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Moana 2 (also known as Vaiana 2 or Oceania 2 in some markets) is a 2024 American animated musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to Moana (2016) and the second installment in the Moana franchise. The film was directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller (in their feature directorial debuts) and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Miller. Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, and Alan Tudyk all reprise their roles from the first film, with Hualālai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Awhimai Fraser, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, and Gerald Ramsey joining the cast.
Plot
Following her adventure in Maui and Te Fiti, Moana spends her days exploring new islands in hopes to find other people who are connected to the ocean. She gets a vision from her ancestor, Tautai Vasa, who tells her that the reason why no one is connected to the ocean anymore is because the malicious storm god Nalo wanted power over the mortals, so he sunk a mystical island called Motufetu, which connected all islands, down to the depths of the ocean. Tautai further warns that her island will be deserted if Moana does not find a way to raise the island. She assembles a crew of people from Motunui—craftswoman Loto, Maui fanboy Moni, and grumpy elderly farmer Keke, alongside her pet pig and rooster, Pua and Heihei—to find the island.
Meanwhile, the demigod Maui is seeking Motufetu himself since he had a previous quarrel with Nalo, but he is captured by Nalo's enforcer, Matangi. He is reluctant to contact Moana for help due to fearing for her life. Moana and her crew are captured by the Kakamora, a tribe of savage coconut-like pirates Moana had previously encountered, who reveal that Nalo's actions against Motufetu caused them to be disconnected from their home island. One of them, Kotu, helps the crew paralyze a giant monster clam that takes them to Matangi's lair. While the crew find Maui, Moana meets Matangi but learns that she is not happy serving Nalo. Encouraging Moana to find a different way to escape, she helps Moana escape and reunite with Maui and her friends, before sending them to where Nalo is.
Maui soon reveals that Nalo's realm is deadlier compared to the mortal realm and that fighting him will be a suicide mission. The group is ambushed and are washed ashore on an isolated island. Moana begins to despair, but Maui encourages her to press on. With Moana revitalized, the group plans to have Maui raise the island with Moana touching it, as that is the only way to restore Motufetu and stop Nalo. With the raft repaired, the crew ride off to face Nalo. As the group arrives, Nalo begins to attack; Moana, realizing that Nalo is trying to stop the humans from breaking the curse, has Maui lift the island enough for a human to touch it. However, Nalo manages to strip Maui of his Godhood, forcing a desperate Moana to touch the island under sea; while she manages to, Nalo's storm kills her. Maui jumps in, and with the help of Moana's ancestors, they revive her as a demigod, with Moana gaining a wayfinder's tattoo and Maui, having regained his powers as a demigod, managing to raise Motufetu, reconnecting the ocean with the mortals.
Moana returns home and a celebration is held in her honor. In a mid-credits scene, Nalo is about to punish Matangi for helping Moana with him planning revenge. They are soon visited by Tamatoa, who wants to join their cause to get revenge on Moana for her actions against him.
Why It's Still Welcome
- It's great to see Moana in the limelight again after 8 years.
- Beautiful animation, which is a massive improvement over the first film.
- Everyone is still likable as before.