“Moana 2” might be making the big bucks, but, honestly, the sequel to the 2016 computer-animated family fantasy doesn’t deserve any praise or recognition. How this sequel found an audience is beyond me. It is really that bad.
The writing, for all intents and purposes, is just subpar. My knowledge of movies helps us out quite a bit. I used to work at a video store. At the time, one of the biggest moneymakers were direct-to-video sequels, especially from the Disney Corporation, which is now a giant conglomerate.
I remember in 1994 “The Return of Jafar,” a direct sequel to “Aladdin” (1992). The late Robin Williams, who voiced the blue genie in the original, was very popular. The sequel, without Williams as Genie, was a piece of poo-poo.
“Moana 2” reminds me of that one because it’s slapped together with duct tape, essentially. Original voices Auli’i Cravalho as the title character and Dwayne Johnson as Maui both return for the second go-round. Cravalho and Johnson are fine in their vocal performances.
At least they didn’t phone it in. They did their jobs, but writers Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller and Bek Smith form the weak link. As Jane Lynch often says on the “Weakest Link” TV game show, “You are the weakest link, goodbye.”
Disney branding might appear to some to make this sequel a sure thing. Instead, though, “Moana 2” is a sure letdown. The money is coming in, but the entertainment quality is going out.
It’s a decent production to look at, but it goes back to things I’ve said in the past. Just because it’s an ocean-set movie, that doesn’t mean it’s a quality production.
Since “Moana 2” is bringing in near-record money, there will undoubtedly be a “Moana 3” to hit the beach and streaming services in the future. Seeing two of these computer-animated tales is more than enough for me. I’ve had it with this brain drain. I will probably show up anyway if duty calls.
Grade: D-
