Over the past few weeks, theatres have been buzzing with new movies. Among these, is Moana 2, which is looking to follow the success of the first Moana from 2016. 

Moana 2 is set three years after the original film’s debut. It follows the explorer Moana as she embarks on a journey to find other civilizations along the ocean. Throughout this journey, Moana packs her ship with people from her island who each bring a new skill to her excursion. Of course, the demigod Maui manages to go with her on the trip and help her solve the challenges that they face along the way. 

One interesting new character introduced during the movie was Simea, Moana’s sister. This new character plays a crucial role in emphasizing the leadership and family love that Moana requires.

According to Tech Radar, the movie is currently rated 4 out of 5 stars. Many agree that the pros of this movie include the stunning ocean animation and the capturing of many aspects of Polynesian culture. 

Sophomore student Georgia Brennan absolutely adored the movie. She explained how “the plot of the second version is engaging and [she likes] how we got to see more people from Moana’s hometown,  Motunui.” This film definitely captures the relationships that Moana has built while earning her status in her hometown. 

After watching the movie, I would say that the only thing that was lacking was the musical aspect of the sequel. In the first Moana, we see #1 hit songs including “You’re Welcome,” “How Far I’ll Go, ” and my favorite song, “Shiny.” These songs were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the audience loved the vocals and construction behind them. However, I found that the songs in Moana 2 didn’t have the same effect as the original songs: they felt forced and lacked the catchiness of the music in the original film. 

On Rotten Tomatoes, Dwayne Johnson speaks of the struggles of crafting the new music, saying how “it was hard to top” songs like “You’re Welcome” from the first movie, but the new songwriters Abigail Barlo and Emily Bear could try to create different songs with different sentiments. As Maui and Moana have already developed their relationship, this new sentiment of the music involves a hopeful tone that Maui believes can guide Moana along their journey. 

Ultimately, many people, including myself, really enjoyed the movie and the new dimensions that it brought to Moana’s story. Currently, the cast is working on a live-action movie for us to enjoy. Finally, those who stayed to the end credits speculate that there may be a Moana 3 in the future. As of now, Moana 2 is still in theatres, so what are you waiting for, go watch it.