In “Moana 2”, the Disney heroine is less reckless but no longer sets off on adventures alone

CINEMA – Moana returns to sea. After freeing the goddess Te Fiti and becoming the leader of the island Motunui in the first Vaiana released in 2016, the Disney heroine restored navigation at sea for her people. Looking for other peoples of Oceania in Vaiana 2 by David G. Derrick Jr, which has been in theaters since Wednesday, November 27, she surrounds herself with a new crew to carry out her perilous journey.

In this second part, we find Vaiana three years after the events of the first film, when she is elevated to the honorary rank of “Tautai” (navigator in Polynesian). During the ceremony, she meets her legendary ancestor Tautai Vasa (discussed in the first film), who guides her on a journey to the extinct island of Motufetū. This ancient meeting place for the indigenous peoples of Oceania is now cursed by the storm god Nalo, the film's big bad.

At the same time, we follow the adventure of the demigod Maui – still played by Dwayne Johnson (Anthony Kavanagh in French) – who accompanied Moana in the first opus. He leads his own battle against the goddess Matangi, a bat woman under Nalo's orders. But it won't be long before the paths of the two former companions cross again in the Pacific.

A less confident Vaiana, but more surrounded

In this Vaiana 2the navigator who has become a young adult seems much less reckless than during her adolescence. She, who wanted at all costs to travel on the waves, even if it meant upsetting her family, is this time almost pushed by those close to her to take to the sea. Except perhaps by her little sister Simea who fears not to see her again, and who symbolizes the extent to which Moana is anchored in her lands.

In addition to her pig Pua and her rooster Hei Hei, the Disney heroine then decides to recruit a team to accompany her on her new odyssey. It is made up of Loto, the perfectionist carpenter, Kolo, the grumpy farmer and Novi, an absolute fan of Maui.

On the sea, this dysfunctional crew will try to find their cruising rhythm, particularly in music. Thus, five new unreleased songs partly compose the film's soundtrack, including What could be better? (What Could Be Better Than This ? en VO) where Moana tries to train her new sailors.

These new traveling companions have the role of supporting Vaiana, but also of remobilizing her when she begins to doubt her abilities. Especially since the one who forms a special relationship with the sea, seems to be abandoned by the latter halfway.

A sequel in the footsteps of the first

As the 63rd “Animation Classic”, Vaiana 2 is part of the long list of sequels produced by Disney studios, after Frozen 2 (2019) or the Pixar co-production Vice-Versa 2, released earlier this summer. Far from reinventing the genre, the feature film is essentially based on the strong points that made the success of the first: an adventure film, very singing and with Polynesian mythology as its underlying theme.

The latter once again holds an important place in the film, as evidenced for example by the return of the Kakamora, these adorable but dangerous pirates from the first film. To best illustrate this culture, it was David G. Derrick Jr, the first Samoan director in Disney history, who directed this second part.

Disney / DISNEY

The amazing duo led by Maui and Vaiana is back in this second part.

After this second animated film, the Moana franchise will continue with a live action remake of the first, scheduled for July 8, 2026. But the adventure will probably not stop there, because in Vaiana 2the director clearly suggests that the navigating heroine will also be entitled to a third animated odyssey.

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