Moana 2 (Film)

Was it as good as the first movie? I haven't seen it in awhile but my guess is it wasn't. The original creators didn't come back, Lin Manuel-Miranda didn't do the songs, and this was originally designed for television (which is a bad sign).

But let me be blunt. Even if it's not as good as the first film, that's not a demand I have for sequels. I think that's a very weird demand myself, which makes the fact that it's a common one perplexing to me.

I actually understood the logic of Disney making it a film. It's too big for television.

I've seen plenty of television better than it. But as a rule television does not do good with big. More often than not the bigness collapses in on itself. For a weekly small-screen outing in 22 minute increments, this would not have worked. Especially because it's more ambitious than the first film. This film doesn't remotely make the first film look bad for that. But a TV series might have.

Didn't care for the tag teasing a sequel. Might have been appropriate for a TV finale, but once it became a film they should have dropped it. Although it WAS funny seeing Jermaine Clement as the crab guy again.

My favorite line was Moana insisting she's a not a Princess, and Maui saying in a knowing and meta matter, "But some people THINK you are." I see what he did there.

I also laughed at the term Moanabes.

The ending of Moana gaining some demigod status feels right. It is realistic that all these new types of people coming together would not have erupted in conflict and racism? No, and that's why I liked it! Sometimes positivity is needed in pop-culture even if it's unrealistic. Art sometimes needs to set the proper tone and example for society, ESPECIALLY if society is currently failing the lesson being taught. It's not remotely believable, but this is a kids movie, and that's the right message for kids. So there.

I feel that worked and I was satisfied with it. 4 stars.