Moana, an animated Disney movie released in November 2016, captivated the world with a unique and cultural storyline immediately after it came out. Because of this, the announcement of Moana 2 was a massive anticipation for audiences around the world. However, this sequel might not have been what many people expected.
Overall, the launch of Moana 2 on November 27 was successful, claiming the record of the biggest five-day debut in history. Its worldwide box office is currently at almost $602 million, quickly catching up with Moana 1 at $686 million.
Despite its successful launch, Moana 2 has left its audience with mixed feelings. Movie sequels tend to be less enjoyable than the original; originals are seen as more high-quality and enticing, whereas sequels are known to be rushed and less creative. The Spectator mentions that sequels are a good idea to make if the goal is bringing in more money at the box office. With this information, it is clear Moana 2 has done its monetary job.
However, Moana 2 was never supposed to be a movie. In fact, it was meant to be a T.V. show. Variety mentions that the project shifted from a series to a sequel due to revenue incentive and cultural impact, as well as impressive feedback from early footage.
Music is a key accessory to Moana’s success, from “How Far I’ll Go” sung by Auli’i Cravalho to “You’re Welcome” sung by Dwayne Johnson. This could not have been achieved without Lin-Manuel Miranda, an award-winning songwriter and the brains behind many films’ well-loved soundtracks.
However, he did not work on the songs in Moana 2 due to working on other projects. This led to songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear making the songs for Moana 2. To say the least, the music style they went for differs from Miranda’s style. This made the soundtrack for Moana 2 debatable for many film music lovers.
When asked what they thought about the soundtrack for Moana 1 in comparison to the soundtrack of Moana 2, theatergoers reported “There’s just nothing that can compare to the first Moana movie” and “The songs were worse, but there were more songs in Moana 2 than Moana 1”.
When asked about their satisfaction with Moana 2, they said, “They should have left Moana 1 as it is because there’s no point in Moana 2” and “I feel like it was just a waste of time”.
River Country, a country music radio station, reported that “Moana 2 has some moments that will tug on the old heart strings, but doesn’t seem to find the magic the first one brought.”
Overall, Moana 2 does not seem to be a must-watch or an absolute fan favorite. Especially compared to the original film Moana 1, it failed to live up to expectations set by its audience. Theatergoers would recommend watching Moana 2 “For fun if you want to go out with your friends… but overall, probably not.” We can only hope Moana 3 satisfies audience expectations and compensates for Moana 2.
