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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR AFFILIATE POLICY IN OUR TERMS OF USE Moana x Crocs Classic Clog Duo Set Sail This SummerRelease Crocs Classic Clog arriving just in time for the summer season Channeling the adventurous spirit of the hit animated film the pack features two distinct designs celebrating two of its most beloved characters — Moana and Maui Leading the way is the beige-toned Moana Classic Clog this pair features floral motifs and ocean-inspired graphics that capture the essence of Moana's island heritage including a mini Moana figure and her adventurous companions while a playful orange strap and pearl-like detailing around the collar add a perfect finishing touch Maui gets his due with a bold blue Classic Clog Built to reflect the demigod’s larger-than-life personality this version features tribal patterns across the upper and Jibbitz charms including Maui’s magical fishhook The look is finished with tan detailing around the collar to mirror Maui’s distinctive tattoos and storytelling roots Both pairs embrace playful storytelling while offering the all-day comfort Crocs are known for making them the perfect companion for summer adventures — whether on land or sea The Moana x Crocs Classic Clog duo is available now at Crocs.com and select retailers. Moana can be found here while Maui can be found here. Make sure to keep your eyes locked onto the official House of Heat° Twitter account for further updates. For more from the Colorado-based experts in comfort, check out restock details of the "Lightning McQueen" Crocs Classic Clog Collection Cloud invites residents and visitors to a magical evening under the stars with its upcoming “Movie at the Lakefront” event and their sense of adventure as Moana returns to the screen in an all-new animated journey Moana 2 follows the spirited wayfinder as she sets out on another daring voyage across the ocean—this time to restore harmony between new island tribes and protect her people’s future Joined once again by the shape-shifting demigod Maui and her loyal companions Moana faces mystical creatures and the challenges of leadership in a beautifully animated tale that celebrates courage Cloud’s ongoing commitment to providing free family-friendly entertainment throughout the year The Movie at the Lakefront series brings the community together for unforgettable nights filled with laughter and connection—set against the scenic backdrop of East Lake Tohopekaliga For more information, visit www.stcloudfl.gov or call (407)-957-7243 Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress By | 05/01/2025 5:07 pm | Be the First to Comment! The Walt Disney Company’s decision to produce most of Moana 2 in Vancouver instead of Los Angeles was a costly blow to the L.A a must-read report has put a dollar amount on the losses to California’s economy it would have supported 817 jobs (338 jobs directly supported by the production and 479 jobs supported in other industries) and contributed $178 million to the state’s overall gross domestic product The new report released today, titled “Reclaiming California’s Role in Global Animation” (downloaded PDF) warned that California’s animation industry is on the brink and that without new incentives that are competitive with other states and countries the state’s entire animation industry could collapse The report by CVL Economics was commissioned by The Animation Guild with support from other California animation companies and organizations The timing of the study is not coincidental, as California politicians are currently considering the creation of an animation tax credit (Assembly Bill 1138 and Senate Bill 630) that would make the state more competitive with other animation production hubs which offer similar credits and rebates It underscores that California is no longer a competitive location for producing animation and says that the state is “now decades behind the aggressive policy strategies implemented by global competitors.” who has visited California lawmakers in Sacramento in recent months to lobby for incentives said in a statement: “Behind every animated show or movie are thousands of artists and technicians who make the magic happen — and they’re being left behind This report shows just how urgently California needs to act to protect its animation workforce and remain a global leader.” which were once considered safe jobs in Los Angeles which the report explains is “putting the entire production chain at risk.” One such example was provided in the report: Krapopolis at Bento Box Entertainment outsourced to Ireland and Australia Design work including background paint and color design was done through Ireland while animation and retake animation was done by a team in Australia Several union staff members were directly affected through layoffs to make this happen president of Fourth Wall Animation talent repping agency and co-founder of BRIC Foundation commented on the dire strait of animation employment in California “Most of my creatives have been out of work for over a year,” she said “Some of my most talented storyboard artists and directors have had to take unrelated jobs at places like Lowe’s just to make ends meet who benefit from more robust government funding and incentives continue to successfully launch independent features.” California has a lot of catching up to do as foreign governments continue to invest heavily in their animation industries The report offers data on the booming global animation industry projecting that the global animation market will more than double over the next decade from $413 billion in 2024 to $896 billion in 2034 is the only major animation producing country that is commissioning less content over the last five years The report gives the following policy recommendations to help stabilize California’s animation industry: Amid Amidi is Cartoon Brew's Editor in Chief So I saw Moana 2 Even considering my personal feelings about the movie as a whole there is one scene that I really need to talk about And I can see why a specific demographic (mainly children) would like it I just went into this movie overthinking. I hadn’t had time to see the film in theaters because of, well, life, so when Moana 2 began taking over Disney+ I have a fondness for the original and love it dearly there was just so much about it that I didn’t like I know that the movie is made for children They are directed towards that demographic prides itself on making not only animated films for kids but for everyone There was always something that the adults could enjoy too; something that we could connect with on a deeper level Moana was like that. From the incredible Lin-Manuel Miranda songs to the themes of searching for your destiny to even the comedic timing there was a lot that made it such a fantastic film Moana 2 felt like a cheap interpretation with songs that were not catchy and comedy that felt more like gags than something that was actually thought out One particular scene in it gets to me—and it concerns Moana’s death I’m okay with it happening as long as it really means something Moana’s death in this movie did mean something – until they brought her back to life literally three minutes later My biggest issue isn’t with her getting struck by lightning when she reaches the island she must pull from the sea – it’s the fact that she got to the island in the first place Let’s all remember something here – Moana and her crew are literally in the middle of the ocean That’s the whole point of this island – it is where all the oceanic people and travelers are able to connect If the island is brought back to the surface then the oceanic people will meet each other again Moana’s tribe will never be fully alone the fact that Moana is able to dive that deep is literally physically impossible I’m okay with someone swimming deep in the ocean it’s because they have the right equipment to swim that deep You may not think that Moana swims that far down and she’s probably stronger than most young women but again – she is in the middle of the ocean with currents that would be tossing her back and forth as well as plenty of water pressure on her that would prevent her from diving that deep Something else I’ve seen is that people are like she has the ocean that could help her,” but no The entire point of this trip that she and her crew made was because the spirit of the ocean—the one that Moana is so close to—wasn’t out there in that part of the world Because it doesn’t connect to everything else The ocean might have helped her in another case—like when she sang to the ancestors in the first film and retrieved the Heart of Te Fiti at the bottom of the ocean floor That in itself is a big plot hole that bothers me so let’s put aside that issue for a moment—say it was easy to swim that deep and Moana would have been easily able to pull it off Even after she’s brought back from the dead after the lightning bolt strikes her the momentum from that amount of water rising from beneath the surface would most likely cause massive waves this amount of movement underwater – where a literal island is pulled from the sea – would probably be on the same level as an earthquake or an eruption or something The islands that this new one would connect it probably would have knocked out all those travelers that Moana meets at the very end of the film I can’t help but wonder what the consequences of this would be – but I suppose I can push that down for the sake of this being “Disney magic.” even to see Maui again despite my love mainly sticking to the tribal chief However, moments like this—where things just don’t make sense—make me rethink sequels in general. Moana 2 was originally supposed to be a TV show I really think it should have stayed that way it might have been given the proper story and would have allowed the new characters we meet a chance to grow because it was pushed into this hour-and-a-half time frame we didn’t get the proper story – and that includes moments like Moana diving deep into the water While we still have more Moana stuff to come – like this live-action Moana that’s actually happening – I suppose I can be happy that the kids are enjoying it A girl can dream about a future where Moana gets the proper continuation that she deserves Alexandra RamosSocial Links NavigationContent ProducerA self-proclaimed nerd and lover of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire Alexandra Ramos is a Content Producer at CinemaBlend She first started off working in December 2020 as a Freelance Writer after graduating from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in English She primarily works in features for movies (Please don't debate her on The Last of Us 2 it was amazing!) She is also the main person who runs both our daily newsletter you will then be prompted to enter your display name Florence Pugh Recalls Taking Her Family To See Midsommar And Her Grandfather’s Honest Reaction Has Me Laughing Nicolas Cage Plays A Surfer In His New Thriller But It Turns Out He Also Has Real-Life Surfing Horror Stories: 'I've Been Pounded To Smithereens' Star Wars: Tales Of The Underworld Reveals How Asajj Ventress Came Back To Life I was relieved to be in a dimly lit movie theater watching Disney’s “Moana 2” for the first time because of the emotions I felt and tears I shed I believe this sequel had me more enthralled and on the edge of my seat than the original “Moana 2” came out for digital release on Jan equally in love with it each time despite having experienced the film before was nominated for the best animated motion picture award at the 82nd annual Golden Globes It was also 2024’s third-highest grossing film at the box office This film begins with the titular character receiving a sign to adventure in the form of a small terracotta pot The artifact depicts an image of the island of Motufetū A group of people at the base are proof there are people elsewhere Moana then proceeds to have a premonition of sorts that tells her she has to go find the people of Motufetū as well as the other islands in the vast ocean.  we meet new characters not introduced in the original film I think the debut of new characters and the character development of more people than just Moana and Maui was great for the sequel In “Moana 2,” we meet an unlikely grouping that works very well together is a storyteller on the group’s home island of Motunui Loto is an architect who helped build the boat they are wayfinding with Kele is an elderly farmer who does not like the ocean creates an interesting dynamic when paired with the grumpy Kele who does not want to go on the wayfinding expedition He only goes because he is enlisted by Moana Moni speaks of Maui in an almost eerily positive light which led many fans to believe there was some sort of romantic attraction that Moni had for Maui it is possible — and able to be executed if Disney pursues it simply incorporating a canonically LGBTQIA+ character in a Disney princess movie would be a huge plus “Moana 2” had a soundtrack which I absolutely adored “We’re Back” was a wonderful and upbeat song to start off the movie on a positive note titled “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” which I thought I was going to hate the first time I saw the film I was very skeptical of how good his song was at the beginning I think the biggest part that made this song enjoyable was the upbeat tempo and the animation “We Know The Way” is such an emotion-provoking song It has a specific feeling to it which makes me just want to cry I honestly found a sense of love and inspiration to be a common denominator within many of the songs in this movie I love when movies incorporate the feeling of tension into the music within scenes “Moana 2” was a full sensory experience that was more than what I expected During the climax of the film when Maui was trying to pick up the island This was anxiety-inducing because any time movies have a big plot point and the scene gets greeted with silence makes it feel extremely cinematic and dramatic I also adored how Moana and the crew throughout the movie went from being partial strangers from the same island to a small family because they had been through so much together A scene that moved me deeply and caused me to fall in love with the film even more was when Maui found Moana injured and began holding her I was particularly moved by this scene because it showed that even a strong demigod like Maui has human connection and love for other people While Maui was singing to Moana in this scene a bunch of what I would assume to be past wayfinders appear and begin singing to Moana I shed a lot of tears watching this part because there was just so much emotion tied to this heart breaking scene Watching Moana’s wayfinding ancestors revive her as a demigod made me lose it I was so moved by the entire section of the movie Watching people from all different islands gain the ability to communicate with and access Motunui made me smile and my heart feel warm As I sit and think about the original “Moana” and its sequel I find that “Moana 2” does a better job of tugging at heartstrings “Moana 2” was a beautiful depiction of a not-so-typical Disney princess I think I will hold this movie dear to me for years to come Caitlyn Sutton is a freshman journalism major This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page marking their first-ever victory against the Highlanders When Melani Matavao scored the game-winning try at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin the Visitors defeated the Highlanders in their very first game There was fierce team competition throughout the game which led to numerous offensive possibilities The Highlanders took the lead with a try from Jacob Ratumaitavuki Kneepkens but Moana Pasifika increased their lead with touchdowns from Danny Toala and Lalomilo Lalomilo in the first half There was a lot of attacking back-and-forth action between the two teams during the first 45 minutes The match's intensity increased in the second half Ardie Savea demonstrated his exceptional athletic ability and remarkable talents with his brilliant solo try for Moana Pasifika.  Jonah Lowe helped the Highlanders maintain their competitiveness in the game with two tries The Highlanders took a significant advantage before the game ended thanks to a try from Jack Taylor in the closing seconds.  The momentum of the game was changed in the 75th minute when Melani Matavao made an incredible aggressive move by charging down a kick to score for Moana Pasifika the Highlanders made numerous handling errors and lost scoring opportunities which ultimately led to their defeat.  Moana Pasifika demonstrated resilience and athletic ability especially in high-pressure competition settings Their historic triumph gives new energy to the Super Rugby Pacific season and indicates team growth The Super Rugby Pacific tournament ladder will undergo significant modifications as a result of Moana Pasifika's win While making the playoffs more challenging for the Highlanders Moana Pasifika's victory increases their prospects of making it.  The Highlanders' chances of making the playoffs the following season will be more difficult as a result of this setback Rugby supporters will remember this game for a very long time because Moana Pasifika showed extraordinary perseverance and demonstrated that sporting outcomes are frequently surprising Transfer portal updates for Missouri men’s basketball 2025 NFL draft profile: Missouri quarterback Brady Cook A look into Columbia’s college-town culture Students at MU gather to show their support for ‘Hacky Sack Man’ 2025 NFL draft profile: Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III MU jazz and philosophy professor’s advice for beginning journaling The Lotus Dress: How an MU TAM student created a project rich with history and heritage Family Recipes: A dialogue between generations The Maneater Releases MOVE Mag: A Miz-aic These book recommendations based on your major should be required reading When I first heard the news of “Moana 2,” my immediate thought was that “Moana” definitely didn’t need a sequel While the movie stunned viewers with its vibrant animation and catchy music “Moana 2” is written rather poorly; from the clichéd characterization to the numerous plot holes this movie leaves much to be desired narratively my main issue is with the titular character Moana with Moana on a new mission: to discover the other oceanic peoples across the ocean No sooner than we see Moana on this search They warn Moana that her own people will die off if she doesn’t connect to the other oceanic peoples Their warning prompts Moana to gather a crew and set sail for the greater seas.  While the movie shows the external cause for Moana’s voyage it doesn’t explain why Moana desires to discover other oceanic peoples in the first place especially since Moana had been searching for settlements way before her ancestors called on her as the movie doesn’t show Moana’s inner motivation for her voyage viewers aren’t compelled to root for Moana where we were clearly shown that Moana’s voyage was just as much an external quest to save her island as it was an internal journey of self-discovery in realizing her role as a voyager.  “Moana 2” could have continued Moana’s self-discovery journey by showing viewers why Moana wants to find other oceanic peoples and what that means to her character since we miss out on her character’s motivation we are left with an emotionally underwhelming story with little to no internal conflict.  The comedy is pretty underwhelming as well but it still got a chuckle or two out of me I was so bored and annoyed by the tired tropes played for laughs “Moana 2” heavily relies on three side characters who join Moana on her voyage for the comedy: a quirky science geek an overly enthusiastic fanboy and a grumpy old man I can’t even remember these characters’ names because they are the most one-note the comedy is mostly cheesy and forgettable throughout the movie.  The lack of substance in the comedy extends to the rest of the film as well The music of “Moana 2” is a big let-down from the success of the original’s songs The lyrics in almost all of the songs feel clunky and lose your way / There ain’t no fun in holdin’ back babe / You gotta enjoy the thrill of livin’ dangerously / You’ve got a long a mysterious demigoddess who Moana meets midway through the movie Matangi seems to be a secondary antagonist working alongside the main villain but the movie tries to depict her as a morally grey character a lot of her choices don’t make sense and her actions are confusing and illogical at best.  There are a few lyrics in “Get Lost” that hint at Matangi’s backstory The other lyrics merely regurgitate the same ideas of taking risks and getting lost some lyrics from this soundtrack are downright egregious Maui consoles Moana when she is down in the dumps after a failed attempt at defeating the main villain Maui’s motivational words come in the form of the song “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” that bullying Storm God skips leg day for real / Can you imagine the legend this epic voyage reveals?” This quality of this lyric speaks for itself; the utterly cringe reference to gym culture the vague statement about legends and the odd pairing of phrases reflecting a poor standard of songwriting that permeates throughout this song and the rest of the soundtrack of “Moana 2.” the original “Moana” soundtrack was met with great success due to songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda’s evocative storytelling and catchy rhymes His absence was sorely felt in “Moana 2,” especially during the musical numbers that attempted to imitate his songwriting style delivers a powerful and show-stopping performance in her songs and throughout the movie even Cravalho’s amazing voice acting couldn’t save the writing of this movie There are many displays of magic in this movie that are not explained or just downright confusing This underbaked storytelling is most prominent in the climax when the conflict ends with a sudden deus ex machina the climax was still enjoyable to a degree due to the animation the final showdown between Moana and Nalo involves a lot of weather elements Disney’s highly-developed CG animation smoothly portrays all of the storms and magic in a vivid and immersive package in “Moana 2.”  despite the cool animation and catchy tunes “Moana 2” is nowhere as poignant or meaningful as the original “Moana” movie While it was nice to revisit the island of Motunui and see the beautiful blue ocean again it only brought memories of the wondrous and exciting experience of seeing “Moana” for the first time I highly recommend rewatching “Moana” on Disney+ I guarantee you will make the most out of your time Edited by Alyssa Royston | aroyston@themaneater.com  Copy Edited by Ella McGuire and Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com “ocean” by Krisztina.Konczos is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse. When Walt Disney Animation Studios released Moana in theaters in November 2016 it was clear audiences felt a deep connection to the strong-willed independent wayfinder (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) But the franchise’s popularity goes far beyond her onscreen appearances Watch the video below to see why the creative forces behind the franchise believe there’s no story quite like Moana and no company quite like Disney which will bring Moana’s musical journey to the stage for the first time ever “I love that people can continue Moana’s story by themselves,” says David Derrick Jr. who worked on the first film and directs Moana 2 with Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller you get to reenact the story or you get to find new ones it allows everyone to become part of that incredible journey and to be inspired by Moana and all the characters in the story.” “Disney magic can be felt everywhere.” “It’s an incredible responsibility to work on a sequel to a film that people love so much,” Miller says. “I don’t think any of us ever anticipated or thought that 178 million people would watch the [first Moana 2] trailer in 24 hours Moana 2 continues to make waves garnering 27.3 million views globally on Disney+ in its first five days of streaming This marks the biggest Walt Disney Animation Studios premiere since Encanto (2021) and the third-largest animated theatrical premiere of all time on Disney+ The original Moana has now surpassed 1.4 billion hours streamed on Disney+ — that’s like streaming the film over 735 million times or playing “How Far I’ll Go” on repeat for more than 50,000 years 2024 marked Moana’s most-streamed year ever* and it’s been the most streamed film on Disney+ since the platform’s debut in 2019 Moana 2 first set sail at the box office with the biggest Thanksgiving weekend opening ever and the highest opening in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ history the film’s momentum only grew from there ultimately surpassing $1 billion worldwide to become the third highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios release of all time *Source: Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings based on the Nielsen U.S he would turn on an American movie dubbed in Spanish — usually an animated Disney movie As much as I normally loved watching movies when I was supposed to be learning I found it incredibly frustrating to watch a movie I knew well like “The Lion King” or “The Little Mermaid,” in a language I did not understand — despite four semesters of Spanish — spoken in voices I did not recognize It was like a funhouse mirror version of the movies in a way I found genuinely upsetting It’s exactly how I felt watching “Moana 2″ in the theater with my three children My 5-year-old was only interested in talking about the popcorn after seeing the movie she was 6 when we saw the first “Moana,” which is hardly an age for rigorous cinema criticism “Moana 2″ is a far cry from “Moana,” which was a movie she I’ve listened to the soundtrack no fewer than 5,000 times which I would like to blame on my children But I have listened to it without them on more than one occasion The song “How Far I’ll Go” moves me to tears to this day and I’ve had “You’re Welcome” stuck in my head for eight years The line “Your granny lied,” sung by Jemaine Clement in “Shiny,” makes me laugh out loud I cannot remember a single song from “Moana 2,” which I saw this week Each track had “we wrote this in a hurry” energy “Moana 2″ felt like watching “Moana” dubbed in Spanish because it looked like “Moana” and sounded like “Moana,” only worse When I learned that the project originally began as a Disney+ series a lot of what I had just watched made more sense and explained why the movie felt like a bunch of different plots characters and ideas thrown together without a clear through line as though there were clips taken from 20 different episodes characters that appeared without any context were only added after the series was turned into a film “The Return of Jafar” — “Moana 2″ visually looks great and the movie is bright and visually engaging enough to keep even the rowdiest child sitting for the 1 hour and 40 minutes The killer coconuts were especially fun to watch and the ocean creatures delivered the best visual gags But the movie as a vehicle for a story makes no sense. Not just because I was right and the animal fluency hierarchy is wildly confusing — Mua the pig cannot speak but somehow understands and reacts to multiple jokes about pork and bacon — but also because the script is all over the place Moana and her canoe crew need to find people from other islands for reasons that are unclear and they need to find one certain cursed island for reasons that are also unclear for reasons that … you guessed it … are unclear I was never sure why any of the characters were doing what they were doing and if you paid me to summarize the plot I would lose out on your money because I am unable to even begin trying There’s a villain whose face we don’t see until partway through the credits The mid-credit villain sequence sets up a third “Moana” movie which seems ill-advised given how much of a mess this second film was “Moana 2″ made $386 million during its opening week and set the record for the biggest global opening for an animated movie Maybe Disney knows that if they release a sequel to one of their beloved original animated motion pictures And maybe a guaranteed cash cow is all they care about But I wish that in the future Disney would do me the favor of creating stories that make sense and songs that are pleasing lest I’m left unwillingly revisiting my Spanish class movie days “Moana 2″ is rated PG for action/peril ShareSaveCommentBusinessHollywood & Entertainment‘Moana 2’ Directors On The $1 Billion Hit, ‘Moana 3’ And MoreBySimon Thompson Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Simon is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers film and TV.Follow AuthorMar 10 08:22pm EDTShareSaveCommentWalt Disney Animation Studios' epic animated musical 'Moana 2' reunites Moana (voice of Auli‘i .. More Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage With a box office haul of over $1 billion, Moana 2 is finally coming to streaming The hugely successful animated sequel has reached milestone after milestone Two of the film’s three directors have found the journey as enlightening as the titular heroine’s experiences means a lot of people went and saw our movie which is awesome," muses Jason Hand as we sit and chat in the Disney Animation headquarters in Burbank the fact that our film goes across the world and connects with audiences is huge We want our films to be financially successful but what we've heard the most is that people enjoy going to the movies and seeing Moana 2 in the theaters That's a huge part of why we do this in the first place It was incredible to have the audiences come to the theaters for us." but we're representing over 550 people that helped finish this movie and see it to completion and seeing everyone's work celebrated is humbling We're so grateful for everyone's response." Moana 2 lands on Disney+, the platform where it was initially intended to debut, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. It will be released on 4K and Blu-ray on Tuesday Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return as Moana and Maui for the follow-up which sees Moana embarking on a dangerous journey to the far seas of Oceania after receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors Moana grossed $687.2 million at the worldwide box office and it speaks to the love of the characters," Hand explains Putting something out into the world that has a lot of joy and that is why so many people have embraced it." With two movies worth of songs and a multi-generational audience hungry for more, could the Moana universe follow in the musical footsteps of other classic Disney animations, such as The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen, with a full show on the Broadway stage "It's beautiful that we've been a part of creating a world and characters that are living new lives in different mediums especially with the live-action film coming out as well I love that it can expand beyond what was initially created," Derrick Jr More Premiere of Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Moana 2' in Kapolei "Isn't Hei Hei just the best?" Derrick Jr "We were there when that version of Hei Hei was finally discovered 'What if we took this chicken and lowered his IQ.' He did a whole IQ chart and it was just lower than the lowest rung We told a story about growth and evolution "I will say to the merchandising and all that it's so cool to actually be able to go out there and see it in the world It's reflecting the love of the film that we've been a part of and helped create and it's an amazing feeling to see that and all these new characters we created are being embraced and seeing people dressing up as them or wearing a shirt that has them on it is incredible." but some movie lovers still have unanswered questions If you do a Google search for 'How to direct,’ one of the top search results is 'How to direct an animated movie.' So how does it differ from a live-action movie the creatives become the actors that Hand and Derrick Jr and the various departments bring them to life We have to protect our character's journey but then we have to be open to all the different ideas that can help get us there," Derrick Jr "When I think about the collaboration that it took to finish Moana and Moana 2 people bringing new ideas and elevating things we didn't know were there." "You're always looking for what you want to feel in a moment and what you want the audiences to be experiencing It's speaking in a language that would be really similar 'I want to get this across,' and clarifying what the emotions of the scene are and what Moana is going through is the key to a lot of that We work with a lot of people who are incredibly skilled in their individual departments and can bring that to life for us Whether it's how Moana is acting or how her hair or clothing reacts It comes down to what I think you would do in any live-action film what are they going through and what do you want to feel?" Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) is ready for adventure in 'Moana 2.' "I think the end of the film speaks to that on the idea of that song Mana Vavau where Maui earns the right to become a demigod again and Moana becomes a demigod right before our eyes," Hand concludes "When we saw those moments start to come together this is incredible.' It blew away our expectations for what those moments could be when all the pieces came together the feeling you get as you're watching this happen as all of her ancestors are surrounding her that was the linchpin to making Moana 2 come together for me." The highly anticipated release date of "Moana 2" has been announced as part of the Disney+ platform's March listings and looks like they will finally be able to on March 12 Here is more on "Moana 2," including other movies and shows releasing in March on Disney+: The movie is the sequel to "Moana," which came out in 2016, starring the voices of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho "Moana 2" has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide since its release Viewers will need a subscription to the platform that can be purchased online to watch the new shows and movies coming soon Disney+ offers plans starting at $7.99 per month for its basic While the service does not currently offer a free trial subscribers can access "Moana 2" as part of Disney’s library and through bundled plans that include ESPN+ or Hulu In addition to "Moana 2," "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip," will be streaming on March 28 Cal State Fullerton’s Associated Students Inc and the Division of Information Technology will present a free movie showing of “Moana 2” on April 18 from 5-7:30 p.m In-N-Out burgers and snacks will be available while supplies last. Seating will begin at 5 p.m. and the movie will start at 5:30 p.m. Friends and family are welcome, along with lawn mats and chairs. Fill out the online form to RSVP Do you have news you’d like to share with the campus Auli’i Cravalho poses for photographers upon arrival at the UK premiere of Moana 2 on Sunday addresses the audience during the Walt Disney Studios presentation at CinemaCon 2024 California-based company earned $1.91 billion Stripping out one-time charges and benefits which is 32 cents better than Wall Street was expecting according to analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research Revenue in Disney’s Entertainment segment increased 9% Revenue for content sales/licensing and Other jumped 34% due to the strong performance of “Moana 2.” CEO Bob Iger and Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said in a prepared remarks that the Moana film franchise demonstrates the strong connection that audiences have with Disney’s stories and characters and further validates the company’s strategy of investing in popular intellectual property reported quarterly operating income of $293 million compared with an operating loss of $138 million a year ago The Disney+ streaming service had a 1% increase in paid subscribers domestically Total paid subscribers for Disney+ dipped 1% in the quarter Disney also said that it had 125 million Disney+ subscribers in the quarter It had 178 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions for the quarter an increase of 900,000 subscribers from the previous quarter Iger said during Disney’s conference call that the company is actually very pleased with its subscriber growth for Disney+ and Hulu “Disney’s earnings beat underscores the success of its cost-cutting initiatives and resilient performance in parks and studios offsetting headwinds in streaming,” Jesse Cohen the surprising loss of Disney+ subscribers—the first decline since its 2019 launch—raises red flags about saturation in a crowded market and the trade-offs of its pricing strategy.” reported operating income was basically flat at $3.11 billion Operating income fell 5% at domestic parks as hurricanes caused Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida to close for a day and canceled a cruise Operating income rose 28% for international parks and Experiences Shares climbed about 1% in morning trading Wednesday Moana 2 made big waves at the box office this week The Walt Disney Animation Studios film — which takes audiences on another epic adventure across the sea with Moana and Maui — opened at the No 1 spot at the domestic box office this weekend notching an estimated $225 million since opening on Wednesday Disney is now responsible for the top seven opening Thanksgiving weekends of all time as well as nine out of the top ten Moana 2 brought in the highest ever reported global animated opening weekend beating the previous record held by The Super Mario Bros Moana 2’s record-setting performance also keeps Disney’s hot streak going at the box office this year. The company is now responsible for the top three domestic openings of 2024, with Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine “Moana 2 has far surpassed our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that Moana has become,” Alan Bergman “We’re fortunate to have an incredibly talented and hard-working creative team at Disney Animation who brought this new adventure to life alongside our wonderful stars Auli‘i and Dwayne and great new music and we’re thankful to all the moviegoers and fans who’ve helped make this a record-breaking debut.” Moana 2 received an “A-” CinemaScore and a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 87% The success of Moana 2 is just another example of the might of the sea-faring franchise Since hitting theaters in 2016, Moana has consistently been among the Top 10 most-streamed movies of the year —and in 2023, the film starring the voice talents of Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson crossed 1 billion hours streamed on Disney+ it was the most streamed movie on any platform in the U.S the franchise’s popularity goes far beyond her onscreen appearances which will bring Moana’s musical journey to the stage for the very first time “Seeing the popularity of Moana grow since it was released eight years ago is incredible,” Jared Bush, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios “We spend so long making these movies That people still find themselves in her story and want to be with Moana on the canoe Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission has a soundtrack composed by the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical team of Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear and it’s so devoid of bangers or any remotely memorable tunes that there’s nothing to distract you from the movie’s lack of clear stakes what’s a girl got to do to get some good old-fashioned conflict around here This is something of a recent Disney Animation issue fraught history of villains that were more exciting and invariably more queer-coded than the heroes the entertainment giant has in recent years banked away from having clear-cut bad guys at all opting instead for its characters to face down systemic problems or adversaries who are really just misunderstood There’s nothing inherently wrong with this squishier approach to creating tension whoever’s in her way turns out to be an ally in waiting The film is a series of stops in which this pattern repeats until we get to the end a storm god named Nalo who’s hidden away the key navigational island of Motufetū to keep the various Pacific Island communities apart for reasons all his own Nalo is literally just a bunch of baleful clouds and purple lightning until the powers that be realized that trading enormous box-office returns for theoretical streaming growth was ridiculous and reworked the project into a theatrical release You can still spot traces of those beginnings in its structure It would probably make more sense for the sultry bat-woman Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) to go from keeping demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson) prisoner to helping Moana out if it happened over the course of an episode leaving that character’s whole deal deeply confusing A lot of things are confusing and maybe would be less so if they were developments that once had longer ramp-ups after a song establishing that the island of Motunui is thriving and growing that it then becomes very pressing for Moana to reconnect the community to others out there with animal sidekicks Heihei the rooster and Pua the pig as well as a new human crew that includes shipbuilding Loto (Rose Matafeo) and folklorist and Maui fanboy Moni (Hualālai Chung) with the azure-blue waterscapes of the anthropomorphized ocean stretching out to the horizon But it doesn’t feel like a true sequel so much as it feels like a souped-up version of one of the direct-to-video affairs that Disney used to pump out for all of its big releases and while the David Bowie–esque coconut crab isn’t back there is a giant non-singing clam with lots of eyes and tentacles that the characters have to navigate their way through But the whole enterprise has an also-ran feel to it running through the same beats with slightly different and in the case of the wretched Rock song that involves a chorus of “Come on-a / Moana,” decidedly weaker material It won’t matter — Moana 2 is shaping up to be a sizable hit it turns out that people like taking their kids to the movies A real movie would give its protagonist something to continue to wrestle with as she learns and grows a savvy play from a media giant that may struggle mightily when it comes to new original material but has always known how to continue capitalizing on its hits Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York Eight years after the original motion picture was released following new and old characters on a new adventure to reunite the community of the oceanic world by finding the Island of Tautai Vasa I was excited to see where Moana’s story would go how she would develop as a person and where this plot would be headed Yet I was let down as the story had a very similar flow to the first film.  treating Moana like an idol glorifying every moment Moana is seemingly unaware of the change in the way that the townspeople view her.  she has a newfound confidence in who she is singing her new role on the island in “We’re Back,” a beautiful number that throws the viewer back into the adventurous world of the ocean Moana grapples to maintain her confidence in who she is encountering obstacles that make her question her ability once more.  Everyone remembers the famous hits from the first movie “How Far I’ll Go,” and “You’re Welcome.” The second film attempts to recreate the dramatic beginning of the first film with the song “Beyond.” Auliʻi Cravalho sings beautifully hitting notes never heard before in a Disney animated film the songs in the film are not on the same level as those of the first potentially because of Lin-Manual Miranda’s absence from the musical process.  Despite the beginning of the movie feeling like a replica of the first film I fell in love with one of the new additions to the team: Kele an old man who hates every part of the journey till the end His divisiveness towards Moana and negativity about the whole adventure was surprisingly hilarious and a neat take on the typical response to an adventure I felt the team dynamic really supported the film Most Disney movies follow an individual heroine and maybe a sidekick Adding in new characters to support Moana made for some new favorite moments Moni is another new character who is obsessed with Maui.  Moni spent the movie drawing out his ideal moments with his hero a bat lady (for lack of a better description) Her purpose in the film plays no role in furthering the plot other than singing a catchy tune “Get Lost” persuading Moana to search for other ways to the island of Tautai Vasa besides the direct route.  In the midst of some confusion in the plot I was amazed at how well the animation has developed in eight years The detail the animators took to make Moana’s facial expression unique and quirky really blew me away Simple details like nose scrunching and the texture of her hair really set this movie apart from others in terms of animation Something that made this movie unique was Maui’s references to the future but they stood out in their comedic stance something the characters in the movie don’t understand Maui makes a reference to Moana being a princess something that is never established throughout either of the films yet fan bases refer to her as a princess.  Another thing this movie did well was the reminiscence it contained Numerous references to the first film were littered throughout the film Although a bit too heavy-laden at the beginning of the film the callbacks to the first film’s songs and moments caused a stream of laughter in the audience and memories to resurface of being a ten-year-old sitting in the theater watching Moana for the first time.  it seemed like the finale would be the same as the first film but I was genuinely surprised at the twist at the end the crowd in the theater fell silent as we all watched expectantly.   The theme of community pierces through this film being at the heart of the mission and motivation to save the island of Motufetū.  She always comes back to who she is and does not rely on a “prince charming” to save her That is what drew me back to the cinema to see how she grew as a character but I still had a good time jumping back into the ocean for another adventure.  Danielle Cherry is a freshman Communications major and writer for Cedars A&E and Sports She is a Missionary Kid from Germany and loves a good cup of coffee Why would you sit there and tell those who then you could have just said so and left it at that Moana is holding a piece of pottery modeled after Lapita pottery from ancient Oceania “Moana 2,” Disney’s latest animated blockbuster that smashed Thanksgiving box office records tells the story of a young Pacific Islander girl empowered to sail the seas and lead her people in exploring far-off islands accompanied by the demigod Maui and her trusty sidekicks To help make those people and places feel as real as possible filmmakers consulted with many Pacific Islanders to ensure accurate representation of their culture and traditions — including Patricia Fifita an assistant professor of ethnic studies at Oregon State University Fifita, a Tongan Indigenous anthropologist in the College of Liberal Arts was able to share both her academic expertise and her lived experience with the film’s storytellers as they worked to show Moana exploring and uniting several island nations in what is now known as Oceania Her work on the movie came about through a close friend a fellow Pacific Islander anthropologist and filmmaker who is part of the Oceanic Story Trust which came out in 2016 and portrayed Moana learning to voyage across the ocean to restore the heart of the goddess Te Fiti and save her people The first “Moana,” also starring Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho was one of the first times Disney intentionally worked with cultural story trusts and collectives to achieve more accurate representation The company has since followed that model on movies like “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Encanto.” The fictional setting for “Moana” is based on the 1,000-year period known as the “Long Pause” after long-distance ocean navigators had first settled the islands of Fiji Disney hired her to share her expertise on Tongan culture and history.  “The success of the first film and how it aligned so well with the histories of the Pacific and a lot of the cultural representations through the imagery and music reassured me that this would be a useful conversation to have,” Fifita said it’s really clear for folks who are familiar with Pacific Islander history that many aspects of the film are closely centered around Samoan and Tongan culture are reminiscent of Tongan and Samoan architectural design; some of the clothing and tapa cloth is also reflective of our cultural aesthetics.” Even the patterns on the animated pottery were made to resemble Lapita pottery found throughout the Pacific dating back to 1500-500 B.C.  With Fifita’s research focus on medical and environmental anthropology she also advised Disney’s team on the types of plants long-distance navigators would have brought with them to help establish themselves on new islands the grumpy farmer character Kele is in charge of the plants on the boats.  Fifita said she was encouraged by the accuracy of cultural representation in the film especially a scene showcasing the unique styles of each different island nation’s “vakas,” or seafaring canoes.  based on a drawing from life by William Hodges (1744–1797 CE) showing Tongan Polynesians and their canoes from Captain James Cook’s (1728–1779 CE) visit to Tonga 1773-4 CE published in Boats of the Friendly Isles by William Strahan and Thomas Cadell “It’s evident in all of those films that they really benefited from an expansive and nuanced representation of people and history,” Fifita said “I think it really enriches these films.”  In part because of the careful and faithful way Pacific Islander culture is portrayed in the “Moana” movies Fifita and her family feel a personal connection to the stories in the first “Moana,” the music sung over the opening credits is in Tokelauan and they’re singing a ceremonial song essentially asking permission from Tagaloa to tell the story And her Tongan genealogy links her family and village back to the demigod Maui — her 5-year-old son’s favorite character.  “Especially when we’re talking about different types of people with complex histories that make up their identities — it’s really important that we’re in conversation with people that represent these diverse histories [email protected] Opening in theaters on Wednesday, November 27, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ highly anticipated Moana 2 continues the seafaring story of Moana — and is the result of tireless teamwork from directors David Derrick Jr. and Dana Ledoux Miller to bring the film to life in an exciting and authentic way was the most streamed film of 2023 across all U.S As they shaped every aspect of this new story the filmmakers worked closely with the Oceanic Cultural Trust — a collective established during the production of the first film “They were with us every step of the way,” Hand recalls “They helped give us ideas for what the film could be remembers feeling a profound sense of pride when the first film was released in theaters that was the first time I’d ever seen a Pacific Islander heroine,” she says And to then see her celebrated by the whole world was game-changing.” “We worked really hard to make sure she has an adventure that lives up to her growth and really pushes her beyond anything she’s ever done before.” “Moana 2 puts Moana in an incredibly difficult situation and we as the audience get to enjoy watching her figure her way out of it it’s a musical — which is a huge part of Disney Animation’s legacy — and it’s really stunning to look at.” She felt this pull to the future and to the horizon,” Derrick says she’s going to go beyond — even farther than she ever knew she could go We always talk about Moana’s relationship with the ocean The ocean isn’t something that divides the people of the sea; it’s something that unites them.” a now 19-year-old Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) has “found her footing as a leader in Motunui but she hasn’t taken her eyes off the ocean,” Miller says “We wanted to see how she can bridge the two loves of her life: land and sea.” After receiving an unexpected call from her ancestors Moana turns to the people of Motunui for help She interviews potential crew members and ultimately recruits the engineer Loto (voiced by Rose Matafeo) and the storyteller Moni (voiced by Hualālai Chung) to join with returning favorites Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) the crew embarks on an expansive voyage to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous Moana’s increased responsibilities — to herself and to her island — can sometimes be at odds which force her to make difficult and sometimes divisive decisions “Growing up means the choices you make are different The reason you make choices are different,” Miller explains “We wanted to see what that evolution looks like — to ground it in family with her little sister to push Moana to her limits and figure out what her new focus would be.” “Moana 2 is introspective in that it invites us to be connected to who we are and who we will be,” Derrick adds “There are so many beautiful messages about community in the film.” partly because Moana hasn’t disappeared since the first film was released in 2016 there are myriad ways that fans have been able to stay connected with the story and characters over the years The music is memorable; you can’t stop singing the songs.” “That’s what makes Disney such a special company — it can reach people in a variety of different ways,” Hand says “The best part about working at Disney is the reach that it has.” That’s what led 178 million people to watch the first trailer for Moana 2 in just 24 hours showcasing the unique ways Disney keeps fans engaged and connected with stories between new chapters on the big screen the directors never lost sight of the millions of people around the world who have been inspired by Moana — including ‘I want to be strong like Moana,” Derrick says “People look to Moana and want to be like her “Working on this film is honestly a dream come true,” Hand says. “I’ve wanted to work at Disney Animation since I was a little kid, and I love the films we make here. I loved working on the first film with Ron Clements and John Musker and to continue Moana’s story is extremely special to me Moana is the film my family and I rewatch more than any other film I’ve worked on I hope everybody loves Moana 2 as much as we enjoyed making it.” It’s easy for Jared Bush to distill why the character Moana has been making waves since 2016 “Moana is this perfect combination of tenaciousness and empathy, in equal parts,” says Bush, who was named Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios in September giving him oversight of the creative output of the iconic studio’s films “She is someone who will always make the tough choice She is someone who will always try as hard as she possibly can to save the day she will always see the best in others and do whatever it takes to help them.” After writing the screenplay for Moana, Bush decided to dive in even deeper and write the screenplay for Moana 2 with Dana Ledoux Miller (who directs the film with Jason Hand and David Derrick Jr.) He also serves as an executive producer with Jennifer Lee and Dwayne Johnson (who voices Maui) on the highly-anticipated sequel In an exclusive Q&A, Bush — who received an Academy Award® in 2022 for Encanto and who is currently writing and directing Zootopia 2 premiering in November 2025 — reflects on the journey of the beloved franchise what initially drew you to Moana as a character It’s truly a universal story of finding one’s identity was so difficult — and I think it is for most people We wanted to highlight that struggle with Moana who had this feeling she was meant to be on the ocean but couldn’t because her dad refused to let anyone go out to sea but she couldn’t know for sure until she took the leap It was all about the relatable notion of finding yourself and how hard that can be The worldbuilding in the first Moana was so rich that the opportunity seems like it was there for a new chapter in her story What was your inspiration for the story of Moana 2 you try to think of the characters as someone you know — and that means building someone’s psychology and understanding what they’re going through emotionally While the first film is not directly set up for a sequel She’s just become a wayfinder at the end of the first film What does that mean for her moving into this next part of her life it makes so much sense for her to want to go out there to explore and seek out new islands and perhaps even connect with new communities three years after the end of the first film and it’s at this moment that she is called by her ancestors to go on an impossible mission to save her people and reconnect the people of the Pacific It’s a new chapter for her and everyone Even Maui went through a massive character arc in the first film He was this guy who was pretty full of himself and he found redemption through Moana and started to work on himself It’s always character first; they will lead you on that journey how did you finally crack the story for Moana 2 it takes hundreds of brilliant minds — that’s the real way to do it We have so many people who were deeply invested in this story and what it could be and so everyone set the bar incredibly high Everyone wanted this movie to be something really special We wanted this story to be worthy of Moana and — of course — of the many communities of the Pacific It’s only made possible because of everyone’s deep love of all of that and wanting to bring audiences on a journey with their best friend and into places they’ve never seen I like to think this is just the beginning of her story There’s so much more in store for her in the future Every one of us goes through these moments where you define yourself but that’s never the end of the story; there’s always more to you Moana redefines herself yet again — maybe even bigger than in the first film Fans get to experience Moana’s adventures on the big screen, surrounded by an audience, and they can also stream the first movie on Disney+ There are even more Moana adventures to be had in Disney’s theme parks and on its cruise ships What makes Disney uniquely positioned to create this continuous and immersive storytelling It’s one of the most exciting things that you can experience as a storyteller Seeing the popularity of Moana grow since it was released eight years ago is incredible Watching what it’s done on Disney+ — last year it was the No 1 streaming movie on any platform — it’s remarkable and so thrilling for everybody at Disney Animation you’ve been living in Moana’s head for more than a decade What are you most excited for fans to see when Moana 2 releases in theaters It’d be easy to say it’s the finale I love Moana’s relationship with her kid sister Simea [voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda] For those of us who are parents or caregivers who’ve had to have difficult conversations with a 3-year-old who may not understand the imperfect choices you have to make as an adult that was [a dynamic] that we all felt really connected to and the specialness of that relationship is something I think many people are going to relate to and fall in love with Moana 2 premieres exclusively in theaters on Wednesday When Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear were asked to write original music for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana 2 the GRAMMY® Award winners were overflowing with ideas the prodigious pair had seen the original film in theaters and were as curious as any other fan about what new adventures might await Moana “It’s a crazy honor,” Barlow, who was a high school student when Moana was released in theaters in 2016 “To think that children all over the world are going to hear these songs and want to sing them is like something out of a dream.” they are the first all-female writing team to create all the songs for an animated Disney feature film and the youngest composers to do so they were uniquely qualified to tell the character’s story — all of her biggest dreams I really was not that much older than Moana is in the story,” Bear says “To be able to write for a peer and really identify our struggles and ourselves in her made it really easy for us to step into the shoes of Moana.” Directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller, and David Derrick Jr., produced by Yvett Merino and Christina Chen, and written by Jared Bush and Miller, Moana 2 finds Moana scouring the far seas of Oceania — in dangerous long-lost waters — to unite communities “She’s a little older, a little wiser — three years, to be exact,” Barlow says. Because everything in Moana’s world has only gotten “bigger” over time, the music needed to reflect that: “We wanted to show that evolution not only in the music, but in the lyrics.” “Every character that we’ve met in Moana has changed and grown: Maui’s changed citing songs such as “Beyond,” “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?,” and “We’re Back” as examples of that evolution “We also got to write music for the new characters because we got to create a new sound.” So, what was it like to write music for Moana 2 — which shattered box office records in its debut weekend “It’s like dreaming in the middle of the day,” Barlow says in an interview at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank “It doesn’t matter what kind of day you’re having when you walk into this building; none of it matters… To be part of the Disney legacy there’s nothing else like it.” Reflecting on it further being asked to write music for Moana 2 “has been an incredible experience” Barlow won’t soon forget: “I think I’m a better writer because of this project.” As a lifelong Disney Animation fan Bear especially relished working with the filmmakers and getting a behind-the-scenes look at all the movie magic “It was so cool to watch their brains work and see them dissect things and tear them apart and put them back together and to have the music be such an important role in the storytelling process For us to see the inner workings of how something like this is made is surreal.” With Disney Animation’s Moana 2 now playing in theaters Bear hopes audiences feel as if they’re embarking on the journey along with Moana I think that’s why the first one did what it did because it took you out of where you were and brought you to someplace you would have never I hope Moana 2 brings you back to that place.” This image released by Disney shows the characters Moana in a scene from “Moana 2.” (Disney via AP) This image released by Disney shows the character Moana This image released by Disney shows the characters Maui This image released by Disney shows the character Maui “Moana 2,” which opens in theaters Wednesday was originally put into development as a streaming series before it was rerouted the big screen Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller have made an often dazzlingly animated film that is But in a story that brings in a literal boatload of new characters it’s hard to shake the feeling that “Moana 2” got caught in the crosswinds — too blown between shifting studio imperatives to really find its own way Photorealistic remakes have been the more dominant providence of the Magic Kingdom in recent years imagination-filled animations like “Moana” all the more exceptional Here was a movie that somehow balanced Pacific Island cultural authenticity with the cartoony delights of a demigod turned accidental shark and Jemaine Clement as a singing Such inventiveness is harder to come by in the perfectly earnest but not especially inspired “Moana.” It opens with a visibly grown Moana (Auli’i Cravalho returning) engaged in a search for evidence of Pacific Islanders beyond her home island idolized by youngsters for her courage and for being “super-besties” with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson When Moana turns up an artifact with evidence of a two-peaked island fabled as the once binding center of their ancestors she sets out to find the cursed island and reunite the disparate people of Oceania Some of the old sidekicks — the rooster Heihei (with noises courtesy of Alan Tudyk) and the pig Pua — are back But Moana decides she needs human help this time and brings along a crew featuring the uber Maui fan Moni (Hualālai Chung) the engineer Loto (Rose Matefeo) and the curmudgeonly older farmer Kele (David Fane) Each of these characters has one generic note to play and while you could see the need to add in more personalities for a series (Moana also now has a cute little sister they are effectively dead weight in “Moana 2.” the iconic image of these films is Moana as a solo adventurer leaning against the wind in her camakau and setting an unknown course Maui is inevitably her buddy-comedy partner in adventure but Moana and her canoe should permit passengers no more than John Wayne did on his horse After an encounter with the coconut brigade of the Kakamora Moana and Maui eventually reunite via a giant clam where Maui has been trapped by Matangai (Awhimai Fraser bat-adorned figure who’s a kind of villain for the movie She’s more interesting than some recent Disney antagonists and gets probably the best song (“Get Lost”) in a movie that mightily misses Miranda’s touch (The songs are by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.) “Moana 2” — beefed up from a would-be series — has brevity in its favor But the hopes for “Moana 2” should go beyond mere placeholder Only a few times does the banter between Moana and Maui really remind you of the fun that characterized the original Moana corrects Maui after he calls her — perhaps confusing Moana for many other Disney protagonists — a princess release is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for action/peril "Moana 2" fans have been patiently waiting for the movie to be released on Disney+ but it looks like the wait will be a bit longer The movie premiered in theaters in November you can rent or purchase it through Apple TV+ The sequel to "Moana" reunites Moana and demigod Maui on a new oceanic adventure alongside a crew of unexpected seafarers Here is when "Moana 2," may stream on Disney+ Based on Disney’s past movies, such as "Wish" and Pixar’s "Inside Out 2," "Moana 2" was expected to stream on Disney+ three months after its premiere in theaters which typically would put its release in February of this year However, Disney's release of new movies and shows for March 2025 did not include "Moana 2," meaning "Moana 2" will be pushed to later this spring or summer How much does Disney+ cost?When "Moana 2" is eventually released on Disney+ viewers will need a subscription to the platform The movie is available to watch on Prime Video It costs $22.99 to rent and $27.99 to purchase Prime Video offers a free trial and a student discount; you can sign up through its website or download the Prime Video app on your phone "Moana 2" is available on Apple TV+ for rent or purchase only if you have a subscription. The platform offers a 7-day free trial then costs $9.99 per month, you can sign up on their website The movie is also available for purchase on YouTube at $29.99, if you have a YouTube account with a worldwide box office total of about $1.04 billion so far The first look at the sequel set a record for the biggest animated trailer launch in Disney history, receiving 178 million views in 24 hours, The Walt Disney Company said When did the first 'Moana' movie come out?"Moana" was released in November 2016 It is currently available through a Disney+ subscription for streaming the Oceanic Cultural Trust serves as the ultimate guide And so, in 2011, Musker and Clements embarked on a research trip to the Pacific Islands That trip inspired Disney Animation to establish the Oceanic Cultural Trust a collective that would become integral in inspiring and finessing the film’s finest details And that could be with a master tattoo artist we have an amazing cast who are from across the Pacific region It’s really important to have many perspectives.” “The first Moana set the gold standard for how we work with a creative cultural trust,” adds Derrick, who directs Moana 2 with Miller and Jason Hand they helped inform not only the choices we were making in the story but they also made sure we got it right,” Hand says The Oceanic Cultural Trust is headed by Kalikolehua Hurley “It’s an inspiring challenge for us to find Moana’s fictional because we are inspired by a world that has many different “but it’s such a joy to work with our Oceanic Cultural Trust in bringing the stories together.” says it’s been an “honor” to be involved in the filmmaking process I had no idea that learning your language and culture could potentially get you an opportunity like this — or that it would be valued and appreciated by Disney,” Kanoa-Wong says “I got to come in very early on when Moana 2 was still in the concept stages and I was invited to spend time with the directors that was also true to the region and the culture.” “Usually when there’s something Moana-related I get to see how her story looks in different iterations across our awesome company.” Ask anyone about working with the Oceanic Cultural Trust and you’ll be hit with a tidal wave of praise I bring my own experience of what it means to be from the Pacific into writing and directing this film But I feel so fortunate that I get to lean on experts in so many different fields,” Ledoux Miller says but that doesn’t mean that I know how to sail a canoe; I’m not a wayfinder To be able to turn to these experts and ask them questions When the filmmakers showed a rough cut of the film to Nainoa Thompson CEO of Polynesian Voyaging Society and a member of the Oceanic Cultural Trust You need to make sure that you get it right so when this movie goes out into the world everybody understands that what the people of the Pacific do is an amazing feat,” Hand says “We wanted to be true to that.” A native Hawaiian, Kanoa-Wong says he hopes Moana 2 — which shattered box office records in its opening weekend — will inspire others to “continue to tell our own stories,” adding “I hope it can be an inspiration to learn your stories When you see a big company like Disney taking on this work and this responsibility I hope that it is inspiring for our people.” I’m hoping people can see and look at the film and say What is voyaging?'” Kanoa-Wong continues “And as people see how amazing Moana is and as she’s figuring out her journey you can learn that it’s actually a real part of our history as people of the Pacific… So hopefully people can dive into that a little bit more that will lead to people caring more about these cultures LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury on Monday quickly and completely rejected a man’s claim that Disney’s “Moana” was stolen from his story of a young surfer in Hawaii The Los Angeles federal jury deliberated for only about 2 ½ hours before deciding that the creators of “Moana” never had access to writer and animator Buck Woodall’s outlines and script for “Bucky the Surfer Boy.” the jury of six women and two men didn’t even have to consider the similarities between “Bucky” and Disney’s 2016 hit animated film about a questing Polynesian princess Woodall had shared his work with a distant relative who worked for a different company on the Disney lot but the woman testified during the two-week trial that she never showed it to anyone at Disney “Obviously we’re disappointed,” Woodall’s attorney Gustavo Lage said outside court “We’re going to review our options and think about the best path forward.” Woodall’s attorney said that a long chain of circumstantial evidence showed the two works were inseparable “There was no ‘Moana’ without ‘Bucky,’” Lage said Defense lawyer Moez Kaba said that the evidence showed overwhelmingly that “Moana” was clearly the creation and “crowning achievement” of the 40-year career of John Musker and Ron Clements the writers and directors behind 1989’s “The Little Mermaid,” 1992’s “Aladdin,” 1997’s ”Hercules” and 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog.” “They had no idea about Bucky,” Kaba said in his closing “Moana” earned nearly $700 million at the global box office “We are incredibly proud of the collective work that went into the making of Moana and are pleased that the jury found it had nothing to do with Plaintiff’s works,” Disney said in a statement Musker and Disney’s attorneys declined to comment outside the courtroom The relatively young jury of six women and two men watched “Moana” in its entirety in the courtroom They considered a story outline that Woodall created for “Bucky” in 2003 along with a 2008 update and a 2011 script befriends a group of Native Hawaiian youth and goes on a quest that includes time travel to the ancient islands and interactions with demigods to save a sacred site from a developer Woodall gave the “Bucky” outline to the stepsister of his brother’s wife a company that had a contract with Disney and was located on the Disney lot He sent her follow-up materials through the years He testified that he was stunned when he saw “Moana” in 2016 and saw so many of his ideas Along with her testimony saying she didn’t show “Bucky” to anyone messages shared by the defense showed she eventually ignored Woodall’s queries to her and had told him there was nothing she could do for him Disney attorney Kaba argued there was no evidence Marchick ever worked on “Moana” or received any credit or compensation for it now head of features development at DreamWorks Animation worked for key Disney competitors Sony and Fox during much of the time she was allegedly making use of Woodall’s work for Disney Woodall also submitted the script directly to Disney and had a meeting with an assistant at the Disney Channel But jurors agreed that this didn’t give them reason to believe that “Bucky” made its way to Musker outlined some of the similarities of the two works in his closing Both have Polynesian demigods as central figures and shape-shifting characters who turn into the main characters interact with animals who act as spirit helpers including Polynesian lore and basic “staples of literature,” are not copyrightable Shape-shifting among supernatural characters appears throughout films including “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” and Hercules which made Musker and Clements essential to the Disney renaissance of the 1990s and made Disney a global powerhouse Animal guides go back to movies as early as 1940’s “Pinocchio” and appear in all of Musker and Clements’ previous films Kaba said Musker and Clements developed “Moana” the same way they did the other films The lawyer said thousands of pages of development documents showed every step of Musker and Clements’ creation whose spark came from the paintings of Paul Gaugin and the writings of Herman Melville “You can see every single fingerprint,” Kaba said “You can see the entire genetic makeup of ‘Moana.’” During sailings aboard Disney Cruise Line’s new ship, the Disney Treasure guests are invited to dive deep into an extraordinary journey in Disney The Tale of Moana a Broadway-style show inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2016 feature film Moana “Audiences are primed to come in and have a good experience,” the show’s director “They’re not rushing in from traffic or coming here after a bad day at work They’re coming in to have a theatrical experience and see characters they love come to life They’re coming from a place of love — and that creates such a nice energy.” the Walt Disney Theatre transforms from the fictional island of Motunui into the open ocean as Moana embarks on an epic voyage to save her people Disney The Tale of Moana features vibrant dancing choreographed by Gallagher and Peter Rockford Espiritu; songs in a mix of languages and Samoan; and the first live staging of “Warrior Face,” inspired by traditional Haka Adding to the spectacle is larger-than-life puppetry including Te Kā — the largest puppet that Disney Cruise Line has ever created the massive lava monster towers over the audience before Moana helps her transform into the benevolent mother island “As the first-ever stage production of Moana this production means a lot to all of us,” said Kaena Kekoa it’s nice to finally be able to share this with people and for them to receive it.” the show was in development for four years before it opened “One of the things I love most about working with everyone in Disney Live Entertainment is that they really support the collaborative process,” Gallagher said “I invited all of the designers in as early as possible so that I wasn’t ordering up ideas and effects too late in the process As the Disney Treasure was being constructed the creative team behind Disney The Tale of Moana worked together to creatively adapt the story of Moana for Disney Cruise Line guests to enjoy at sea we tried to make the show work without all the bells and whistles,” Gallagher recalled “There’s a lot of technology in the show that you see in the Walt Disney Theatre it was like children’s theater with foam core and popsicle sticks We found the emotional core of the story and the main elements and then everyone started to layer on top of that It gave us the ability to zoom out and look at how the story was landing to see how we wanted to make it more impactful and epic We wanted it to be a spectacle without losing the heart and the emotion While the Walt Disney Theatre is also home to the enchanting musical Beauty and the Beast (inspired by the 2017 live-action film) and the original stage spectacular Disney Seas the Adventure Disney The Tale of Moana holds a special place in the cast and crew’s hearts “This kind of show requires a lifestyle shift A lot of people are rooted in their lives on land — but this show is different,” Gallagher said “A lot of our actors came from the very first workshop in 2020 That speaks to how much this story means to them so it’s extra meaningful for me to be a part of something that people hold so dearly.” “It’s been a whirlwind of emotions — but the biggest one is pride I’m so proud to see our show being so well received It’s a lot of responsibility for everyone To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500, or contact their travel agent. anyone who had already seen The Tale of Moana couldn’t wait to tell me how special this ship’s Broadway-style production of the beloved film was especially because Moana is one of my favorite Disney movies but I have fallen to the beast known as hype many times before It wasn’t until I spoke to one of my Disney reps that I began to believe The Tale of Moana may not be what I was expecting She told me she had been talking to Jodi Kimura the Hawaiian actress behind the production’s Gramma Tala and she asked her why she left Broadway to come aboard the Disney Treasure The answer was simple - it was the first time she was going to be able to perform with her people After seeing The Tale of Moana on the Disney Treasure Media Preview Cruise thanks to Disney and speaking to the fantastic team that brought it to life those words perfectly encapsulated why this show is one of the greatest shows I’ve seen in a very long time as it is an incredible celebration of the people and culture that make Moana so beloved around the world The Tale of Moana begins in modern-day Motonui and Kimura’s Tala serves as the show’s narrator who shares the story of Moana with those who now live on the island you can see the influence of the cultures of the Pacific Islands - from the actors Disney recruited from those same islands to the rendition of ‘An Innocent Warrior’ with authentic dance moves and a mix of languages including Tuvaluan and this is all before we meet the incredible actress behind Moana She embodies the character the great Auli’i Cravalho played so perfectly and commands the stage with pure joy and an unbelievable talent that sailed all the way through the audience into our hearts and did I mention this was only her first Disney contract but I want you to read her words as they convey my point better than I could ever hope to “It was probably the moment when I'm on the boat with Gramma Tala right before the song ‘I am Moana’ and she's sings and a girl who loves the sea,’” Kekoa said “That really got to me as I am a girl from an island and I love the sea and my people and being able to share that with the world.. that's probably the moment I was like “We all have ancestors whose legacy we have the honor of carrying on and passing down So I hope that everybody can see that and a piece of Moana in themselves.” the cast and crew around her rose just as high including co-choreographer Peter Rockford Espiritu Espiritu is another native Hawaiian who brought his culture and that of those around him to The Tale of Moana “My goal was to represent the Pacific Island cultures all the way around,” Espiritu said I taught at the University of South Pacific and I've been to all the island countries so I'm very familiar with the vocabulary and the dance vocabulary of all of these people it was my goal to represent not only my own culture - Hawaii and Samoan - but also all the Pacific Island cultures to bring the authenticity and the vocabulary of what that means to the storytelling so the audience can feel it.” “I'm also very proud of the ending,” Espiritu continued ‘What if we got the drums and just hit it hard and got faster and faster?’ And the musical team got right behind it and we knew it would bring people to their feet a little Samoan slap dance called Fa’ataupati and some Haka in there so you can feel that drive and that authenticity at the same time and that ending that did bring us to our feet for a standing ovation was the perfect follow-up to the stunning final confrontation between Moana the legendary studio that brought Broadway’s Lion King to life designed and built the massive and imposing Te Kā puppet that moved across the stage was how that same puppet transformed into Te Fiti in a moment that had us all in shock and awe That last bit really sums up how I felt about The Tale of Moana I was so impressed by every part of this production and the story behind the stage is even more wonderful A big question I had going into The Tale of Moana was why it took so long for film to get a stage production. I mean, 2016’s Moana was the most-streamed movie of the past five years, and that’s not just on Disney+ many in the company wondered the same thing This would make an incredible stage show.' Honestly I am shocked that this is the first-ever stage adaptation of it,” Jenny Weinbloom just like the classic films Alan Menken and Howard Ashman worked on like Beauty and the Beast are created as Broadway musicals that just happened to also be animated films it was only natural that they would actually become Broadway musicals someday And this mirrors Moana with how Lin-Manuel Miranda writes a Disney film we always knew as a larger team that Moana would be part of our future.” All the pieces seemed to be in the right place at the right time for The Tale of Moana and that goes all the way up to the director whose credits include Broadway's Beetlejuice and Disney's Beauty and the Beast “I'm a kid from upstate New York,” Gallagher said “I'm very clearly not a Pacific Islander the voice of that little devil on my shoulder was saying ‘What right do you have to be at the center of this thing leading the team?’ I then expressed that insecurity to our musical and cultural consultant Aaron Salā and co-choreographer Peter Rockford Espiritu ‘The only thing you need to do is tell this story beautifully That will be the greatest gift you can bring to this culture and this story.’ That really stuck with me It empowered me as an artist to immerse myself in that world and make something worthy of that great gift they gave me.” As you can tell from my chats with the cast and crew of The Tale of Moana that desire to tell this story correctly was taken to heart on every level My only regret is that the only people who get to see this show are those who voyage on the Disney Treasure the sentiment I got was that I’m hardly the only person who feels this version of Moana needs to sail beyond the reef and make its way to Broadway or elsewhere there is something truly incredible about The Tale of Moana starting on a Disney Cruise Line ship and I think it’s the perfect way to end our story here but what I also love about what we do at Disney Cruise Line is that our shows are all performed in rep which is to say this same cast is performing our other big shows on the ship like Beauty and the Beast,” Weinbloom said who I'd fallen in love in The Tale of Moana I was struck and I found myself weeping in the middle of that opening number because Belle's little provincial French village looked like Motonui what a beautiful little sense of connection that both of these little villages now have no matter where our performers may be from these little villages have so much more in common than we might think Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok. What does a mid musical performance on a Disney cruise ship have to do with video games? Good job on glorifying this overpriced floating tourist trap. Psssst.....those complaining about the article. Don't CLICK. If it just being the sensible thing to do isn't enough, then consider your click and comments ultimately show as engagement and boosts the metrics for the ARTICLE! LOL! Don't click if you really don't want to see the article...smh. Subscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret Down"Moana 2" Director Dana Ledoux Miller Revealed The Meaning Behind Moana's New Tattoo And I'm Obsessed"I love it because it’s so specific to Moana and her story." Warning: Massive Moana 2 spoilers ahead Dana Ledoux Miller is booked and busy The Moana 2 director and Moana live-action remake writer took the time to talk with BuzzFeed about behind-the-scenes moments in the recording booth it turned into a beautiful chat between two Samoan women and I left the interview feeling like we were old friends I'm so grateful that the film is doing well and people are watching it and that it's resonating with so many Pacific Islanders it's really exciting to me that I do get to stand in this place and just by being here that if — I mean honestly — if I can do it It's been a really special thing and a responsibility that I don't take lightly because nobody can say it hasn't been done before That can't be an excuse as to why you don't hire a Pacific Islander woman to write and direct a studio film because it has been done before Working with Auli’i [Cravalho] and Dwayne [Johnson] was really special I assume you never know what it's going to be like coming into a role that you've already played and coming back after eight years to jump into this the way they were able to just find these characters again The first day I was in the recording session with her We have this moment later in the film where Maui is stripped of all of his crutches and he's vulnerable in a way that he's never been before [Writer] Jared Bush and I were talking through what that means to be so strong and to be somebody who but suddenly be taken to your knees and vulnerable in a way you've never been before and having to ask for help in a way you've never been before What does that look like when you are larger than life who is larger than life in so many ways and doesn't often get to go to these places emotionally as an actor That is a sentence I am very familiar with: “I'm not Samoan enough.” Half my dad's family lived in Northern California — I'm in Southern California — or back in Samoa Part of that honestly was because of my dad and him dealing with some of his own identity issues as I was growing up I would say being Samoan is always something I've been really proud of but it's something I always mentioned with caveats to try to make other people feel better about it I know I don't look so Samoan,” to make it feel okay for everybody else I used to have a picture of my grandparents in my bag when I was really young BuzzFeed: So you could whip it out as proof I don't know that I'm a fully-recovered insecure afakasi [mixed Samoan] woman Even taking the job on the Moana live-action my first thought after getting that job was: “Am I Samoan enough Is our community going to be upset that I'm the person doing this Will they think I'm not enough to do this?” And it was very daunting and I felt like I couldn't believe I get to be a part of telling her story But it's been a process to take ownership of even just being able to be say I'm not gonna explain to you what that means because it's none of your business and I know who I am.” That I would say has been a two-year process But part of that is because I took some chances I wasn't ready to take. I took the job on the live-action film even though I felt that insecurity. I started PEAK [Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti] when I was like Am I the right person?” I also had a Pacific Islander writers room for this small show that didn't end up going and I got to work with Pacific Islanders in a room and I started to feel like I was a part of a bigger community And it wasn't a community that was asking me to qualify myself but of other people who felt very similarly I see you.” And because we were seeing ourselves in each other it gave me more confidence to be bold about taking ownership of who I am The first film did such a great job of setting that up with Gramma Tala he very early on had this image in his mind of a whale shark as an ancestor coming in and meeting Moana This idea that our ancestors are always with us — they are always guiding us But when it came to that moment in particular at the end it goes back to what we were talking about with Maui this idea that he has no resources to solve this problem and so he has to do something he's never done before which is call out to the gods and call out to the ancestors and admit that he needs help And I think [composer] Opetaia Foa'i did such a beautiful job of creating this chant in Samoan for Maui to sing and then it's really just a call to make things right it felt natural that if he's calling for help I loved the moment Tautai Vasa comes in because he doesn't know what's going to happen It's not like they're omniscient and the ancestors know that by showing up and now he's seeing this young woman who he sent off on this journey all this power coming together to bring her back as a demigod.. It just felt right for this world and for her journey It all built on each other into something that I'm really proud of I would be very excited to see what powers she had I think that this film definitely sets up the potential for that She's even got her own demigod color; she glows a little different than Maui So I assume that she has some different abilities and we were so fortunate to have experts from across the Pacific really homing in on those designs to make sure that each place was different because she's connecting the whole ocean There's so much misunderstanding about what it means to be from the Pacific they assume that we're only Polynesian and that we're not all these other things The fact that Moana connecting the ocean could literally connect her to these other places across the Pacific and show new technology in these canoes and people who look a little different but are also of the ocean just felt right I did not anticipate the reaction to that from our communities — people are pumped One thing that I try to tell young writers is that your very specific lens into the world anywhere you're from — only you see the world in your very specific way it's really important that you don't try to shift that lens to emulate someone else's vision of the world especially when you're writing your first sample or making your first film It's that kind of specificity of vision and experience that is what breaks through the noise of everything else it helps the rest of us find the commonalities we have between us because you're telling a very specific story You're not watering it down to something that you think someone from the outside is going to feel is more palatable You're taking ownership of exactly who you are understand you and relate to you in a different way I think there's sometimes a tendency to want to write what Hollywood wants you to write But the thing is — if this is the work you want to do and you want to get into this business — you also have to hone your craft I have met a lot of Pacific Islanders who are excited about this idea of working in the industry but there is maybe a lack of understanding there is a lack of infrastructure for our community often you have to study the craft and write at the level that everyone else in the world is in order to tell those stories That's how you build a career and create staying power You gotta understand the work and then tell it from your lens There are moments within the movie that get me sometimes to take characters that we know and love to a new place is always really exciting Jemaine [Clement] came in to do Tamatoa Eagle vs Shark is one of my favorite films "That's the kind of movie I'm gonna make!" I'm not as funny as him BuzzFeed: That’s so funny because he only shows up in the post-credits scene just to really let him go off for our own benefit The number of texts and emails I've been getting from people has been a little overwhelming but in a good way one of our consultants who lives in Apia was like “Here's our schedule for the movie theater and the lines are down the street.” Or my brother texted me and was like “My friend just said he's been trying to get him and his son tickets to the movie in Tutuila A cousin's cousin sent me their aunty’s Instagram post about how the ‘ava ceremony meant something to them or about the tatau or the idea of the ancestors or this idea that we are all connected and that we are better together and that people don't understand that community is our foundation There's been so many instances of people from our community loving the film and so the fact that that's happening kind of makes me a little teary right now I was hoping that we could all hold our heads up high and be proud to see ourselves like this and to see TikTok and Instagram blowing up about people being like that's going to give somebody else confidence out there to say It's changing the way other people are seeing us I saw something where somebody had never understood that Melanesian people are part of the Pacific That's somebody learning something that they didn't know about us before So it's really special to be able to be a part of something that's reaching people on so many different levels So we had Peter Suluape as our consultant in the tatau form we wanted her tattoos to tell her story but in a very specific way there's so many tattoos that tell so many stories We wanted her tattoo to tell this story of her reconnecting all the people of the ocean So that's why it has Motofetū in the middle and everything coming off are the channels that connect it And then we worked with our character designer who took all of those pieces and put it together in something that worked on her arm then we're okay!" I love it because it’s so specific to Moana and her story but it's also so specific to us and what she would actually get Note: This interview was edited for length and clarity Moana 2 is the latest of big movies to be new to streaming following its massive theatrical run in celebration of the film's Disney+ debut CinemaBlend had the chance to talk to two of the directors about a few aspects of it that might have missed the first time you watched it get your remotes ready and follow along with us on some exciting easter eggs and fun tidbits I thought the most interesting piece of information that David Derrick Jr and Jason Hand shared with me was in regard Moana’s eventual rebirth as a demigod I don’t think most fans noticed that the tattoos she receives at the end of the movie after risking her life for her people were foreshadowed earlier in the movie the motif behind Moana when she lands on Motu that is the motif that she ultimately gets when she becomes a demigod Given Maui is connected with the ancestors as a demigod perhaps he had some sort of inkling of Moana becoming a demigod check out images below that point out what the filmmakers are speaking to: And there are other excellent nods within the film that major Disney lovers are sure to appreciate While new and eligible returning customers won't be able to enjoy the discounted rate for quite as long you'll still get the sub-$3 bundle for the first four months of your subscription Walt Disney Animation is known for sneaking in easter Eggs from other Disney movies so I additionally asked the directors about that when Kele is throwing things out of the canoe When I looked back at the movie, it took me a while to find the aforementioned easter egg. It happens around 1 hour and 15 minutes into the movie while Moana and her crew are in the storm. Derrick is referring to a fork or “dinglehopper” from The Little Mermaid You can see it briefly as the items leave the canoe I applaud anyone who was actually able to spot this during their first viewing I found it at the very end of the credits for Moana 2 in the form of one of Moni’s drawings All we know about Gary so far is he’ll be pursued by Nick and Judy in their latest case I really hope that the knowledge of these fun Moana 2 details enriches your viewing experience on Disney+ What makes Walt Disney Animation so special is how much work its filmmakers put into every frame and this entry in the Moana franchise is no exception she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features profiles and arts & entertainment coverage including her first run-in with movie reporting with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner Now she's into covering YA television and movies All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over Doctor Who’s Jonah Hauer-King Explained Conrad’s Big Showdown With The Doctor Another Simple Favor Director Paul Feig Talks Plans For A Third Movie After That Mysterious Cliffhanger Michael Jordan And Scottie Pippen’s Ex-Teammate Discusses One Thing That Changed Their Relationship Years Ago And Affects The ‘Little Rift’ Between Them Now Disney’s artists and technologists have undergone a sea change It’s an epic story that calls for equally epic sequences and set pieces — and those are what the team at Disney Animation does best Moana finds herself in uncharted waters when she meets Nalo “In a story about connection, Nalo is really a god of disconnection,” David Derrick Jr., who directs Moana 2 with Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller we talked about how frightening Te Kā was in the first film Nalo has been the culmination of so many artists working together to create something that frankly we didn’t know we could do through FX says the introduction of Nalo led to “the most complicated sequences we created on this film,” explaining “It’s a whole weather system that is also a villain and it’s incredibly impressive when you see all of that on a big screen.” Creating a villain like Nalo was no easy feat The filmmakers needed to develop cutting-edge technology so that elements such as “tornados and giant waves” would accurately depict his power “We had to invent a bunch of tools so we could hand things off to FX who could then build off of that,” he says We get in the room with all the smartest people we know ‘What’s the best solution for pulling this particular task off How many departments does this need to go through?’ The wonderful thing about working at Disney is that we have the best artists and technologists in the world here And those weren’t the only advances that the story’s scope necessitated we are going through and handcrafting each individual frame Any time we can find ways to make things more efficient it means that we can spend more time iterating and [asking ourselves]: What are the best choices for the character performance?” we need something here that feels specific to the region and specific to this moment.’ And she might just send us a little video clip of a hand pose or a finger position — a simple movement that would help us do something that feels music-like Because Moana 2 is set three years after the first film each character’s appearance has been updated accordingly — an endeavor that was done “very carefully,” says Daniel Arriaga “We didn’t want to change what people love about them.” Moana has become “more confident” as a person and as a leader Smeed adds that they also wanted to capture the “athleticism” Moana has built up since the first film “She’s more confident this time around She’s been a leader in her community for the past three years How does that change things like her posture and her stance?” she asks “It was really exciting to be a part of animating that character again and taking her to that next level.” and Moni (voiced by Hualālai Chung) — a motley crew from Motunui whom Moana recruits to join her journey “I love drawing them in groups,” Arriaga says “You get to see how their shapes play off of each other You figure out: ‘What would look good here Now we need someone a little bit taller.’ With Kele I loved going skinny with his legs and his arms and then giving him these big Those kinds of shape differences and variations in a single person are my absolute favorite.” While much of Moana 2 features CG animation, it incorporates a longstanding and vital tradition: hand-drawn animation veteran animator and director Eric Goldberg returned to supervise the sequel’s hand-drawn animation team Maui explained to Moana that his tattoos simply show up when he earns them they don’t just “show up” onscreen; someone has to animate them is perhaps the most obvious example of how hand-drawn and CG animation work hand-in-hand “Mini Maui and Maui have their own relationship and then Moana comes in and befriends Maui,” Smeed says “It’s interesting to see the dynamic between Mini Maui and Maui [evolve]; it adds some comedy to the story.” Having seamlessly blended the two animation styles before — most recently in the short film Once Upon a Studio (2023) — the process was remarkably smooth we tried to have the hand-drawn animation done at the same time as the CG animation,” Smeed recalls “It didn’t always work out that way but we did make sure that before a shot was approved and sent down the pipeline the directors were able to see [hand-drawn] Mini Maui and CG Maui together Eric and his team would do the drawings for Mini Maui which is the software we use to animate.” animators clamored for the chance to collaborate with his team “One of the fun things is we had many CG animators reaching out to us to say ‘Can I please work on a shot with Maui that has Mini Maui?'” Smeed says “They wanted the chance to collaborate with Eric and his team which was a very a fun journey for everyone.” getting to continue Moana’s story was a dream come true “When I saw the original film back in 2016 I fell in love with Moana’s optimism and her unflappable energy,” Webb says “She’s just such a winning character I got to revisit the film again after my daughter was born She had latched on to it when she was about 2 years old so I got to see it through her eyes and see what she gravitated towards Getting the chance to be back in this world and work on this film with this character is incredible.” We don’t get to see her every day.’ So it was great coming back for this film and getting to interact with her again.” This is the studio that’s led the way in the animation sphere for an entire century and here they are offering up one of the laziest I’m fed up with being delivered slop from a studio that should know better and being told to lap it up though it’s not one that makes the film any better The film was originally primed to be a television series dumped onto Disney+ rather than a film and pivoting to a cinema release will be great for their coffers Thinking about how much money Disney is going to make off this film while knowing people will be paying a lot more money for movie tickets than they would for a Disney+ subscription to see this did not “Just do what Miranda did.” But Bear and Barlow have a different style and it feels like they’re compromising on their vision This could—and frankly, should—be Matangi’s attempt to manipulate Moana, but instead, it’s genuine advice. Matangi turns out to not be a villain at all, and just someone who appears to waste time and give Moana advice she probably could have figured out herself. That’s not an interesting development. That’s wasting everyone’s time with a pointless diversion. The real villain, it’s revealed, is a bunch of lightning bolts. Feel free to insert your own “oohs” and “aahs” here. I don’t hate Moana 2 because it’s boring—although it is wasting impressive voice talents and beloved characters in the quest for the almighty dollar And there’s nothing almighty about this crap Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Barry Levitt is a freelance entertainment writer and his work can be found in Vulture They were apparently so impressed with the early footage they saw that they just had to clumsily rework it into a movie that could be released in theatres Aside from what this says about the sheer lack of faith Disney seems to have in its own streaming platform, it’s tough to ignore how radical a shift was required for the team making the Moana series to rejig it into a movie in the space of less than a year but Moana 2 is a pale imitation of its lovely predecessor I’m not sure it could have been anything else Set three years after the first film, Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) is now exploring the islands around her home of Motunui in hopes of finding other peoples connected to the ocean The intertwining communities of yore are now gone after the devious storm god Nalo sunk the isle of Motufetu unless Motufetu is raised from the ocean bed she’ll also need to find Maui (Dwayne Johnson.) The disjointed nature of the overall narrative is tough to ignore Some scenes seem cut together ill-fittingly There’s a curious lack of tension for the first two acts most notable in the scenes involving Matangi (voiced by Maori performer Awhimai Fraser) the kinda villain who completely disappears within a minute of her big number It seems as though she was being set up to be an overarching figure in the series a tricksy figure whose loyalties cannot immediately be understood But in the context of a 100-minute film made out of three or four episodes of an unaired show Her song seems like it’s meant to be akin to the ‘Love is an Open Door’ moment in Frozen It’s a shame since Fraser has the pipes and her character design is intriguing; just don’t get too attached Moana also has a crew this time around: Moni (Hualalai Chung) a storyteller with a man-crush on Maui who draws fanart of him; the chatterbox Loto (Rose Matafeo) who’s a dab hand at fixing things; and Kele (David Fane) a grouchy old farmer who’s apparently there to cultivate food for the crew but is never really seen doing so which feels more put together by committee than Moana’s animal friends (who are still here the chicken still gets most of the best laughs.) Don’t expect any conflict from this dynamic almost like they were designed to be episodic in nature or something There’s a shoehorned-in message about working together which is inoffensive enough but takes away from Moana’s arc said arc is mostly a retread of what she went through in the first film: she’s doubting her abilities to go the distance and his ‘I’m The Rock’ charm is far less interesting without the warmth of his relationship with Moana (they’re apart for the first half.) there’s more of those coconut creatures in this because someone at Disney really wants to make those things into their version of the Minions One of the reasons Moana soared so effortlessly was because of the songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda I know there’s this weird backlash to the multi-award-winning composer because he’s a cheesy theatre kid but come on You want to know what you get when you’ve been forced to hire the cheapest ‘we’ve got LMM at home’ version of songwriting and they do almost nothing to advance plot and character are not ready for primetime (sorry to fans of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.) Credit to the animators who were overworked to make this happen because a lot of this film does look gorgeous where the stakes are real and the action has some proper energy to it it just doesn’t seem as vibrant or dazzling as its predecessor like a smaller-scale continuation of the same that was meant for a different medium Disney used to get credit among fans and critics for taking their time with their animated films because they knew they were the jewel in their studio’s heavy crown Rush jobs will always look and feel like one What should feel like an enrichening expansion of this world seems so stifled Moana 2 has already grossed over $386.3 million worldwide That’s well over double its reported budget of $150 million It was always going to be a mega-hit and Disney will feel happy about their decision to hastily reimagine this series into a movie sequel They see it as a brand expansion exercise that’ll keep five-year-olds happy the kids in my screening seemed to have a very good time But this cannot help but feel like a company learning all the wrong lessons Disney has noted plans to double down on even more sequels Moana was a success because it felt like a fresh spin on their classic formula and a chance for worldwide audiences to see something culturally specific that they otherwise might not have watched one with a story developed for cinema from the ground up what we have is so derivative and transparently corporate that it bums me out so that's an achievement that won't be missed by us but we know we've got three more games to keep building on that." Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward And will Joe Schmidt be tempted to stick around for Rugby World Cup 2027 It was close to a do-or-die match for both Moana Pasifika and the Highlanders in round twelve and the game was decided by the big players who stood up for Moana Pasifika on Sunday afternoon in Dunedin where Tana Umaga’s side came out on top Ardie Savea had another mammoth performance for Moana Pasifika, scoring an outrageous solo try in the second half, like the one that was ruled out last week against the Fijian Drua at North Harbour Stadium But it was Moana Pasifika’s replacement halfback Melani Matavao who came up with the clutch play charging down Taine Robinson’s clearing kick picking the ball up and scoring in the corner hosted the first ever overseas tour for the New Zealand U85kg team starting on Sunday evening where they were able to overcome a physical test from the Sri Lankan Tuskers who was relieved after his team’s narrow victory said the charge down in the dying moments by Matavao is exactly what the club is about I think it probably epitomizes how much it meant to us proud of everything that we’ve achieved,” Umaga told media post-match in Dunedin but we’ve put ourselves in a position where we’re competing to be in the top six and we’re pretty happy about that.” Moana Pasifika will take on the Blues in round fourteen of the competition at North Harbour Stadium which could prove to be cruical in the race for the top six as both teams are fighting for the same spots Umaga knows that will be a tough challenge especially as they are cross-town rivals and have similarities in the club you can for sure build a great narrative for and lot of friends and family are involved in both clubs There are a lot of things that can motivate us to have a good game in two weeks “They taught us a lesson last time when we went to their house so we’ve got to make sure we learn lessons from what they taught us and I’m sure we’ll be ready for that when it comes.” Umaga gives his leadership group a lot of credit for the victory in Dunedin who once again has proved how important he is for this Moana Pasifika side “I can’t go away from our leadership group and Ardie leads that obviously but our leadership group has been huge for us in terms of aligning with what we’re about and also about how we want to run this team the most games we’ve won in Super Rugby so that’s an achievement that won’t be missed by us but we know we’ve got three more games to keep building on that.” News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now Join free and tell us what you really think Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward Northampton Saints found a way of beating the fabled Jacques Nienaber blitz and inflicting another 'horrific' Champions Cup loss on the Leinster giants Warren Gatland forged a sense of togetherness in his 2013 Lions but faced personal 'vitriol' after leaving out a legend Absolutely smacked of rotation it definitely wasn’t appropriate and they totally underestimated Saints All the commentary beforehand was entirely dismissive of Saints and it was poetic to see things play the way they did RTE describing Saints as a mere “speed bump” Kearney stating Pollock “had a target on his back coming to Dublin” and he would be better served “keeping his head down and learning his trade” Horgan saying Leinster only needed to be at 80% Jeez they even turned down the 3 to level and go again and that’s despite having been taught the same lesson in previous tight CC losses Didn’t you mention something similar in the Irish team attitude about a lax attitude pre France in March what was Einstein’s definition of madness again something about doing the same thing over and over and still getting the same result Ps not sure at all Saints are best side in England and doubt they even win the 24 final without Obano’s 22nd minute red card Ryan hasn’t been starting ahead of McCarthy for a while either for Leinster or Ireland and RG was bought in for these games i know a tech expert who can aid you in recovering any crypto currency,reach her (infocyberrecoveryinc@gmail.com and telegram:marie_consultancy) Current record is 52-40 for the Springboks The old adage holds - test matches are won up front… Interesting article Love certainly had impact at 10 against a very strong Chiefs side goal kicking and general play enabled his team to beat them comfortably If he can continue that form he would be an asset for the ABs so should at least be in the squad Pretty well The wallabies have a good record against the springboks Ther has been some talk of ‘good cop bad cop’ with Joe playing the tough love role A but Joe won’t be there for at least one year esp with Les slated to finish one year after a WC in 2028 I think the choice reflects the current battle for power between Waugh and Dan Herbert and you’re point of comp with Ewen McKenzie may turn out ot be all too accurate It is not a chocie which will lead to unity of purpose in the long run it will simply expose the flaws at the time of making it The next idea to try might be fornting up with the first XV on those tough tours of SA pre-Champions Cup semi Get them battle hardened upstairs for the tests ahead Previous games with Lienster showcased the full range of his abilities though Tim just have to give him the full 80 not half a bleedin hour In that case you are wrong JW Joe Heyes the toe-cruncher?😂 Lot of pressure on him to get it right as an Englishman coaching Ireland Chiefs In fairness Eng’s D was far better by the end of the 6N than it was in the first half of the tourney Tom Yep I think they’ll let the Prem go now ED They have a very good shot of beating UBB in the final Saints will prioritize he Champions Cup over the Prem naturally They have very little chance making the playoffs Steady on we’ve got two very tough tests in Argentina with ranking points on the line before the RWC draw With that selection we might have Joe Heyes at fly half We’ll never know now He can do more things well on the field now than Robbie in his thirties Moana and Maui from the Moana film franchise have come to life on the Classic Clog One colorway is crafted for Moana and the other for Maui Jibbitz charms represent the demigod’s fish hook and tribal tattoos The edge of the forefoot contains the necklace worn by Maui and the buttons holding the green sports mode strap The final detail nodding to the film is found on the spine of the sports mode strap with the phrase “You’re Welcome” split between the two clogs the graphic printed on the Croslite foam upper mimics her outfit and the color palette of the beach while the necklace that holds it surrounds the forefoot On the spine of the sports mode strap is a reference to the scene where the ocean chooses her as the next Wayfinder The Moana x Crocs Classic Clog Collection is available now through Crocs and select retailers online and in-store. Available in unisex and kids sizing, the retail price is $70 and $55, respectively. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases and more in the sneaker and streetwear world Enjoy all the latest sneaker raffle and releases and exclusive sneaker news in the palm of your hand the sequel to the beloved Oscar-nominated film about an adventurous Polynesian teen on a quest to save her people Now the film is floating to Disney+ for its streaming debut Here's everything you need to know to watch and sing along at home After an unexpected vision from her wayfinding ancestors they strike out for the legendary island of Motufetu alongside a new crew The island is farther than she or any of her ancestors have ever gotten Get a sneak peek in the trailer below Mashable's Belen Edwards described the film in her review as "almost as great as the original "With its beautiful, textured animation and its propulsive adventure to the far ends of the ocean, Moana 2 is another win for Disney animation but certainly nothing special compared to Moana's greatest hits," she writes Read our full review of Moana 2 Following its major Thanksgiving box office success Moana 2 became available to watch at home via video-on-demand at the end of January 2025 You can purchase the film for your digital library for $19.99 from apps like Prime Video and Apple TV It will also be available to rent at a later date You can purchase the film at the following retailers: Prime Video — buy for $19.99 Apple TV — buy for $19.99 YouTube — buy for $19.99 Google Play — buy for $19.99 Moana 2 is set to make its streaming debut on March 12 on none other than Disney+ — the streaming home of all Disney films but we've rounded up a few of the best ways you can save some money on the streaming service below Disney+ recently hiked its prices up from $7.99 to $9.99 with ads and $13.99 to $15.99 without ads you can still save some money on a subscription by signing up for an annual plan up front which breaks down to $13.33 per month instead of $15.99 per month then "annual" to secure the discount for the year You can bundle Disney+ and Hulu for just $10.99 per month with ads which basically gets you Disney+ for $1 per month (44% in savings) You can also add Max (with ads) or ESPN+ into the mix for a grand total of $16.99 per month you'll have to pay an extra $9 per month for the Disney+ and Hulu bundle and an extra $13 per month for the trio bundle your trial will give you plenty of time to watch Moana 2 and some other Disney favorites Just add a Disney Bundle to your account through myPlan All three would regularly cost you $37.97 per month separately but by signing up through this myPlan deal Despite the recent price increase of all three streamers you're also eligible for six free months of Disney+ The biggest difference between the two tiers is the inclusion of ads you'll have to watch some ads throughout your streaming experience you can enjoy ad-free streaming and the ability to download content to watch offline that also comes at a price; Basic accounts will run you $9.99 per month Yes — just like every other streamer, Disney+ hiked the prices of both its tiers and bundle in October The ad-supported version of Disney+ jumped from $7.99 to $9.99 per month while Disney+ Premium (no ads) also went up by two bucks Disney+ with ads) jumped from $9.99 to $10.99 per month ESPN+ with ads) jumped from $14.99 to $16.99 per month ESPN+ without ads) went from $24.99 to $26.99 per month Christina Buff is a Nashville-based freelance writer for who covers shopping with a splash of entertainment If you’re ever wondering what streaming service you need to watch something (and the cheapest way to sign up for it) in Business Communication (concentration in writing) from Stevenson University and began her professional journey writing and editing press releases she’s written content for a marketing agency and just about everything in between for various publications When she’s not writing, she’s probably enjoying live music, studying human design, or embroidering and upcycling clothes. You can follow her on Instagram at @touchinfinity Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return for a mediocre uninspired sequel to a modern Disney classic Alright kids, put down your TikToks and your Roblox and your [checks notes] Skibidi Toilets. It’s time for a history lesson, because “Moana 2” isn’t just a movie It’s a throwback to a long-lost historical era when sequels usually sucked Why we’d want to throw back to that I have no idea but I guess everything old is new again and Disney is There was a time when saying “sequels suck” wasn’t just pessimistic There were always noteworthy exceptions but for most of the 20th century follow-ups to great and/or popular movies were usually less great and less popular Often they were just shameless excuses to crank a few extra dollars out of the audience “Three Men and a Little Lady” did not do justice to “Three Men and a Baby.” “The Legend of Zorro” is not mentioned with the same reverent tones as “The Mask of Zorro,” if it’s ever mentioned at all but in the last couple decades attitudes towards sequels have changed and films that might previously have been lazy cash-ins now have bigger ambitions They expand on stories and characters instead of merely rehashing them Recently we’ve been treated to great sequels like “Inside Out 2,” “Smile 2,” “Dune: Part 2,” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Sequels aren’t just big business The discussion of great sequels brings us back to “Moana 2,” a film which does not qualify The follow-up to one of Disney’s modern classics returns to ancient Polynesia a few years after our young hero and the boastful demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) gave back a god’s missing heart saving Moana’s people and redeeming Maui for his worst mistakes Moana proved that her people’s isolationism was misguided and Maui became a better person They earned the audience’s emotional investment and went through some danged good character development while singing super-catchy songs character development and catchy songs a miss in favor of… stuff She’s searching the seas for different civilizations and she’s pretty happy Maui spends the first chunk of the film kidnapped and getting puked on but it’s not because he has to mature as an individual it’s because he’s kidnapped and getting puked on When Moana receives a vision telling her to follow a shooting star to a long-lost island which used to connect the many people and cultures of Polynesia Eventually the plot is resolved and everyone’s happy about it It’s tempting to say that the story of “Moana 2” is so perfunctory that it plays like a straight-to-video release but even Disney’s old cast-offs had more oomph than this “The Lion King 2” had serious interpersonal conflict even “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning” had some cogent social themes and halfway decent melodrama and that was just because it knocked off “Footloose.” It’s more accurate to describe “Moana 2” like an episode of a mediocre “Moana” television series (which is what the sequel was originally supposed to be) where the characters remain relatively static and merely respond to whatever crisis emerges each week All that matters is that they get out of the house all that matters is if Disney gets the audience out of the house because on the surface “Moana 2” ticks off a lot of boxes even if the characters look more plasticky and doll-like than usual even though none of them are memorable whatsoever Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the musical numbers in the original “Moana” and his style is so distinct that all the sequel’s songwriters can’t quite recapture his vibe let alone his catchiness and lyrical ingenuity There’s nothing particularly terrible about “Moana 2,” but the fact that it’s necessary to write “there’s nothing particularly terrible about ‘Moana 2’” means something still went wrong The film throws in new supporting characters to jazz things up — played by Rose Mateo David Fane and Hualālai Chung — and they’re reasonably fun and funny but they don’t make the film’s journey any more meaningful One of them doesn’t even help with the plot he’s just there to be a Grumpy Gus and justify one of the film’s (too many) songs about cheering each other up One gets the sense that “Moana 2” is mostly a set-up for future films in the series It’s an intellectual property exploitation starter kit a humdrum act of corporate mandate instead of a story that needed to be told Even the suggestion of what could come in “Moana 3” feels arbitrary like they pulled a sequel tease out of a hat full of tattered old sequel teases Maybe a future installment can build on what “Moana 2” sets up but this set up makes future installments a lot less appealing forgettable sequel wearing expensive blockbuster frippery “Moana 2” opens exclusively in theaters on Nov Moana 2 doesn't soar as high as its predecessor but it's still a beautiful movie that celebrates Polynesian culture and the power of unexpected friendships Catchy songs even if none reach the heights of "You're Welcome" Moana 2 is not the follow-up we expected, as it was originally meant to be a Disney Plus show and instead arrived as a feature film I must admit it was lovely seeing it on the big screen especially during a gloomy December evening in London but I can't help but imagine what a full series would've looked like I rather like the idea of an entire series dedicated to Hei Hei a la Forky Asks a Question which centers on the much-loved toy fork character from Toy Story 4 An eight-episode series about a stupid chicken is right up my street I did have high hopes going into this movie and I am happy to say that most of my expectations were met Such bright and beautiful visuals are always a welcome treat I am fascinated by how well they seem to animate water I would encourage you to see this on a big screen or at least have a great at-home setup for maximum immersion as it's easy to find yourself swept away to the island of Motunui and what lies beyond Moana 2 picks up three years after the first movie where Moana is still fully connected to the ocean she adores so much When she receives an unexpected call from her ancestors she assembles a crew as a wayfinder where she hopes to track down the hidden island of Motufetu reconnecting the people of the ocean once again a farmer who is grumpy and not massively thrilled to be recruited This mismatch of personalities is excellent fun especially when you throw in Hei Hei and Pua They say to never work with animals for a reason I really loved Moana's crew and all the performances one that stood out to me the most was Moana's little sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) who stole the show despite her limited screen time thanks to her feisty because Moana simply would not be complete without Dwayne Johnson's cocky there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments While the plot of Moana 2 is centered around finding a new it's quite ironic that many of the beats feel similar to what we've seen before This is a journey we have undertaken as viewers but I didn't mind following along for a second time Going on a voyage with Moana is always wonderful Even though we didn't quite reach the memorable heights of "You're Welcome" I have had some of the songs stuck in my head this week especially "What Could Be Better Than This?" so it's not like any of the songs were complete duds There is also more than room for a follow-up movie She has written several reviews in her time starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch with TechRadar being her most recent venture Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo solidifying her position as a complete nerd.