I would have seen this in a theater if only it had a better reception. Nearly everyone deems it not on the same tier as its predecessor, and some make it out to be borderline rotten. But since I enjoyed Frozen II for all its flaws, M2 looked like a fair bet for me.
Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho), now 19, retains popularity on Motunui as a successful wayfinder, but she won't rest on her laurels. A mystical message tells her to search for Motufutu, an ancestral island that storm god Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea'i) sank out of sheer spite. As soon as a human touches it, the curse will be broken and many Polynesians can unite there. Since divine hero Maui (Dwayne Johnson) isn't exactly on call, Moana sets out without him at first, albeit with a lot more company than before: Moni (Hualalai Chung), a Maui-idolizing young historian; Loto (Rose Matafeo), an enthused engineer who seems to have been born in the wrong century; and Kele (David Fane), a reluctant elderly curmudgeon who doesn't trust anyone else to keep the edible plants for the crew. Eventually, they'll go where the sentient ocean can't protect them.
Three more passengers are untalkative. Heihei the rooster (Alan Tudyk) hasn't stopped strutting the line between asset and liability. I was pleased to see Pua the pig join the voyage as well, tho he doesn't offer much besides cuteness. And the coconutoid Kakamora serve a more important, less villainous function this time, with one blowgunner sticking around for the long run.
On the subject of morally gray characters, we get Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), a witchy Nalo appointee rather than the Hindu goddess. She's creepy and makes her entrance as Maui's captor, but she appears to wish Moana success. Her minions are bats, and I have mixed feelings about their depiction. Only Nalo is an unambiguous antagonist.
Maui still merits second billing. He's as vain as ever, but at least he's come to care deeply about Moana. He's gotten better at assuming situation-appropriate animal forms when not feeling facetious. He also does more to channel Aladdin's Genie, not in high-speed zany antics so much as foreknowledge of modern things.
One reviewer complained about Moana having a kid sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), instead of a daughter. I would counter that (1) Simea acts older than three years, (2) it would be awkward to see Moana as a mother when she previously had no love interest, and (3) Disney princesses, even when married young, are never shown as mothers. I'd sooner complain that Simea doesn't have much reason to exist from a writing standpoint. I guess she adds a little sweetness and humor, but the Wikipedia summary doesn't mention her.
Perhaps the biggest red flag for this movie was the absence of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Nonetheless, I don't consider the music significantly worse. It's similar in its levels of cultural authenticity and context specificity. Less catchy? I'd have to hear it more times to know.
Frankly, I don't see what the naysayers have against M2. The plot's no cornier than in M1. Moana hasn't become any more of a Mary Sue. The visual spectacles are no less colorful. Nothing morally controversial happens. I might even prefer M2 for having more major characters and being less randomly episodic. Yes, it rushes enough that it might work better as a TV series, but I rather like having a 100-minute version.
M2 is one of those sequels that doesn't feel "necessary" or especially fresh, but you should have a good idea of what you'll get out of it. If you or your kids are ready for a fun PG movie, go ahead.
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