In Moana 2, Moana is back with Maui and some new buddies for another wild journey. It all starts when she gets this unexpected message from her ancestors that really shakes things up. She ends up heading out over the mysterious and somewhat dangerous waters of Oceania. It’s gonna be an adventure like she’s never had before!

At its heart, the movie is about how the ocean actually connects people instead of separating them. Pretty cool, huh? It was originally supposed to be a series on Disney+, but they decided to roll it out as a full-on movie. Not surprising—going to watch movies on big screens is getting popular again after everyone binge-watched everything at home.

The film dives deeper into some meaningful stuff thanks to writers Jared Bush (yep, he worked on the first Moana), Dana Ledoux Miller, and Bek Smith. This time around, we see Moana going through some serious growth—she’s growing into adulthood in this tale where her main goal is to bring together different Pacific Island communities. Now that she’s officially leading her village, Moana has never been more confident—you can totally see it just by watching how she carries herself!

In another part of the story, Vaiana finds herself needing to leave her island behind in search of any other humans out there. The whole thing’s kind of like us humans searching for stars or aliens—it’s fascinating yet a bit terrifying at once.

Being a Disney flick made for everyone, you bet that Vaiana’s run-ins with people from other islands are filled with themes of friendship and kinship. But what’s interesting is…
We’ve got this story about a grumpy sea god named Nalo who just isn’t cool with humans getting close and friendly with each other. He was so bothered by it back in the day that he ended up sinking an island, and now Vaiana has to track it down. The island supposedly connects all the others through some secret pathways.

Vaiana’s mission might seem super tough since she’s got hardly any resources to work with, but that’s kind of what makes her journey relatable, especially for young people. It’s packed with challenges but sweetened by her awesome buddies: there’s Loto, a smart inventor who’s pretty much the key to everything; then you’ve got this funny crew—with Heihei, a goofy rooster who doesn’t say much, and Pua, the cutest pig ever; not forgetting Kele, the farmer who loves a good sailing adventure. These pals really bring the whole quest to life!

Also tagging along is an older dude who’s really into farming for survival—it’s his jam. Plus there’s Moni, a big guy who’s useful when things get rough although personality-wise he’s kind of flat.

And how can we forget Maui from the first Oceania adventure? He’s this super cool demigod with moving tattoos and shape-shifting powers! Keeping things fun are those kooky Kakamora warriors—coconut pirates! Among them, there’s Kotu, who’s like this awesome ninja inside a coconut shell.

While Vaiana’s parents stay on land doing their thing, her little sister Simea jumps into the action too. She’s full of wonder and has this irresistibly cute chubby face!
This movie’s got a magical vibe going on, thanks to Grandma Tala’s spirit keeping an eye on Vaiana. Plus, Tautai Vasa brings some ancient wisdom about other folks beyond the reef. Matangi adds a mysterious touch, questioning everything Vaiana thought she knew, hanging out with flying foxes and all.

There’s a new song called “Perditi,” which brings something fresh to the mix. Though, if I’m honest, the music doesn’t quite hit as hard as it did in the first movie. But honestly, who cares? The animation steals the show anyway.

The film is visually stunning and blends elements like water, earth, fire, and air in really cool ways. With awesome directors like David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller on board, this film comes to life with fantastic animation style—it’s like they made the ocean its own character that’s interacting with everyone around it! The ocean isn’t just a backdrop here; it’s full of personality and feels super alive.