The long awaited Moana 2 went into theaters on November 27, 2024. The original Moana movie, released in 2016, was a smash hit, with its soundtrack becoming extremely popular and its characters becoming iconic in the world of movies. In the sequel, we learn that Moana has now become a wayfinder, and she has been traveling to find signs of other islands with humans. In order to keep the island thriving, she decides to venture out to the island with her new crew of islanders from Motonui. The new sequel sticks to very similar themes, using similar hues of color, animation styles and character personalities that match nearly identically to the original Moana. Moana’s character progresses in a believable way, and Moana’s continuation of her journey didn’t feel forced or gimmicky.
Even though Moana 2 has stayed very faithful to the first movie, there is one notable difference. Lin Manuel Miranda, an accomplished songwriter and actor for Hamilton and some animated movies such as Encanto, had no affiliation with Moana 2. While extremely iconic songs like How Far I’ll Go, Moana’s ballad to the ocean, were written by Lin Manuel Miranda, the recent sequel’s soundtrack captured the same concept of pushing boundaries and doing what you love. Moana 2’s songwriters, Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow successfully created a soundtrack of high quality that holds its own against many animated sequel’s songs.
Additionally, Moana now has a 3 year old sister, who becomes a main source for her drive and passion to explore. This new character adds an extra layer of nuance and charm to Moana 2, as well as creating a new character for people to learn about and identify with. Her personality is intriguing and unique, and watching Moana fight for her sister is compelling. All in all, Moana 2 captures the same essence of Polynesian culture as the first movie, and keeps Moana and Maui’s personality authentic to the original movie. This movie is a great watch.
While Moana is an iconic childhood movie, many other animated films are integral to positive memories in many people's lives. Whether it’s a nature documentary or Disney movie, most of us grew up watching TV. Now, as many of our nostalgic movies are being adapted into sequels, many don’t strike the same chord as their originals did. With many of our favorite associations to our favorite movies being changed due to new additions from recent sequels, it’s important to gauge whether a movie can hold its own against its original.
Nostalgia is a key factor that allows for movies to stay popular and become timeless. With classic animated movies such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty still being watched frequently today, it is evident that these movies hold nostalgia with its original viewers, which is passed down to the next generation that sees those movies. For teens and young adults, successful movies like Monsters Inc, Toy Story, and Frozen were watched often during childhood, maintaining their current relevance due to shared memories from many people. Their sequels got an equal if not higher number of tickets sold at the box office, with movies such as Frozen gaining 1.280 Billion dollars and its sequel, Frozen 2, earning 1.453 Billion. Many more recent sequels got a positive reaction from most of the public, and gave the next generation of kids a relationship with older movies their older siblings or parents had watched. Movies like Incredibles 2, which gained a revenue at the box office of 1.242 Billion dollars, and its original making 631 million.
Numerous animated sequels are being released, with some succeeding in carrying on their first movie’s legacy and others falling short of the quality displayed in the first movie. It is important to consider whether a sequel is worth making for the sake of nostalgia, or if it undermines the original film's legacy.