- MOANA 2
- Starring the voices of: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson and Alan Tudyk
- Directed by: David G. Derrick Jr., ason HandDana and Ledoux Miller
- Rated: PG
- Running time: 1 hr 40 mins
- Walt Disney Pictures
Our score: 3.5 out of 5
On an island somewhere in the ocean, a young girl and her companions – a pig and a chicken – make their way to the top of a mountain. There they can look out over the land. The girl, named Moana (Cravalho) blows into a large conch shell, hoping to get a response. But she is only greeted by silence. Maybe next time?
A beautifully presented continuation of the 2016 hit, “Moana 2” finds our title character growing up and mounting a long, dangerous tip to the far seas of Oceania, where she is convinced she will find other civilizations. Besides her two animal pals, she is accompanied on the journey by youthful Moni (Hualalai Chung), the industrious Simea ( Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), and the elder Kele (David Fane). Their trip is full of peris, with each day bringing a new adventure.
It is amazing what can be done with animation these days. I’ve always found the hardest things to animate realistically are hair and water. Something always made them seem just a little…”off.” Not here. The film is beautifully rendered and the ocean waves are so realistic you may find yourself ducking for fear of getting wet when they splash onto the shore. The story is straightforward but quite dark at times. Thankfully there are brief respites of humor, most of it provided by the amazing Maui (Johnson), obviously having fun with the role. The other characters are standard Disney-fare – Moni could be a distant relative of “Beauty and the Beast” tough-guy Gaston, while Kele is the atypical “the sky is falling” character, casting doubt at every turn. But, also following in the Disney tradition, are some great songs beautifully performed.
Overall, while younger children may be frightened by some of the images, the older ones (my two grandchildren included) should have a fun time.
On a scale of zero to five I give “Moana 2” ★★★1/2.