of them said “neither, I’m waiting to take my kids to Moana 2”. I feel like it’s going to do numbers

[@GenjiJared]

Kids love moana, of course they will during their kids to see it

[@StevenE-l9y]

I've seen all three. Wicked is by far (and I mean by far) the better of the three. The other two don't even come close to touching it. So if you're going to see one I would recommend Wicked.

[@A-ro-2803]

You called it. It’s going to break the all time 5-day Thanksgiving record by A LOT! It will probably make 500 million domestically.

[@justanotherfrog]

@@StevenE-l9y yes I’ve told a few people this but kids aren’t exactly easy to sway haha. Unfortunately most people don’t really care that Wicked is better, their kids love Moana and are hyped to see her again. I’m hoping the good word of mouth on Wicked reaches people eventually

[@HeartbeatCN]

​@@StevenE-l9yYeah but that doesn't matter. What matters is if you liked the Broadway musical/Ariana Grande, the first Gladiator or the first Moana.

[@StevenE-l9y]

I thought Matangi was going to be a main villain and the movie feels like it's setting it up that way in the beginning but then it just ditches her halfway through and you never see her again. So I thought, okay, well we still have the angry god, right? But then you don't even see him. He just creates a storm and then decides to go back to doing more important things I guess.

[@pitui1987]

You actually see the storm god appear in the mid-credit scene, setting up the rest of the streaming series.

[@braddonachie9567]

Just what we thought, like they forgot about them or could not bothered!

[@SoCalGuitarist]

Gotta appreciate the Dad joke intro. Please tell me you had that ready to go before you saw the movie.

[@paradisecity0406able]

Dan, I *SEA* what you did there in that intro. Now, let's see if this movie will *SAIL* past expectations

[@Cheezpopcorn]

I could tell Moana, too, was a series and not a movie. It's really leaning in Star Wars Rise of Skywalker and didnt find its way with the choppy editing...until the end. It's coconuts, but it stuck the landing.

[@TheFirefox]

I saw a trailer for this about a month ago and I wasn’t even aware Moana 2 was a thing. I was surprised that I hadn’t heard more about such a high-impact sequel. Dan does a good job at explaining why.

[@Z-Strike026]

I hate that this movie has the gall to sequel bait us in a mid-credit scene.

[@Cheezpopcorn]

Yep. It gave me Ant Man 3 mid credit scene vibes. They'll both probably never come to fruition.

[@thema1998]

​@@Cheezpopcorn "Moana 3" is *probably* going to happen since it's off to a pretty strong start at the box office! 😅

[@A-ro-2803]

@@thema1998actually now headed to the biggest five day opening ever for an animated film. Going to be an historic charts episode this week!

[@davidwindsor2579]

The first Moana also had the benefit of being directed by animation legends Musker and Clements. (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, etc.) Whereas this movie was co directed by three people who never directed a movie before. Seems like they weren’t entirely up to the task

[@LARKXHIN]

They had to get started somewhere but they weren't even making a movie they were making a show.

[@Erasureeraser]

And it's even more daunting that those three directors had to work based on a screenplay from Jared Bush, who is currently the CCO of Walt Disney Animation and has a much better experience working with Disney before. I don't even know why Disney didn't just go with Bush to direct the sequel if Clements and Musker refused to return, after all, Bush did wrote the script for the first movie

[@youngstar312]

​@@Erasureeraserhe is directing Zootopia 2, which comes out next year. He can't do everything ^^

[@joseda3rd354]

I didn’t know this was meant to be a series. Now the addition of all the new characters makes sense

[@sammie578]

I completely agree with your analysis Dan. I took my young son to this yesterday and he seemed to enjoy it. He's young enough to not so much grasp story but really responds to bright colors and songs. My husband and I were very disappointed but is was wonderful to see how much our son clapped along to the beats. For that reason it was nice, but the story was a bit of a mess. We also thought the songs were not nearly as strong as the first.

[@Erasureeraser]

Kinda sad that Lin Manuel Miranda choose to do Mufasa and return to work on his own songs for Moana's live action remake instead of writing new songs for Moana 2 😢

[@LARKXHIN]

That means at least Mufasa will have good music!

[@LizzyLoves91]

I guarantee that the music was written for the show and just retooled for the movie. A show, with a much smaller budget, probably couldn’t afford LMM nor would he have time to write songs for a series, rather than the a single film. Animation takes so long and would be WAY too expensive to have 8 or so new songs written and newly animated once it moved to a film. Had this been a planned movie from the start, they probably would have gotten LMM back.

[@ZachBobBob]

Probably made that decision when Moana 2 was still a TV show.

[@AlexWHayes]

Mufasa was probably a bigger paycheck which is why he took it most likely

[@AT1972ASDF]

Those deals were probably made years ago, before this got converted into a movie

[@waterbearer4627]

Moana is critic proof. Ask any kid under 12 who their favorite Disney character is and Moana ranks 1st or 2nd. Audience reactions are really good and watch the kids bring their friends, neighbours kids and cousins to see it. Adults have no power to affect the huge numbers she will do. Moana 2 is going to destroy all competition.

[@justanotherfrog]

Everyone I know with a kid under 12 is planning to see it this weekend

[@A-ro-2803]

Looking like it could top 200 million by Sunday which would be a record by over 80 million over Frozen 2.

[@waterbearer4627]

@A-ro-2803 that's really impressive! Some of us called it weeks ago that she was going to do huge numbers because her IP is so secure with kids no matter what. Just like Mario who can get mixed reviews from critics but go on to do a billion worldwide because people love him too. This is all great news for movie theatres who are seeing a strong last few weeks of sales for 2024.

[@dayvaughnmonroe9540]

Unfortunetly its true. Everyone complains about disney being money hungry but yet, yall eat it up everytime! Im going to see Wicked again! 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@waterbearer4627]

@dayvaughnmonroe9540 we don't eat up everything Disney serves. I don't like any of their live remakes and Snow White looks terrible. Moana is an organic favourite decided by children. It's the number 1 streamed movie of all time the last 5 years (across all platforms). She is the kids favourite so let them be. Why don't you see Wicked the play instead? And support theatre actors and singers, it has better more experienced singers who can resonate better.

[@elizabethcleary3694]

Wow. I had so many complex feelings about this film tonight, and I did not know the back story, and your review PERFECTLY expressed my experience and feelings. Shame on Disney. They should know better by now.

[@A-ro-2803]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I wasn’t a fan, but it’s my four year adored it and she wants to go back. I suspect she will win that debate.

[@migueljacome8039]

Shame??? They are going to clearly make a billion dollars with a total investment of 150 million...including marketing...It matters little to tarnish their brand when they will be making that much money.

[@JROTCBALL]

Watching Wicked with my mom n cousin after thanksgiving lunch ❤

[@BlueBoboDoo100]

I honestly hope this flops, and I never say that about any movie. I know it was made by a team of people who gave it their all. I can't imagine the crunch-time that had to go into making this a movie so extremely last-minute. But Disney needs to continue to learn the hard way that they can't just crap whatever into theaters anymore and make a ton of money. For some reason they have tried every way to avoid putting time and money into the WRITING, and they need to learn

[@jarosbodytko6462]

If anything will teach them a lesson it’ll be that Snow White movie. I’m seriously starting to think that’s the one that will end the company, which would be painfully ironic.

[@bambammartin1556]

I have toddlers that love moana and I had absolutely no idea this existed

[@DigiRangerScott]

My question is was the mid-credits scene a true tease for a sequel? Or something from an episode teasing the rest of what they left off that was the rest of the season? Or a next season?

[@AlexWHayes]

That's actually a good question

[@epocalypsefilms]

I’ve got to admit, after hearing a bunch of reviews like this, and seeing more headlines, and then seeing the movie, I was pleasantly surprised and thought it was quite a bit better than people gave it credit for. Not as good as the first but I still had a perfectly fun time with it.

[@motherplayer]

Ouch, I have to say. Not even a huge fan of the first film, but it seems my worst fears with the nature of this "sequel" have been realized with much of it's nuts and bolts as a series still apparent here and there. But then again, it doesn't really matter with the personal opinion on stuff like this. It's comfort food for the families, so all that can be said is if it will present itself well enough to get their ticket stubs.

[@HariOmRadhaKrishna]

I'll wait for Moana 2 on streaming, but we are planning to see Wicked (3-D) after the holiday.

[@RoseyRK]

That’s ok nobody cares coz everyone else has gone to see it because moana 2 is breaking box office records 😅 be honest, you did go to see it

[@1800renzo]

Spoiler review: While still fun, it's just a rehash of the first film. Her urgency for the new journey is almost a copy paste of her first one but almost lacks any new character development. !!Spoiler!!Her becoming (presumably) a demigod doesn't feel as earned as her epic moment facing the lava monster. Maui also lacks any development and doesn't get to interact with Moana until I think the second half. The "villains" are just MCU-style cameos to tease the threequel. The crew is fun in their own way but I'm not exactly clamoring for them. Heihei now got twice the screen time and just gets tiresome half the time. Pua doesn't really add anything to the plot or gags other than Maui calling them eggs and bacon. None of the new songs are as memorable as from M1. The best part of the songs and score are just the callbacks from the M1 like the only memorable part of Beyond is the "I am Moanaaa!" part from the first movie. Matangi has the best new song imo but the bar isn't really high. If you watched and liked the first film back in 2016 you will enjoy this on some level but if you didn't then this is an easy skip.

[@Nerd1090]

4:09 speaking of Airplane!, RIP Jim Abrahams

[@hellofranky99]

Glad to see your studio back to its full glory, Dan!!

[@Davidbedabomb]

I wasn't crazy about the first Moana, but I could see the merit and quality of the film and story, i cannot say the same about Moana 2. Definitely felt fast paced and choppy. Some ideas just droppped, redeeming aspects not utilized, characters doing nothing. I would much rather have rewatched Wicked again. Unfortunately, people will still watch it and it will do well in the box office even though stuff like this shouldn't be acceptable from such a massive company. I'd much rather wait for it to do terrible and be thrown on disney+ like it should've been originally.

[@chasehedges6775]

Sooooo.…. Its another Frozen 2.

[@motherplayer]

@@chasehedges6775 Frozen II was it's own mess of too many cooks in the room that was always intended to be a movie, as opposed to Moana 2 feeling like a hasty attempt from Disney to do some corporate franchising to make the series seem bigger than it is for the sake of meeting SOMETHING for the holiday weekend and that's what big studios do, which I think is even worse to do.

[@A-ro-2803]

Yeah the story is bad, but I would disagree with Dan on the visuals. Overall it’s the best looking animated film of the year. I saw wild robot twice and the art direction is amazing, but the water in this movie is just next level.

[@A-ro-2803]

@@chasehedges6775frozen 2 was a bigger crime. They knew they had an enormous hit on their hands and put their A team on making a sequel and gave them tons of time. Moana’s success was extremely grassroots. It was not a huge hit until the Disney plus toddlers hit the scene. It and Bluey are the definitive choice of parents subscribed to Disney plus to throw on and parent their kids. Much like Cocomelon is/was on Netflix. And in that sense, and aiming at that audience, this movie is dead on target. My four year old loved moana 2 WAY more than inside out 2 or minions. By no means is it a great movie. But I do think it will be very successful. The jokes are pretty funny. It’s Disney’s illumination level movie. And for those that watch charts, illumination is the younger generations Pixar in terms of can’t miss, guaranteed box office success.

[@Mstro3000yo]

You’re categorically wrong. I watched it in Japan in Japanese dubbed with my daughter in 2016 and dug it. I rented it in English a year later & loved it. Then I listened to Blank Check with Griffin and David’s podcast about it, and they made me appreciate it on a whole new level.

[@jim1242]

Unviersal is smart when it comes to animation. Illumination releases movies mostly aimed at younger kids (more focused on being fun, entertaining to younger audiance), whilst Dreamworks is more aimed at storytelling to include all of the family includling adults. Whilst Pixar is still putting out movies that mostly appeals to all ages, Disney animation studios seems to be all over the place at the moment..

[@molodezhnaja]

I saw it two days ago and have to agree with you. Songs are worse, story feels bumpy. I also disliked the constant slapstick in the first half. Someone is always falling, crashing - it's so hectic. I also didn't like some side characters, like the extremely saccharine little sister and the super busy boat builder, who added to the feeling of frenzy. It's solidly animated, fun and colorful. But such a step-down.

[@Alejandroigarabide]

With so many Disney+ series feeling like recut movies, it's nice they gave this one a chance as a movie. But judging by the reviews it looks more like a direct-to-streaming movie, an heir to the legacy of the old and lame direct-to-video movies.

[@chrisevans2008]

I didn't really see the "visual quality" issues you mentioned, and I was looking for them. You could definitely see the episodic plot structure for various sections of the movie and the tunes were not nearly as good, but I felt generally "alright" about Moana 2

[@drewmcgill5290]

Whoa, disagreed hugely on it not looking good. Easily one of the best looking films I’ve seen this year.

[@A-ro-2803]

Agreed

[@fabiolacardenas1967]

Agreed

[@Jambobist]

He did say it was only in parts, which would make sense as production shifted from TV show to movie half way through.

[@alpatrickson7706]

It’ll be interesting to see if Disney looks at the success of Moana 2 at the box office after turning it from a Disney+ series made from Walt Disney Animation Studios into a movie and if they do the same for Tiana’s series and turn it into a fully 2D/hand-drawn theatrical animated Princess and the Frog sequel film for a theatrical release in Thanksgiving 2029, just so they have time to get the hand-drawn animators of Disney back to do it and get the tech needed to make it possible, along with having the time to not rush the story.

[@123Yellowberry123]

There hasn’t been much talk of the Tiana show lately; I wonder if this is part of the reason why. Maybe they want to decide whether to make it a movie before promoting it further.

[@alpatrickson7706]

@ Perhaps. It was only announced to now be in production since D23.

[@MrUn1versal]

Disney taking a cinematic hit and making the sequel as just a tv show? Did we teleport to the early 2000s?

[@Kusanagikaiser999]

not insult the early 2000 Disney......at least still back then they produce good films like Emperor new Groove, Atlantis and Treasure Planet.......modern Disney is incapable of doing a CHICKEN LITTLE.

[@A-ro-2803]

@@Kusanagikaiser999that list of films were generally trashed by critics.

[@yay29823]

​@@A-ro-2803Oh no, not the critics!! 😲 Jokes aside, the critics' opinions can be kind of biased sometimes. Those movies listed are loved by the fans, and that's what matters

[@yay29823]

​@@A-ro-2803Well, except Chicken Little. I haven't seen anyone praising Chicken Little on the internet

[@Seldz1]

Really love your reviews- very in depth

[@pitui1987]

I completely agree. The buddy comedy duo is the heart of the franchise, so it was crazy that they didn’t put Moana and Maui on screen together until the film was more than half over. And they have good scenes when it’s just the two of them, without the annoying new characters babbling constantly. Finally, we did not need a mid-credit scene with a literal Polynesian Thanos. I hope Wicked manages to still make money with Moana 2 out. That was an amazing theatrical experience.

[@JakeGottfriedStudios]

I just want to mention movies to watch in case you missed them Dan. Memoir of a Snail, Out of my Mind, Piece by Piece, Rebel Ridge, Look Back...

[@NinthShinigami]

Look Back mentioned, thank you 🙏😭

[@jarosbodytko6462]

Man, the fact that they are releasing a live-action Moana even though the first movie isn’t even a decade old, and the desperate move to change a streaming series into a sequel movie just illustrates how far Disney has fallen. I love Disney, it’s a huge part of my childhood, but even I can’t defend them anymore. It’s just sad to see how the once greatest animation company in the world has been completely run into the ground in, what? 5 years? 10 years? Ugh.

[@Pandarah]

SO happy to see you talk about the visuals, it really bothered me sometimes. The deadpan look Moana has when dancing with her grandma was the worst for me.

[@theswampfisher3253]

To be honest, I thought the animation of this movie was off the chain. I thought it was better animated than the first one.

[@WMCheerman]

Dan you are the Only reviewer I trust

[@joahnatheresevillaluna7289]

If Moana 2 was supposed to be a series instead of a movie, then it would make so much sense cause I feel like they just clumped all the episodes together and turned it into a movie

[@OLOHEKAI]

As a Hawaiian did actually like the idea that it is actually when we are most lost that we are the closest to finding our way. 🙏🏽

[@teruphoto]

Didn't see the first one and had no plans to see this one, but when Dan does a review, I click and Like.

[@daegon1985]

The first one is worth seeing

[@MondayMorningLiveZ]

Always great stuff, Dan!

[@naomisilverfang7098]

Just saw this today on Thanksgiving. The pacing felt strange 🤔 it felt like it would have been served well with an extra 15-20 minutes, maybe, to smooth out the kinks throughout. It really seemed like this film was the first half of a good movie, as it spends so much time setting things up in ways that aren’t super interesting and then almost immediately dives into the final act with no twists or turns, no expansion of the lore or exploration of the legends of the pantheon beyond a newcomer that has the best song and then is forgotten for the rest of the film. TL;DR it felt like a first draft that was rushed and never meaningfully revised.

[@jessrl8025]

I'm not shocked that this movie could be better. Following the news of the production, your review sounds about right. Honestly, I'm not sure Moana 2 will be the big money grab Disney hopes it will be. It will have a good opening weekend. I know several parents who are taking their kids to see it this weekend. It'll be an easy way to entertain a house full of kids over the holiday. I see this as a very front-loaded movie with a pretty hefty drop-off in its second week. Most parents spent their money taking kids to see Inside Out 2 multiple times over the summer.

[@closeben]

Desperately hoping that it will disappoint at the box office so that Disney can actually learn that this was a mistake.

[@mediaikonz]

Especially because it's taking screens from other movies that need a good theater run. Just such a garbage move by Disney.

[@eclipsehorse8693]

nooo that will come when the live action 'Snow White' finally hits theaters

[@migueljacome8039]

It will make easily a billion...and allDisney will learn is to release Disney+ shows in theatrical window.

[@mohdamerulaidilbinrazisahm7317]

They will never learn. At least when it comes to Marvel, they did learn something. As for Star Wars, not so much.

[@Vicious_Species]

On its way to break the 1st 5-days set by Frozen 2 at 120M. They're projecting for the same time, Moana 2 will be at 170M.

[@xEVERYBODYANDTHEIRMOM]

Moana 2 is like Bambi 2, Lion King 2, Little Mermaid 2, etc. Straight to VHS/straight to streaming

[@007Julie]

Don’t forget Aladdin 2 and 3 and Cinderella 2.

[@A.Pearson]

Moana 3 is probably going to be pretty good with what they've set up in this movie

[@Wokiis]

The Return of Jafar was peak disney sequel.

[@chemicalbalance]

Great review I find it interesting how much it contrasts Grace Randolph's review yet both of you reviews make perfectly good sense to me. It actually leaves me very interested to watch the movie... But not so interested that I'm about to pay my money to go see it in theaters. I will definitely wait for it to stream

[@CrappyCar]

Standing applause, thank you.

[@A.Pearson]

Half of this the fact that disney animation studios need a win right now, and turning a tv show spin off of their most popular movie into a theatrically relased movie will probably do it for them.

[@imacmccormick]

I truly can't understand how they looked at their billion dollar, beloved Moana and thought, "yeah let's make the follow up a streaming show" first.

[@123Yellowberry123]

The first didn't actually gross $1 billion, though it made good money and was a streaming juggernaut.

[@Laf631]

I'd read that it was pretty obvious where the movie was originally split into episodes. I'm kind of annoyed it's going to be a box office success, since it just incentives Disney to do these downgraded animations, lazy story telling, and lackluster songs.

[@disneylandlux]

My kids are older now - but I was desperate for Kid movies - there are not enough.

[@migueljacome8039]

It happened to me last year with Ruby Gillman.

[@MrKyGuy]

THATS WHY IT FELT OFF. I was so curious why Lin Manuel didn’t return to this one. It really felt like there just wasn’t enough emotional depth in the way the first one did… and those villains sorta just getting set up for a third movie? It was so odd.

[@2011thetemp]

I saw it last night, it was fine. The best acting by the rock so far 😁. Auli'i Cravalho is a great singer.

[@geeksontapshow]

I mostly enjoyed the film. Unfortunately in our screening we had some parents who wouldn't stop talking to their kids. So that took me out of the movie for the first half of it. And I will say that the third act is the best part of the whole movie. The music definitely was a step down.

[@crumblyburgers]

This is about what I expected. I'm not a fan of the original Moana - I think it's over hyped and mediocre at best. And the fact that they took what was meant to be a series on D+ and turned it into a movie felt more like a 90s direct to VHS sequel to me. I'll pass.

[@emmalavinia9962]

The animation was gorgeus. And that's about all I can say about it. Did not see the point of some song numbers, I felt like I was getting car sick because of all the swilring around.

[@DoriDoesVoices]

I actually really enjoyed it. My main concern was that they re-hashed a few jokes and wink wink nod nods about the previous film too many time that made it feel a little "streaming series". However, I throughly enjoyed the new characters and to me at least, I found the expansion of the story to be lot more interesting than the first to some degree. But then again, I like films that expand on what was done before. I thought Frozen 2 was much better than the original. I admit the first film feels a lot more unique but I really enjoy story driven films even if they are a bit sloppy. I really liked some of the some of the songs too. I think one is called "Beyond" and "Get Lost". You could argue the "How far I'll Go" is more memorable but things are always more memorable the first time especially when there is a Sogn attache because a new story has to be told. People complained "Into the Unknown" wasn't as good as "Let It Go". Of course it wasn't. Let It Go was lightning in a bottle. Doesn't mean that Into the Unknown isn't a moving song. I think people expect too much from sequels, musically. I don't think it works the same as non-musical films. The Open Door by Evanescence will never be loved as much as Fallen. Meteora will never outshine Linkin Park's Hybrid theory. Notice the pattern? Having Lin Manuel Miranda may not have changed that. It certainly didn't help Mary Poppins Returns. Just my two cents but I don't need songs be "just as good" the previous ones. Just that they are good songs that work well for the plot. And I feel like some of the musical beats are hit a little harder in this film. Like, there's a scene when the entire island is seeing Moana off. I've never been to a traditional Polynesian ceremony but it felt like an authentic piece of culture. I dunno. I can't think of any movie musical sequels that people like as much as the first. The isn't an A+ but saying it was really bad feels like a bit of exaggeration.

[@InitialT-tm-]

Ugh… here we go again. Wreck It Ralph was an amazing original Disney animation film whose legacy was “wrecked” by its cash cow sequel. I see Moana about to be similarly tarnished.

[@jaimeerindy4573]

As soon as this frankenstien project was announced, I knew there was a high chance it would be a mess

[@alilshellphish]

having sub par sequels is a big part of disney’s history though. especially supposed to be series turned movies. Tarzan and Cinderella suffered the same fate

[@NinthShinigami]

They weren’t theatrical tho 💀

[@lakernation26]

Cinderella 3 was good

[@johnbruno940]

@@NinthShinigamiJungle Book 2 and Return To Neverland were both theatrical

[@NinthShinigami]

@@johnbruno940 I’m specifically referring to the ones the OP mentioned

[@alilshellphish]

@ true

[@joeysilverain9835]

Being that it’s a kids movie. I don’t think the subpar quality will affect the box office numbers. Doesn’t mean that the points aren’t valid.

[@charliemarquez9907]

Just like many, many, many, many other Disney movies today, I'll be waiting for this to hit Disney Plus, and even then I'll probably watch it one or two months after it hits Disney Plus

[@tomkadams]

I haven't seen much from the film as I try to avoid trailers, but I just had a feeling that this couldn't end well. I feel bad for all the people who had a few months to cram their kids TV show into a film that is meant to stand up to the first one. Makes it easier for me to choose rewatching Wicked over watching Moana 2 this weekend.

[@scareyg]

I appreciate your take and that's what I feared. That said, I've appreciated your takes lately on if a movie is good for kids or not. I have a Moana loving 3 year old, is it appropriate for her first time in a movie theater?

[@DanMurrellMovies]

I think so - it may not have been my cup of tea, but I think kids would probably enjoy it.

[@scareyg]

@DanMurrellMovies thank you so much Dan!

[@PrinceMono676]

Me and my son just watched it and he’s 2 years old and I couldn’t believe how he sat still through it all, best father and son date ever!

[@scareyg]

@@PrinceMono676 that's amazing! Thanks for letting me know

[@PrinceMono676]

@@scareyg no worries, just go with the kids and not with judgemental adults who are hard to please 😆

[@ntcnetwork9934]

I think that the crew did an admirable job trying to retrofit this into a movie, even if it’s not perfect. I liked it overall though, and I’m hoping they’re given enough time to make the inevitable third movie great.

[@unvergebeneid]

"Unremarkable" should be on your scale 😄 So savage!

[@ScottKlapman]

"Subpar" or not, looks like it's making a killing at the b.o., perhaps leading to the best Thanksgiving holiday weekend take ever.

[@Thermalions]

It'll probably have a big first weekend off the strength of the first movie given many people don't follow reviews, followed by a sizeable drop into week 2 as word of mouth gets around.

[@ellicel]

Um...some designer seriously suggested their product should be called "Chubbies" and nobody on the team brought up any concerns?

[@jarosbodytko6462]

What’s wrong with ‘Chubbies’?

[@Kirbstering]

Just saw this. Sadly, I agree with a lot of your points. I really wanted to like this, even though I knew it couldn't match how great the first movie was. A number of people who left my theatre, especially teens and young adults, seemed confused by the quality. My ideal version of this movie would have involved a lot more of Matangi, who deserved a lot more screentime than she actually got.

[@zacharymccoy7091]

Not having Lin Manuel Miranda was the first warning of its quality.

[@davidmacias741]

Walt said he never liked sequels.

[@JacktheLightningRipper]

I would personally like to see it because I did see promise in the trailers and I did really enjoy the first one. Heck, I even loved Wish despite many giving it a bad rep.

[@Katt1721]

It being originally made for tv streaming is one thing, but Disney moving production to Vancouver where the animation department isn't unionized makes me not really all that inclined to go watch and support it tbh

[@DanMurrellMovies]

The Vancouver studio was opened in 2022 to work on projects for Disney+. Disney didn't originally intend to move Moana 2's feature production there, it was a byproduct of the change from streaming to theatrical. American unions don't cover Canadian workers. I'm critical of Disney on lots of things, but I think this is being misrepresented.

[@neillcaiger7714]

Tx Dan! I still havent even seen the first one!😅

[@indac-channel4995]

and one more thought from my subjective view: I think, the little sister should have been her daughter, that would have worked much better dramaturgically - and I have the suspicion, that they must have thought about that, because sometimes the movie shows the relationship like a mother and daughter relationship. What do you think?

[@johnscott6984]

During Disney's initial ascendency as the animation studio and during their renaissance they made no sequels, now they make sequels to nearly everything and the sequels aren't (Inside Out 2 being the exception) very good. Moana 2: The Voyage to More Money is the latest to demonstrate just how dry their creative well has become.

[@Justanothercrow123]

Can’t really count Inside Out 2 has a Disney movie. It’s a Pixar production distributed by Disney.

[@jarosbodytko6462]

Well, they did make sequels, especially during their renaissance, just not for theatres. Those just went straight to video and dvd.

[@123Yellowberry123]

Here's hoping Zootopia 2 and even Frozen 3&4 turn things around.

[@manuelalbertoromero9528]

Soooo about as expected for a movie originally conceived as a streaming show?

[@brandonroy7554]

I think they damaged the brand. The excitement for it is through the roof. This could have easily been a billion dollar film, but because of how mediocre it is, I question if it’ll even make more than the original.

[@emb3863]

As someone who was a big Disney Animation person it's still so depressing how much i dont care about them anymore, truly 0 shts left to give. I mean, it's a movie studio and a gigantic company, they've always cared about money a lot, but it's become so obvious now it's the only thing they care about , they don't have any integrity left, they don't care about artistic merit or innovation or originality or risks anymore at all, just do the bare minimum to get the bucks and call it a day... Like say what you will about Walt Disney, the man was flawed as hell and clearly a businessman, but he had standards and almost went broke several several times cuz he wanted to do bold innovative things, the man is rolling in his grave right now

[@jarosbodytko6462]

Couldn’t have said it better myself 👏

[@NoCureForMe]

I will not support a lazy cash grab from Disney. No dice.

[@lildballin86]

I didn’t see a trailer or even knew this was a movie and that it is out in theaters

[@oldsoul5401]

I don't know why they'd release a sequel before a live action remake? Wouldn't that kill intrigue as the audience would have seen two complete stories in a short time, and that wouldn't necessarily translate to them wanting to see another version?

[@benzaiten933]

what are the confirmed Disney sequels? I assume a Frozen 3, then Zootopia 2? Encanto 2? ........Coco 2? in the long run we'll probably get sequels to all of the popular enough movies because of money.

[@RigoLeons]

I rather watch Wicked again. Wait for Moana 2 on streaming.

[@miguelterelkabigting3389]

Same

[@jim1242]

Im looking forward to the pirch meeting more than the movie , Moana 2, the search for more money now the streaming wars has dried up