Moana 2 (2024)

If you're going to set sail again, you better have a good reason. That's the question hanging over Moana 2 from the moment it opens, and honestly, it never quite answers it with the conviction I was hoping for. But let me be fair to it, because fair is what it deserves.

I watched this with my six year old son, and by the most important metric available to any kids' film, it passed with flying colours: he was glued to it. Start to finish, not a single "is it nearly over?" or a wander off to find a snack. For a film aimed squarely at that age group, that's genuinely the biggest win on the board. My ten year old daughter, though, who absolutely loved Moana (2016), didn't even make it to the credits. She drifted off somewhere in the middle, and I think that tells you something about where this sequel sits. It works brilliantly for the littlest ones, but it doesn't quite hold the whole family in the same grip the original did.

Here's what I can't fault: the animation is genuinely stunning. The water, the skies, the textures on every frame. Whoever was at the controls of the visuals deserves serious credit, because there are moments in this film that are breathtaking to look at. The voice acting is on point too. Everyone brings warmth and energy, and you never feel like you're watching people going through the motions of a cash-in sequel.

The story itself is touching enough. There's heart in it. The themes around community, belonging and pushing beyond what you think you're capable of land with enough sincerity that I wasn't rolling my eyes. But something was missing, and I've been turning it over since the credits rolled trying to work out exactly what.

I think it comes down to the songs. The first film had music that burrowed into your brain and stayed there. "How Far I'll Go" still gets me. And look, I know sequels can't just repeat the same tricks, but none of the new songs hit with the same force. They're pleasant. Some are genuinely enjoyable. But I wasn't leaning forward in my seat the way I did watching Maui strut his stuff in "You're Welcome", which brings me to the elephant in the room: leaving that song out entirely was a bold choice. I'd go further and say it was a questionable one. My son didn't miss it because he doesn't know it yet. I missed it. A lot.

There's also something about the scale of the adventure that feels slightly off. The original had this quality where the ocean felt genuinely vast and the stakes felt real. Here, the journey is fun, the set pieces are energetic and well crafted, but I never quite felt that same sweep. It's a smaller film dressed up in bigger clothes, if that makes sense.

None of which makes it a bad film. It genuinely isn't. It's colourful, warm, well voiced and, for the right audience, thoroughly entertaining. If you've got young kids, they'll love it. Three and a half stars feels right: solid, enjoyable, worth your time on a weekend afternoon, just not the ocean-sweeping epic the first one was.

The impossible standard set by the original is probably doing a lot of work in my disappointment here. That film was something special, and this one is in its shadow rather than standing beside it. Worth a watch, but go in with your expectations adjusted accordingly.

Rating: ★★★  | Year: 2024  | Watched: 2025-03-22

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Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

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