After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced. (from IMDB)

The 2016 Disney animated feature Moana was a magical musical designed to celebrate the Polynesian culture. It ended up being a huge success, and finally, after 8 years, Moana 2 has arrived. Believe it or not, Moana 2 was originally designed to be a mini-series for the studio's streaming service, Disney Plus, but a year ago the decision was made to condense the episodes into a feature-length film, and so Moana 2 was born.

Moana 2 takes place 3 years after the events of the first movie, when she receives a message from her ancestors to try to find the hidden island of Motufetu. She ends up assembling a ragtag wayfinding crew and sets out across the ocean in search of the island. This journey inevitably reunites her with the demigod Maui and she soon finds the trek to change her life, as she knows it, forever.

In my opinion, the charm of the first film was the relationship of, and chemistry between, Moana and Maui. I get that repeating it as-is for a second time might feel too much like a retread, but I had trouble warming up to Moana's merry little band of wayfinders. Loto is a spunky and tough female character that bordered on obnoxious, but rode that line throughout the course of the film -- making it seem like she was about to tip over into unbearable at any moment. Thankfully, however, she doesn't (which makes me wonder if a second watch would sit better). Moni is a strapping young lad who adds a little extra muscle to Moana's team, but the fact he's presented as an over-the-top Maui fanboy is a joke that wears thin super fast. Alongside Loto, this also illustrates the modern day tough-girl, girly-guy trope that Disney has been pushing for several years now. Loto is the stronger character, while Moni melts over meeting his superhero (in the same way a girl might gush over a brawny dude like Maui). It's weird. (And with Disney not hiding any of their questionable modern day agendas, it's hard not to question any character choices they make anymore.) To round out the new team, we have another fella, but this time it's a grumpy old man named Kele. Not only does he not want to be there, but he pretty much just exists as an attempt at additional comic relief. Personally, I wasn't vibing with the choice.

But one thing this entry does seem to improve upon is Maui himself. He was kind of a joke in the first film, having him separated from his magical hook. (Guys, he's basically Thor and his hammer, when you think about it.) This time around, Maui is pretty much in top form, and he's got his mojo back. I really enjoyed this more confident and heroic version of Maui. Furthermore, he and Moana were a bit at-odds with each other the first time around, and here, they're not only friends, but they clearly care about each other, and that is especially endearing.

The story is a lot more of what you got the first time around - mystical creatures, magical happenings, ancestral apparitions, and supernatural threats. If you're uncomfortable with any of that stuff - especially if you were with the first movie - you're not going to like Moana 2. And this sequel is just as much a musical as the first one was (something that I had grown more weary of with a recent rewatch of it), but I'd argue that none of the new songs are all that memorable (although, like "Your Welcome" from the first movie, Maui offers up my favorite song of the film again here). Everything in the sequel may be a bit average in comparison to the first outing, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable of a feature - particularly if you enjoyed the first one. (For example, my wife loves the 2016 movie and she really enjoyed this sequel.)

One of the likely byproducts of it being stitched together from a mini-series is the about-face the movie does regarding the villains. There's an overarching big bad for the story, named Nalo, but he isn't really seen until the mid-credits bonus scene. When we meet Maui again, he's being held captive by a creepy demigoddess who controls bats, named Matangi. But when Moana comes in contact with her, she reveals herself to be the victim of Nalo, and she's quick to want to help Moana on her quest. I'm not gonna lie - the way it's done is confusing. With that said, the real villain is really only teased - Thanos style - in the middle of the end credits, which makes one wonder if we can expect a Moana 3, or some form of that mini-series, sometime in the near future.

I need to bring up one major plot point, but it's a huge SPOILER. A big one. So I suggest skipping this paragraph if spoilers matter to you. Again, it's a significant major plot point and definitely a SPOILER, so don't be miffed as if you weren't warned. .... OK... So, thematically, things get surprisingly heavy when, after a warning from Maui that this journey will likely get Moana killed, it basically does. Yes, she's hit by a bolt of lightning while under the water, and it kills Moana. Maui rushes to save her and ends up cradling her dead body tearfully as her ancestors come to witness this. To give us the Disney Happy Ending, she's revived - and even given a sleeve of those gnarly tattoos Maui has - which means... wait for it... you guessed it: Moana is now a demigoddess herself. This seems like a huge deal considering that Moana went from basically your everyday kinda gal - albeit heroic - to a flippin' demigod! I'm kinda curious to see where they'll take her character from here, but way to completely bypass "princess" and make your heroine about as fantastical as she can get, Disney! I'm curious how little girls might receive this transformation.

Overall, Moana 2, while unnecessary, is a decent sequel, and a fun animated feature. Is it as good as the original? No, but there's enough here to make it worth checking out for fans. The themes of the movie can be a little heavy (I'm hinting at that aforementioned spoiler), but it's nothing too far out of the ordinary for magical Disney movies. I can imagine a third Moana movie could feel a little redundant, but there just might be enough change teased by the end of this one to make the idea of a third outing seem a bit more interesting.

Moana 2 is available now at digital retailers. It comes with a decent amount of extras, including:

FEATURETTES

1. Call of the Wayfinder
2. A New Voyage
3. Songs of the Sea
4. Join the Crew
5. Kakamora Chronicles
6. Fun in the Booth

DELETED SCENES (Play All)

1. Director Introduction to Deleted Scenes
2. Call to Motufetu
3. Late to the Party
4. Crew's in for a Bruisin'
5. Help Wanted
6. Odd Birds
7. Reunited
8. Simea's Chant