Um... did the songwriters even watch Moana 1?

[@DeathLadyShinigami]

I actually feel really bad for the songwriters. They were hired for a TV show. TV show quality is Much lower than a theatrical released movie. And honestly for people trying to make names for themselves a TV show would be a decent starting point. But Disney threw them under a bus.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

This is a great point

[@NotATrashPandaGaming]

I think that would be a good theory. . . if Disney hadn't made Wish.

[@lilliansahara8625]

@@NotATrashPandaGaming I think I also heard somewhere that a lot of the songs in Wish were developed before they even had laid out an actual plot. "At all cost" apparently sounds like a love song because it was originally meant to be a love song between Asha and (the then shapeshifter) star. Although most of the songs still sound like shit regardless of what context you put them in (looking at you "this is the thanks I get"😑)

[@randompersontrying9700]

@@lilliansahara8625 Atleast that song MAKES SENSE, but I'm a STAR? or that chicken song? straight up filler songs.

[@confusedbug]

@@randompersontrying9700 the reason the songs suck so bad is probably because Julia Michaels (the lead writer of wish) was given very little time to write the songs for the movie, which basically left what sound like first drafts of potentially better songs (especially because the instrumentation is actually pretty good, the lyrics are what suck) being the actual final songs of the movie. which is also the reason why the songs are so shallow, because they had to be written while the movie was still undergoing changes in development, so they had to be broad enough to fit whatever plot would end up being the final movie. so yeah, you're right, they are basically filler songs.

[@bumblebeeproductions1673]

The soundtrack of Moana 2 feels like the songwriters were told ‘try and copy Lin Manuel’s style’ instead of letting the new songwriters write to their strengths

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Which is why I feel like get lost is the strongest song It's the most pop-y sounding song of the bunch and it really carves out its own sound. Obviously it has issues in terms of character/narrative, but musically its the one I go back to most

[@celinnec.valdez9995]

Legit, the day we watched moana 2 in theaters, I was so underwhelmed since it lacked that Lin-Manuel Miranda kick I loved Worst part we watched Wicked immediately after, so it was like eating a burned pancakes and then immediately eating a full course meal prepared by Gordon Ramsey after The difference WAS SO BIG

[@captainjacksparrow4406]

That’s probably because he worked on it, if that’s what you were saying never mind, but Lin did work on it.

[@Cressian]

LMM kinda strangling Disney with his bare hands at this point

[@idksoyeah702]

@@captainjacksparrow4406 He wrote the songs for the first movie but not the second one

[@alicepbg2042]

"I was really looking forward to moana 2" Can't say I ever shared that feeling. I expected a cash grab from the start and just hoped I was wrong...

[@fatstupiddinosaur]

I just wasn’t excited for it because Lin-Manuel Miranda didn’t write the music, that was the best part of Moana :(

[@Peachysodabum]

Same. Disney has been cash grabbing so often with the “live action” remakes and the recent sequels that I just expect a mediocre film now anytime I see one of these.

[@ashleyrodriguez2050]

Same. I honestly excepted this from them after the movie strange world. I didn't even watch it.😊

[@PoltieBoo]

Same lmao everytime i hear a sequel is coming out ik itll be a cash grab. Last good movie i watched from disney (animated) that didnt have a cash grab sequel was big hero 6 iirc

[@s_asLN]

Its funny since it was on my birthday

[@Bebop8ubby]

Am I the only one who thinks that Moana's leveling up to demigodhood should have been earned in a third or fourth film or TV show? Getting it in the second one just feels so unearned and without true sacrifice. It's the same with Elsa in her second film, when she became the fourth spirit. It would have been cool if two of these characters actually died to get their powers and create a real consequence of possible permanent separation.

[@firelordoregano5632]

it was developed as a tv show. disney decided to release it as a film last minute

[@HarlequinMTL]

I agree for Moana, but Elsa does make a sacrifice: She gives up being queen and living in the castle with her sister to live out in the wilderness with a group of near-strangers. If only Moana had a sacrifice like that. For example, imagine she became the demigod of travelers to save her people, but as such was forced to spend the rest of her existence out at sea.

[@juliawidmaier5334]

@@HarlequinMTL That scenario you described at the end reminded me a bit of Will Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean becoming the captain of the Flying Dutchman and only being able to go on land every ten years.

[@Freezient]

⁠​⁠But Moana did do all that though, she did sacrificed herself a lot in the first movie, she went off alone to sail out find Maui and returning the heart of Te Fiti, and its all before she even knows how to sail, she confronts Maui, demigod, who tried to trap her in his deserted cave, and overall did not care if she dies, sentient coconuts, a giant crab who are all huge threats to her life and wanted nothing to do with her. In the end of the movie she also confronts a giant lava monster knowing full well the harm it would cause her. In the second one she went down and touched the island herself without the help of her crew, only to get struck down by Nalo. I know Moana 2 was poorly executed, but I disagree with what you said about Moana not sacrificing enough or anything, when all she does was sacrificing herself and putting herself in danger for her people. Even to the point where she becomes a bit short sighted

[@rihana_1604]

technically elsa did die when she froze up until that dam got taken down. then she became a spirit

[@eatatjoe]

I’m over here thinking, “Why does she have a sister?”

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Merch, babyyyyyy! Make that chachang$$$$$$$

[@lovechafes]

Babies love baby characters, gotta get that merchandise money

[@nanitaylor8073]

Omg WHYYYY! I remember literally screaming and ranting about that when I first saw the trailer. My daughter looked at me like I had 3 heads and told me to calm down. I’ll never get over it, so unnecessary

[@thatcher6923]

Well, it makes sense for a tv show. You need a larger cast to so episodes can hold multiple storylines. Except… well, it’s not a show anymore, and they didn’t want to do any reworkings of what they already had lol

[@RinaBeans_PLMC]

It was either money I guess, or because the parents knew Moana wasn’t going to be a chief but they still needed someone to be the next chief still T-T

[@PopCatBot]

The second they lost Lin I knew the music was gonna flop. Don’t get me wrong, Lin can be a bit…”unique” with his writing but he is one of the lyrical geniuses of the century! Imagine how popular Encanto would’ve been without the music??? Probably popular, but not AS popular as the fame it got from “We don’t talk about Bruno”!

[@PickledRamona]

And he has a crap ton of professional experience with big hits unlike the people they had working on it! He also has worked many times on projects that incorporate traditional culture into musical theatre. With Moana, he truly knew what he was doing.

[@RosesTeaAndASD]

So we ARE gonna talk about Bruno now?😂

[@snowball03-boop]

​@@RosesTeaAndASD I thought we talked about Bruno a lot at some point.

[@Amygondor]

what's encanto?

[@_mj3]

@@Amygondor a rlly popular/successful Disney movie from a few years ago. “We don’t talk about Bruno” was a song which blew up

[@dinolover8183]

another note on moana 2 is it entirely retcons the ending for example the chief is celebrating making it past the reef despite the end of the first shows him fully out on the ocean with moana also with the ending of the first movie moana shouldnt even be on the island at all she should be on a new island teaching the stories of her previous home

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Great point!

[@kittenmimi5326]

Every recent disney sequel seems to contradict itself 🫠 mufasa too

[@nemo_is_real]

@@kittenmimi5326 i havent watched mufasa and i KNOW that any fanfic is better 😭

[@taku2863]

Exactly. I think if this was a TV show it would've been a good bridge to get her to that new island WITH her new friends and then the second movie would be about her earning/sacrificing something to become a demigod

[@IDrankVinegar]

@@kittenmimi5326 that kind of applies to every unwarranted sequel to a beloved movie (i don't think i need to mention megamind and surfs up)

[@stassi_g]

why did they let tik tokers whose only credit was the random unofficial bridgerton musical….such a bizarre choice for such a big blockbuster

[@TheDiamondCore]

Erm actually, they also made a musical for the removal of the Taco Bell mexican pizza menu item before this film too! (this is real fyi)

[@BeetaroniPizza]

They hired them initially for a TV show and then decided to do a movie they should have rehired or added someone more skilled to the mix when they shifted gears

[@Justapikachu577]

Because it was originally a tv show, so it's not that high stakes. Then they fucked them over and said "this is a movie now!"

[@Ravn_swimming]

OMG. THATS WHY THEY WERE BOTH WOMEN. THE SONGS PLAY ON MY ALEXA SOMETIMES AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST LESBIAN BRIDGERTON OFFICIAL MUSICAL

[@happily_blue]

they're grammy winners but ok

[@rikkTV]

Didn't know Data from Star Trek NG was so passionate about Moana

[@RipleysRealm]

STOPPP I JUST CHOKED ON MY DRINK💀

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Oof

[@sophieledden1961]

😭😭😭

[@RosesTeaAndASD]

I know! So happy he discovered YT lol

[@lee_1292]

he would be

[@neilhannan7525]

Welcome back straight to dvd disney Sequels. we missed you ❤

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

"DVD's are dead. Best I can offer you is making 1 billion dollars in theaters. Take it or leave it"

[@lavaght]

straight to streaming sequels now….

[@CameoAmalthea]

The Lion King 2 had great songs much better that Moana 2.

[@snowball03-boop]

​@@CameoAmalthea I'll never get over the beauty of that film.

[@genericname2747]

Just remember. Cinderella 3 was direct to video and it rocked. So we're bound to get a good movie eventually.

[@kier_3656]

It feels like the new songwritters were told to try and copy Lin's style and did not do that well. It is also written by the unofficial bridgerton musical people Abigail Barlow and Emily Bea.

[@emilylogan6052]

Beyond was the only memorable song. Auli’i’s voice is insane, but my first thought after seeing it was that Moana has learned NOTHING.

[@OpticalSorcerer]

The team was told in January to turn the show into a film by November. Given that most of the 10 months would be focused on animation, this puts a HUGE stress on the creative team, so they probably just threw some of the episodes together. All the new characters come off as misused at best, unecessary at worst, and the music shows potential but never reaches the heights of the first. Ideally, I would've preferred the sequel focusing on Moana physically reuniting the islands by befriending the other wayfinders and going to their homes, showing Nalo could never truly seperate them. Matangi could try to sow some seeds of mistrust in the interim. It'd basically be a better version of "Raya."

[@sparxstreak02]

17:38 I think Moana was meant to contemplate leaving for potentially a very long time - months or years even. Compared to the voyage she went on in the first film which she said was a few weeks (though to be fair, she had no clue how long that trip would take either). The thing is, the voyage she takes with her crew in the 2nd film doesn’t feel much longer than the 1st one did (but might’ve had they stuck with the story being a tv series).

[@Freezient]

Her journey in Moana 1 felt so grand and it felt like we as the audience are all there with her on the boat it felt long, while her journey in Moana 2 felt like a fun school/family trip that only lasted a whole day and one night

[@ShinzuXTruth]

The first voyage was by necessity, the island was rotting. This one is about discovery. And in the grand scope of things completely voluntary.

[@tristhebee]

It makes me sad and wary of the success of Moana 2. It’s choppy due to the fact that it was a tv show, the songs are meant for tv, and they smashed it all together to be a movie and then it made a lot of money can only mean one thing…Disney is gonna try this trick moving forward. Great analysis and comparison on the music…very informative.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

The thing that frustrates me is that Disney has such strong IP with built in audiences, so they can afford to take A LITTLE more time and make things good. They need to learn it's infinitely easier to get something write on the page than to fix it in post

[@somnodaur8064]

I work at a daycare, NO children singing any moana two songs. They ARE singing songs from Mufasa. Lin Manuel has a golden pen

[@Fogblitz]

23:30 is one of my favorite musical lines in the entire movie. The storytelling, the cinematography, the melody, everything comes together in a truly special way. I also like that they said “chain” instead of “line” because yeah, a line means something continuous, but to have a chain means you are making the conscious decision to keep the tradition going. In the movie’s context, Moana’s people broke that chain by leaving their wayfinding traditions in the past, and Moana chose to be the one to add a new link to a new chain of tradition.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

A beautiful addition to the analysis! Thank you!

[@Mooshie_7]

Moana never needed a second movie. They would have done better with a side movie going back and focusing on her father and what he went through and him getting back on the water and living his dream.

[@simple_simp.1]

19:41 you know, the first time I listened to this song I couldn't help but think how familiar this note hits. Rambling through my mind a bit I finally remember - "Legends never die". For no reason, they sound so.. same for me! 😭

[@NothingToSeeHere-lol]

OH MY GOD IT DOES

[@celsyius]

I was thinking that when I watched it in the theatre, I was legit about to burst into Legends Never Die it sounds the same 😭😭

[@BigBastion623]

Confuses me even more cause I know a song also called “We’re Back” by Valley of Wolves, which main chorus is “We’re back, cause legends never die”,

[@allister6092]

"WHAT LIES BEEYOOOOHOHOOOND-" "- WHEN THE WORLD IS CALLING YOU. CAN YOU HEAR THEEM SCREAAAMIIING OUT YOUUUR NAAAAME?" I can not think of What Lies Beyond without continuing in Legends Never Die 😭😭

[@Seraphine-everything]

I also think it kinda sounds like helpless from Hamilton the musical

[@carriioneater]

I miss when disney sequels were straight to dvd

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Honestly straight to vhs was where it was at. Aladdin and the king of thieves goes hard

[@snowball03-boop]

​@@TheWritersBlockOfficial YAAAAAASSS!!!!! My favorite part of my childhood! ...And Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.. I love the entire soundtrack. I mostly love one song from that film and it makes me tear up nowadays. "STORIES".

[@aidansinclair9623]

imagine as moana is teaching a crew from her island to sail the ocean brings a wrecked ship with a lone survivor to them. they rescue them back to the island and when the survivor wakes up they don’t remember how they got there. they only remember getting lost and trying to get home when they got sucked into a giant clam but maui rescued them and the next thing they remember is moana and her crew finding them. boom, they decide to go rescue maui and find other people, same story can ensue but a more valid premise. moana can struggle with clotting go of control teaching the islanders to navigate and accepting the different way the other person navigates and all the same story beats can happen

[@jobraket]

Encanto also has an Abuela special, so it happened thrice.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

No. That abuela didn't earn my forgiveness honestly.

[@kailet1997]

​@@TheWritersBlockOfficialcoming from a latin hispanic household you don't understand how RARE it is for moms and/or abuelas to actually apologize for their unintended abuse and be better :'D it's really rare hahsh

[@pastelcatnip]

​@@TheWritersBlockOfficialI don't think the point was to forgive her for everything, I think it was just showing why she did what she did and that she's making progress by trying to make up for her actions.

[@BlissfulHues13]

​@@kailet1997exactly! As someone from a Hispanic household I can understand Abuela only meant well. And to have her verbally apologize was actually really sweet and meaningful

[@ombrenightcores]

@@kailet1997 It is sad that in a lot of different environments (I’m not Hispanic but I still come from a family where apologizing was weak) apologizing is so rare when it should be a prerequisite. I think the whole idea of Moana was basically “nothing is going to get better if we don’t stop the cycle of traųma now” and something that people _need_ is a privilege

[@pompe221]

Thank you for methodically breaking down why Moana 2's soundtrack just kinda fell flat. I knew the songs weren't as good but I don't know enough about music to do an analysis as to why.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

So glad I could put words to a feeling

[@elnic_kai]

so obviously this should have stayed a tv show for pacing reasons but as far as moana's character arc my thoughts are as follows: i thought that now that moana has found herself, the next installment would focus on her transition to being a leader as well as a hero. in the first movie i always got the vibe that moana was searching for certainty and for answers to resolve her unexplored yearnings. she finds those answers but perhaps then her next lesson would be to also accept uncertainty, let me explain perhaps moana is so secure and comfortable with things going her way that yes, she restricted the decision making power of others to only following her maps, and her way etc. she struggles to delegate and takes on too much (struggles with perfection), and she can't find time to herself to play with her baby sister (struggles enjoying the moment) etc. basically she also has struggles similar to her squad. it spends its time having moana address and mentor her crew mates with their flaws and in turn heals herself (some good old self reflection thru line) and as she does so better trusts and works together along the journey. from then on i totally agree with your points about maui and matangi i think my ideas would certainly help get lost make more sense as a metaphor for letting go of your certainty and destination focus perhaps.

[@toyosibee.mp3]

the difference in animation (the lighting....the shadows.....) is so stark, as is the drop in songwriting quality, but I don't fault any of the creatives behind this. Moana 2 is like on GBBO when a person's bake crumbles or topples at the last minute through no fault of their own and they still have to present it for judging.

[@HungryEyes-sl3mu]

My friend and I left the theater absolutely stumbling over ourselves trying to remember all of the lyrics to the first Moana movie, that same friend and I went to see Moana 2 together and it was crickets. Independently the songs sound passible, but nothing hooked.

[@crimsonmaverick8237]

This video made me appreciate the music in the first one so much more. THANK YOU.

[@fightmefairy]

I believe that Can I Get A Chee Hoo was written to be aimed for the supporting cast. It would just fit Maui and Moana asking these supporting character's who they are going to be in this story.

[@theCreative_Rosey]

Dude I thought I was hallucinating the fact that I defeintly heard beyond before, and I had no idea why. I then realised that "what lies bey-o-o-ond" SOUND SO SIMALAR TO "legands never die-ie-ie" AND I HAVENT LISTENED TO THAT SONG IN YEARS

[@Devulini]

WHEN THE WORLD IS CALLING YOU!

[@SIANAsWorld]

​@@Devulini CAN YOU HEAR THEM SREAMING DOWN YOUR NAME CAUSE

[@Devulini]

@SIANAsWorld LEGENDS NEVER DIE!!

[@SIANAsWorld]

@@Devulini haha nice to meet you 😂

[@Devulini]

@ inice to meet you to!

[@Blossom_Screen]

Sideways may be gone… but his spirit lives on

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

It's an honor just to be compared to sideways. I know i'm not nearly as knowledgeable when it comes to music theory (even in Jazz band I was decent on the trumpet but couldn't improvise to save my life) but I'm deeply passionate about music and hope I can bring a unique perspective to how it relates to story/character in film/tv/musical theater

[@psychotophatcat]

Did Sideways officially quit or did something happen to him?

[@emackenzie]

​@@psychotophatcat he has a public post on his patreon from a few years back talking about why he hasn't been posting. He isn't intending to retire and even has a few videos already done but basically he's been dealing with a lot of personal tragedies and is frustrated with people (youtubers and professors alike) piggybacking off people's research with no credit given

[@LeoMayM]

@@psychotophatcat he made an announcement on KZbin community almost a year ago that he was coming back but IDK what came of that. I just hope he's okay though

[@Thatgamer-rz9ex]

People call Lin washed up but there is a pattern of him making insanely good music but only on the projects seems to care about and the ones he dose end up bad

[@nk-62782]

18:53 I had this on VHS growing up, and, no joke, was the first thing I watched in college after my family subscribed to Disney+ 😂 my grandma even got me some of those older Welch’s jelly jars with “you’re braver than you believe” and “you’re stronger than you seem” on them (sadly no “you’re smarter than you think”). Love that movie lol

[@reflectingPastChoices]

14:31 " _No. We're not talking about that here_ " >:( " _Frozen gets its own video_ " :D

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Ahaha :) Based on the interest in the comments, I may need to do frozen immediately after the next video I do (a similar length to this wicked analysis)

[@reflectingPastChoices]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Yes please ! :D

[@veggiet2009]

I feel like the filmmakers looked at all the problems of Frozen 2, and said "ok, don't do that" Because it seems like all the problems of Moana 2 are exactly opposite. Frozen 2 has fantastic songs with a muddled story, while Moana 2 has forgettable songs, but the story is actually pretty good once you get into it.

[@veggiet2009]

And while Frozen 2 kinda promised new characters but then giving them 0 screentime, but Moana 2 did give us new characters, with decent time spent with each one

[@kailet1997]

It's noticeable it's a kinda good story for a tv show,sadly. Logically speaking Moana's next development should've been learning to be a chief of the water and the land and teaching her people to navigate

[@maiyo2916]

IM SORRY FOR JOKING ON YOU LIN MANUEL MIRANDA, PLEASE RETURN FOR US😭

[@umiishiireal]

REAL😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@IceTea-]

I feel like shiny sounds WAY better in spanish than it does in english, hearing the bits in the video made me notice how rushed some of the lyrics sound i recomend to give the song a listen in spanish if you have a bad impression of the song!

[@ririflutter]

get lost was my favorite song too. her voice and the musical instruments were fantastic i wish the lyrics represented moana more too as the song confused me enough to the point i was unsure if she WAS actually a bad guy and tried to get moana lost on purpose lol. beautifully done just needed different lyrics. and i was GENUINELY waiting for moana to join in on the song. its like even as an audience member you cd tell what is missing. i feel like each song had this ONEE part that literally levitates you and if they honed in on that they could of been phenomenal.

[@TibbyChi]

We're back felt very much like a ending song

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Ooh that' an interesting point but I totally see it

[@caseyhauck7113]

We know the way is one of my favorite Disney songs. I’m pretty sure Lin gave them the recording with the intent to have someone else sing it, but they liked his version and asked if they could keep it in the final lol

[@iambadatnamingthings3547]

The get lost song always meant to me “you learned how to find your way when you’re lost, now you need to learn how to get lost on purpose” getting lost helps me build a mental map better than when I have a real map, Moana being able to find her way no matter what is kind of the same thing, she’s learned how to navigate and trust her instincts, and now she needs to learn to embrace uncertainty and learn from the journey itself, it’s not about expanding that trust in yourself to not just find your way but to understand the value of getting lost along the way

[@yeah3823]

this is such a great high quality video. never stop

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you so much! I'm hoping to do a couple more music/story analysis videos like these in the near future

[@thatlycantomboy]

the way my friends texted me “we’re back to the era of direct to dvd sequels” like a warning because I was actually in denial excited about it was so grim. anyway great analysis as always

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thanks!

[@white.red.r0se]

When the ad ends: 8:05

[@marsi1111]

I hope both sides of your pillow are cold tonight you're amazing

[@IAMMEEP]

4:33 you could also take this in a diffrent context as her asking "you can find happiness right?"

[@vincenthoule5643]

I miss the old disney animated musicals. Why we doesn't disney take risk to create an animated musical with tarditionnal brodway style like beauty and the beast and the huchback of notre dame anymore. I hate modern disney animated musical now espacially with Wish and Moana 2.

[@dalepirofsky3851]

Because why take a risk when people are still spending money watching these garbage movies. Just don’t fucking see the next one. Cancel your Disney plus. Vote with your wallet.

[@vincenthoule5643]

@dalepirofsky3851 I canceled disney plus and boycott disney already. I want to build an alliance to destroy modern disney. I want something original(not something generic).

[@Lord_Facilier]

I might be the only one, but I would’ve loved to see Moana 2 explore the idea of Moana balancing being chief, spending time with family, leading the way finders & maybe exploring a romantic relationship. Showing the difficulties in trying to balance things together teaching that a support system and people being there for you can be very beneficial while simultaneously teaching hard work is paid off and that asking for help isn’t always negative. I know Disney has done that trope before but it’s a classic one and who doesn’t love the classics💕

[@bernicekok6100]

My issue with Beyond was how much it sounds like Legends Never Die 💀😂

[@agraeyday8117]

This is how I know I am a KZbin nerd. I've only seen a few videos from this channel, and I haven't seen Moana 2 yet, but I did love the first. When he said this video was going to do an in-depth breakdown comparison of music in 1 and 2, and I saw it was a 53 minute long video, my thought was "heck yeah! let's go!" Anyways, you've got a new subscriber now.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Oh awesome so glad you enjoyed the video!

[@robertlauncher]

We should establish a difference between treading familiar ground and walking in the same footprints

[@user-hf6vy8xc4i]

A really pensive and comprehensive breakdown! The music from Moana is phenomenal! It’s the only soundtrack (minus the rocks song) I actively listen to from any Disney movie. Admittedly I was partial to Let it go tbh but, the reason I love listening to the Moana soundtrack is it’s ability to tell the narrative of Moana’s fleshed out character development and journey without having to be coupled with the visuals. I find this works really well thematically too with the culture it’s representing. It is also extremely emotively driven, the last song in particular where she realises Te Ka is actually Te Fiti, even though only a few lines long is one of the most powerful songs in the history of Disney. Not ashamed to say it chokes me up every time, hits you right in the feels! Side note: Did you get the part for the Star Trek audition you, I’m guessing were heading off to after filming this? 😉

[@gabimartinez8862]

I thought we left the “mush 3 episodes together and call it a movie” method in the early 2000s 😭

[@PPX14]

Just reached up to 10:22, after you've described the side characters. That sounds like the side characters 'need' to learn to deviate from their 'true selves' e.g. introversion, or dedication to one's craft to a fault; whereas Moana needed to just learn to be herself in the first one? Doesn't that make her less interesting? And isn't that two opposite messages? Maybe those side characters followed the moral of the first film for Moana to become who they 'really' are.

[@kogababe]

This def could have been a hit show, too bad they went for low-quality sequel instead

[@anonymousbee-zk7us]

"Mom, I want Moana 2" "We have Moana 2 at home" Moana 2 at home: its just the OG Moana, thanks mom 🙏 (I know this doesn't make any sense its 3 am 😭)

[@11MissingPhoenix]

😭😭

[@snowball03-boop]

That makes perfect sense, actually

[@emeraldlibrarian6112]

Every time I hear "Moana 2", all I can think of is Nana-two from "Peter Pan: Return to Neverland" lol

[@tiannaspence9671]

Everyone in around and I mention this to tell me I analyze the songs too much, but you said it right! It’s true!!! Using terms like “besties” and “rock and roll” just ruined it

[@Bluetowelkid]

I watched Moana 2 three hours ago, and I saw lyrics in this video I hadn’t even rembered. Meanwhile, i knew all the Moana 1 songs in the video by heart

[@360dom360]

We know the way is underrated. The feeling of discovery is palpable.

[@juliaceroberts]

It's my favourite song in the film

[@Void-x4p]

I think this movie could have been about Moana becoming leader and dealing with normal the struggles of that as well as having to balance traveling and leading

[@Neakco]

I know this video is about the music, but seeing the comparisons side by side makes me realize how the "smoothed" out her looks too. She was naturally pretty before and now it's like she is wearing make-up

[@MrsBees]

30:38 thank you for throwing that in. Hadestown is one of my favorite plays. I cry EVERY SINGLE TIME. They have some of the best music.

[@drawnwithlove3499]

Also can we applaud the cohesion of Moana 1's song titles? 'We Know The Way', 'Where You Are', 'I Know Who You Are', 'I Am Moana'. Most of the narrative-focused songs pertain to identity, the main theme of the movie. They're also all statements. Even 'You're Welcome' technically fits the theme of titles being statements or phrases. It's genius!

[@moonknight7043]

My niece watched that movie and cryed the whole time because she found it extremly terrifying

[@Freezient]

This so well made. We need more videos like this that actually have something more to say. Also about Beyond, not entirely disagreeing with the whole thing, but I think the difference between How Far and Beyond is more because since now she’s older now she’s more aware of the possible dangers waiting for her out there, since the song takes place after meeting Vasa, and how she learns that he died going on that journey. The young Moana didn’t have that or she did but she was more laser focused on the adventure itself and less about the perils of it all and I’d say her younger self is bit short sighted on that as well. Which is something that bothered me because it’s something she learned off screen 30:39 that’s Moni not Kele’s 32:08 this is funny cause the exact same thing happened in the novel version 36:51 really disagreed with this, she can be clever and tricky, while she didn’t technically tricked him, but she was clever enough to convince Maui to help her by saying he’s no longer a hero because he stole the heart, and she was clever enough to trick Tamatoa with the fake heart 42:53 but it was though they even said it in the movie

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

to your last point, they might say she did it for that reason, but that's not supported by the plot. Moana finds the clam because of the comet and her ancestor, not Maui. so it's more of a coincidence that they meet up at that point in terms of the narrative unfolding.

[@Freezient]

@ She also finds the clam because of the Kakamora and you’re kinda right about that, I don’t remember if she actually knows that Moana is coming or not, there seems to be a lot of offscreen things going on, in the novel apparently the gods were talking about Moana. In Matangi’s first appearance just looks like as if she’s threatening to hurt Moana only to then later say “jk I only kept you here so you and Moana can beat Nalo together” to Maui. A lot the stuff happening in this movie just have us/me filling in the blanks most of the time

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@Freezient i liked hiw the kakomura tied in a lot. Honestly more pivotal to the story and naturally integrated than Maui. Maui was really superfluous but the little coconut actually had a character arc all be it a minor. And all with no dialogue

[@Freezient]

@ Yes. Though I still do like Maui and seeing his character development and how his relationship with Moana really grows. In this movie, I think with Maui they could’ve have him form more connections with her crew, since right now it seems like he doesn’t care about anyone but Moana.

[@autumn_sunday]

I was so hyped for Moana 2. The first movie really resonated with me, because Moana felt just like me. A Polynesian teenager who wants to discover the world, not stay still. And even rewatching it now, I still love the movie. Like you pointed out, "Who needs a new song? This old one's all we need." Is what I grew up with a LOT. And, I mean a LOT. And I especially love Nanna Tala's "That voice inside is who you are", because that directly contrasts what everyone else believes. And that's what it feels like for me! Do I have to be okay with being the next person in a family that feels restricting, yet loving? I want to explore. I want to move somewhere like America to pursue what I really want to do... but right now, especially with all of the political drama and how washed out America actually feels, do I wanna go there? This is both pointed out in both movies. One is intentional ("Where I cannot go, but I long to be"), and one is not. One shows the longing I have for leaving home, but shows the complications that happen with doing such a difficult thing. The other shows how all of the complications have affected the people already there...

[@bibubbletea]

I don’t have any advice but I just wanted to say I hope you get to live your dreams, no matter what they are when you get older. You can carry on traditions while still being true to yourself and doing something different from your family.

[@Zora_TheSideCharacter]

To be faur, Moana is honestly one of the best disney movies out there, so any seaqual would have to be absalutly outstanding to not feel a little off

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

a fair point

[@LeoMayM]

lol sea-qual

[@_anxrchist_]

Every song in Moana 2 seem to be a copy and paste but worst somehow ? Every characters feel weird, the humor and even the lore seem totally different And even Moana has a different personality

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

It makes so much sense when you think of the plot as SET-UP for a second movie. But making it its own feature film means that it feels like a waste of time, rather than being a fun treat on disney plus

[@elitheenby4207]

36:59 she did trick Tamatoa with the fake heart, but your point stands

[@arrexu01]

the problem is that Moana never needed a second movie

[@dominiciancabatit6012]

Moana 1 made me cry when the granny died and the song heightened the emotion. And I love that she came back to Moana during her time of doubt and instead of telling her to be a hero, she tells her that it's okay whatever her decision would be, that giving up is also okay. It was beautiful. Moana 2 on the other, I didn't even watch it. 😅

[@snowball03-boop]

14:31 That was too smooth. "Into the un-" "NO."

[@michipeachy69]

if disney still held itself to its old standards this movie would have been straight to streaming

[@ombrenightcores]

Lion King 2 was straight to DVD but this got a theater release 😭

[@Beeps654]

For me,my all time favourite Disney movie song is “Where I long to be” because it’s just sounds amazing!the vocals are also really nice and it’s just a really nice song! 👍

[@sophiavallas6465]

As a cast member who is VERY close friends with Moana (iykyk), the second movie really let me down. As a performer, it is exceptionally difficult to catch the beat when performing the songs from the second movie and answering questions about Moana's little sister is very difficult due to all details given in back pocket stories being required to be cannon and the sister being nothing more than a prop. Most of the time when a sequel is released, the parks will continue to use the original costume for a character as it is more identifiable, however this is not the case for Moana, and I suspect it has something to do with the modesty of her first outfit. The character didnt feel like she developed in any meaningful way which is very disheartening for me and many other performers who are all friends with Moana.

[@scottsworldetmnins3171]

Cnat wait for the Frozen to Frozen 2 vid

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Gotta go talk about wicked first, but then... then the time of frozen approaches...

[@scottsworldetmnins3171]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Concerned yet interested lol

[@catduck2112]

Winnie the Pooh and the Search for Christopher Robin is one of my all-time favorite movies, I've seen it over 20 times!

[@Brightstar28]

MAUI SHOULD HAVE PERMANENTLY LOST HIS POWERS ok I’m done

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Agreed

[@PrettyGoat_]

5:34 I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THIS SONG IS! its sounds really good and I’m a sucker for anything that is remotely musical and has a similar theme to ‘in the heights’

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

it... it is in the heights

[@PrettyGoat_]

@ ….now I feel dumb, thx anyway! I think I somehow skipped over the song-

[@mitunacaptor9819]

my little sister and me were so excited seeing the trailer to this movie as we are very far off as age goes we thought we would be able to relate to this movie . We were really sad at the end realizing adding her in changed nothing and she barely was apart of the movie .

[@wildtamer4461]

very excited to watch this video narrated by none other than Captain Kirk

[@appaatemomo-freePalestine]

I haven't seen the second but this was a great taste of it and very interesting musical analysis! Also when I first clicked on this video I thought you were Data from Star Trek

[@krystaloftheshores]

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work just can’t be replicated.

[@shineyluna1268]

I legitimately believe that Moana2 would have been better with no songs at all Beyond actively made me confused about what Moana's conflict actually was

[@Nobody-235-1]

Well made video. Great job.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you!

[@Nobody-235-1]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Also, I agree with you, Moana 2 definitely should’ve been a TV show.

[@nonbinarymess]

holy shit this video is an hour???! I felt like it was 5 minutes cuz it was so compelling. (also that short film looks awesome)

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

A) thank you got the kind words B) thats kind of you to say. We did a lot with the limitations we had

[@wetry3371]

Honestly, love the in-depth analysis and overall fair comparison made between the two soundtracks, I agree completely with almost all these points

[@JoannaMorlan]

Excellent analysis!

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Thank you for the kind words

[@amethyst_stori]

Why does the girl who says “technically speaking perfections a myth” have an accent? Not like she has an original sound, but she literally sounds like she’s from New Zealand or Australia. That’s wild 😅

[@J4smlne_2]

51:13 they gave Maui's tattoos and powers back for marketing reasons since withouthis powers maui wouldn't need his iconic hook and IMO he looks bad without the also iconic tattoos

[@MortenBendiksen]

Picard is hitting his face thinking "Why did I ask him what he thought of the music?"

[@Mysisterhadababy]

THE CLIP FROM THE HADESTOWN MUSICAL MADE ME GO NUTS!! I just saw that musical and it's so good... not a single song I hate from it... to see that clip added in felt so oddly amazing lmao

[@cb034]

a lot of the complaints in this movie were the same ones I had with Inside Out 2. It felt very very similar to the first movie with Joy and Riley essentially not having learned anything from the first movie (which is sort of acceptable because Riley, and thus her emotions, are pre-teens), but it felt very stagnant. It wasn't bad, it had some emotionally resonant moments, but it felt so small compared to the first one.

[@SkyBlue12.5.01]

Honestly, I really like the scenes with the emotions in Inside Out 2, but I hated when Riley and all the other people were on the screen. I just feel like there isn't really anything going on when we cut back to Riley. Like "dang, my friends are going to a different school. Guess I'll ignore them and try to get on the sports team. Dang my actions have consequences, panic time."

[@WildTamara]

Guy reminds me of Mr. Data from Star Trek. Maybe it's just the lighting shade and the shirt? Anywho, cool vid.

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Which Disney Song is your Favorite??? (I'm torn between Son of Man, Everybody wants to be A Cat, and Cruella Deville *cause you know... FAT HORNS!)

[@crystalforetia5617]

Heaven's light / Hellfire

[@kristalgic1534]

Everybody Wants to Be a Cat is amazing, but Somewhere I Belong and I'll Make A Man Out of You are my favorites

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@kristalgic1534 ooh great picks

[@benjisaac]

Out There, dos oruguitas

[@nanitaylor8073]

“I see the light” tangled

[@dani_draws_stuff]

I think in beyond when she says “I am moana! Of the land and of the sea!” Its hinting to her becoming a demigod at the end of the movie kinda of like how maui is demigod of the land and sea

[@k-sf1ld]

ooh, nice catch!

[@eerielconstantine5051]

I cried during the first movie, and this second one just didn’t have the same oomph. I was so disappointed we didn’t get another shiny crab song 😂

[@lukeferrous]

New to this channel. At 18:53 and please please PLEASE tell me you have a video on Pooh's Grand Adventure: the Search for Christopher Robin. That movie holds up! The music is great!! I still cry at Wherever You Are!

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

Not yet but will hopefully be able to get to it eventually. That's top 3 disney movies EASILY for me. Probably the most worn out VHS i had

[@lukeferrous]

@@TheWritersBlockOfficial Yesssssss I'd love to see that. Finished the video, I really enjoyed your analysis. I'll be sure to check out your other stuff!

[@TheWritersBlockOfficial]

@lukeferrous thank you so much!

[@gianmarcoc7186]

You want to know which movie has an incredible soundtrack, composed by Brian Tyler? Transformers One! That's right, the movie that has impeccable writing also has impeccable music. It's coming back to theatres on February 1st in Canada, and soon in the U.S! Go Watch it! Unlike Moana, it has no flaws. With a 4.9 star rating from both fans and critics, I'm sure that if you're reading this comment, you'll love it.

[@AudreyAnderson-she36]

Yesss, Hadestown referenced!

[@ThatTheatreKid236]

they should've got Lin back for moana 2