December 5, 2024 – The sequel to the popular Disney animated film really doesn't make much sense, but it has enough in the way of songs, jokes, brilliant art work and adventure to be appealing, nonetheless.

The story, which appears to have been made up as they went along, has Moana, three years after her first big adventure, looking for another island near her home island of Motunui, but finding nothing. Then, she is called upon in a vision, and a sign in the sky, to once again do battle with a mean god, Nalo, who threatens all Polynesians, not just those on her own island. Her quest this time is to reunite all of her people on all their far flung islands, and once again she summons the aid of the demigod, Maui.

This adventure requires a crew bigger than just Moana, a brainless chicken and a cowardly pig, so she recruits cranky farmer and cook, Keke, tech craftsman Loto and brawny historian Moni to help her on her quest. This time they are going to need a bigger boat. Moana also receives guidance from her ancestors, the great wayfarer, Tautai Vasa, and her late grandmother, Tala. Numerous other ancestors also appear from the great beyond in one scene.

The ultimate goal of this quest is to lift Nalo's curse by raising the lost island of Motufetu, and they need Maui's help for that, but he has been captured and needs to be rescued. Along the way Moana's party encounters the Kakamora tribe. Moana encountered them in the first film, too. The directors of this film, David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, along with the writers, Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller and Bek Smith seem to be making an effort to put Polynesian beliefs and culture in the forefront of this movie.

Moana and her crew also encounter another powerful demigod, Matangi. Her relationship to Moana, Maui and Nalo is complicated. Moana and her crew, along with Maui encounter many hardships along the way, and their quest becomes increasingly dangerous. A Marvel-like post-credits scene provides a basis for a sequel. Given the tremendous box office success of this film, there probably will be another sequel in the Moana series.

There is some similarity to Marvel movies in this story. There is a greater emphasis on magic. There are superheroes at work. Ordinary people can't save themselves. They need a magical superhero to save them. Some people, including Watchmen creator Alan Moore, have called movie superheroes, “ ... white supremacist dreams of the master race.” Of course, Moana isn't white, but most superheroes, the most popular ones, are. This story is a bit better than that, because at least some non-royal, ordinary people step up to help themselves.

This movie, unlike most superhero movies, has a lot of comedy in it. It is energized by some nice songs, interesting characters, and impressive animation artwork. I saw this movie in 3D, which is a more immersive presentation than 2D, and it had impressive depth. This movie rates a C+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2024 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at