Moana 2 (2024)

Moana 2 gives its hero three brand-new crewmates and then forgets to give any of them a backstory. Loto builds things, Moni knows the old legends, Kele grumbles about his farm, and that’s about all you ever learn. Critics said it plays like a TV series squeezed down to feature length, and you can feel the seams. The setup is huge: Moana’s ancestor Tautai Vasa appears in a vision and warns that a lost island called Motufetu has to come back up or her people are finished. Then the movie mostly sails in circles. The Kakamora return, Maui is stuck inside a giant clam, and Matangi, a reluctant henchwoman who’d rather be anywhere else, steals every scene she’s in. The ocean looks gorgeous. The songs mostly evaporate, and the villain is basically a storm cloud with a grudge. It still made $1.06 billion worldwide. A 5.7 because it’s beautiful and slight. $709.54 says you finish it and still can’t name one of the three new crewmates without looking it up.

What works: The animation is gorgeous, the ocean has real personality, and Matangi is a fun new character who deserved more screen time.

What doesn’t: The new crew gets one trait each, the songs don’t stick, and with a villain who barely shows up, there’s almost no tension.

Who it’s for: Families with kids who wore out the first movie and want another trip to sea with Moana and Maui.