The APAHM Project Day 12: Moana 2

Movie: Moana 2

Directed By: David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller

Release: 2024

Where to Watch: Disney +

Wanna Skip? Pick a Movie from APAHM Project 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

Why It Made The List:

The APAHM Project rules are generally simple. There are exceptions, such as I try to refrain from foreign films and sequels unless those sequels have a significant impact. This rule is in place because typically, sequels are greenlit because of the success of the first film. For The APAHM Project, we are all about the ground-breaking "firsts" that allow audiences to accept and approve of these stories in the first place. Sure, we have four installments of John Wick and that is something to be celebrated. But containing ourselves to just one genre, one franchise, or one character is not the best way to represent a wide variety of people (even though I too would go John Wick on anyone who tried to hurt my dog).

Moana was covered in the inaugural year of The APAHM Project for being the first Pacific Islander Disney "not a Princess". Today, we celebrate its sequel, Moana 2 for not only its ground-breaking records (being the 3rd movie in 2024 to cross $1 billion worldwide, being Disney's best opening weekend and Thanksgiving weekend release, becoming the highest grossing animated film in its 5 day gross), but also because Moana 2 surpassed sequel expectations by upping the music, animation, and emotions.

My Thoughts:

There are times during APAHM where the project can feel like a chore. If the episodes are too long or a movie is too plot-heavy, I can get overwhelmed with not only watching it, but then having to write about it too. With Moana 2, it was a mixture of both. Even though I had already seen it, I didn't remember enough about the movie to write about it. And writing about it was a mental obstacle because I care so much about this character that I knew it would be super long and/or I wouldn't do it justice. But as I watched the movie, I was instantly overcome with familiar emotions.

Moana 2 takes place a few years after the first Moana movie. Now an accomplished wayfinder, Moana is on a mission to find more people beyond Motunui. Which is thriving, by the way! The village is now more populated with children (including Moana's little sister, Simea) and people still uphold traditions like living off the land and telling stories and dancing. But there are also more people working and playing by and in the ocean, even on smaller canoes. Loto, one of the new characters, is even a canoe builder and engineer, constantly trying to improve Moana's vessels.

During a ceremony to give Moana a new title of Tautai, she sees a vision from the ancestors to travel to a cursed island (Motufetu) and break the curse in order to reunite the other people and islands that spawn from Motufetu. Bringing along a crew of Loto, Moni (a historian), Kele (an elderly farmer), Pua and Heihei, Moana leaves her sister and island to find Motufetu.

Of course, there are some snags along the way like the crew's inability to work in sync, that Kele literally cannot swim, Kakamora, and giant clams. But through Moana's top-notch leadership skills (and song), the team is able to find Maui and his captor, Matangi, a goddess with vampire bat qualities. She encourages Moana to look for other angles and solutions to her problems. Once the team is reunited and on their way to Motufetu, they devise a plan for Maui to raise the island from the bottom of the ocean and have any of the humans touch it to break the curse.

The team faces the storm of their lives as Nalo, the one who cursed the island, tries to prevent the humans from succeeding. Maui is stuck by Nalo's power and loses his tattoos and powers in the process. Thrown into the ocean, the once-narrow-minded Kele (who now can speak Kakamura and saves Pua, despite his dislike for him), selflessly throws himself into the ocean to save Maui, despite needing coconut swim floaties. This detail shows how far the team has come and overcome ("Because together. What we can do, how far we all can go, it's endless.")

With no solution in sight, Moana bravely jumps into the ocean to dive to the bottom and touch Motufetu. While successful, Nalo is still able to strike Moana, causing her to die on the surface of the island. Diving after her, Maui holds her, enclosed in a magic water bubble, and begins to chant. He is able to summon Tautai Vasa (the last great navigator) and Moana's ancestors and grandmother. Together, they revive Moana and give her the powers of a demigoddess. Maui's tattoos are restored and together, they restore Motufetu and defeat Nalo. Blowing her conch shell, Moana gets the attention of another tribe's boat, with more on the horizon. Successfully, returning home to her family and Simea, Moana arrives with a full fleet of canoes, reuniting the islands in the ocean.

The movie originally started as a five-episode musical series for Disney +, but executives believed this story needed to be told on a big screen. I feel you can definitely tell in some parts that the story was a little disjointed, but overall, I think Moana 2 is a solid follow-up to what became a quick Disney classic. The jokes are witty, occasionally breaking the fourth wall. While I do think some of the songs were a bit copy and paste from the first movie, I did still find some of them very moving.

The score in particular was beautiful. The entire storm sequence was done so well and when that whole fleet of boats arrive on the horizon and the music swells, so does my heart. It's not just because Moana completed her mission, but because her mission is so important. It's not like in other movies where she has to stop a crime or find a bad guy or get her best friend married to find out she's actually the one in love with him. Her mission is to connect people. To be able to learn and share their traditions and stories and history. To expand their worlds. And that's what makes Moana 2 such a good sequel. Even if the story was a little less exciting, and at times unclear, the heart was still there. The characters were the same, but had grown. Maui was no longer self-centered, but cared so much about Moana that he refused to call on her for help. Moana no longer was on an adventure for herself, but for her people. As her mother states, "last time you were not old enough to understand all you could lose or learn." Moana in the first movie had just lost her grandmother. She had "nothing" left to come back to. This time, she made a promise to her sister she would return.

Lastly, I want to talk about Disney's commitment to authenticity. Any behind the scenes footage you watch for any of their animated movies. you will see the directors and animators dedication to accurate art styles, incorporating local culture, etc. For Moana 2, the studio recruited Kalikolehua Hurley, the Head of Oceanic Cultural Trust and Tiana Nonosina Liufau, Choreographer of Oceanic Cultural Trust as consultants in order to accurately portray Pasifika dance, heritage, traditions, language, etc. And of course, Disney's casting of Pacific Islander voice actors highlights their efforts to find new and little-known talent to bring to the project to provide opportunity and authenticity. Every character, with the exception of Heihei and Tamatoa, are voiced by Pasifika actors. Even Dwayne Johnson's daughters and mother have small roles.

In Conclusion:

I had the special privilege and honor to watch Moana 2 for the first time at a private screening hosted by PEAK (Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti), one of the organizations we raised money for in 2023. I was invited because of our generous donation. At first, I was so excited and felt so special, so "exclusive." When I realized it was "just" because of a donation, I felt like I bought my own invitation. But as I get older and I learn and unlearn which voices in my head to listen to, I reminded myself it was because of this project, something I am so dedicated and passionate about, that allowed me a seat at that theater. many thanks to anyone who participated that year to help us raise money for PEAK!

The event was held at the Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA. I, of course, was shaking with excitement to be in that building. It was truly a dream come true for me. I was a little bit of a fish out of water -- it seemed everyone else there knew at least one other person. I grabbed my popcorn and soda, collected some cool Moana 2 buttons, and headed to my seat.

I had no expectations for this movie. I am so skeptical of sequels, prequels, and remakes these days. But this movie was fun and funny, beautifully animated, the songs moving and catchy. Remnants of the first movie would find their way in in subtle (or not) ways. And I'm not really sure what it is about Moana as a character, but she always manages to move me to tears. I feel so deeply connected to this character: I recorded an audition tape to play her, I cosplay as her, I worked on Young Rock with Maui, I was recommended to work on the live-action adaption. To me, Moana represents an inner strength I know is inside me but maybe hasn't revealed itself yet. She is the epitome of bravery, she upholds and honors her traditions, she works to improve the future of her people, she is a leader who will go to great lengths to secure their safety and livelihood. She is everything I hope I can be someday.

Watching the movie with a room full of people who understand the importance of Moana, what she represents. People who see themselves in her. People whose culture and stories inspired the movie. People who were also moved to tears. It was the most special first-watch I could ever imagine. The energy in the room is how I want to feel all the time. Empowered, safe, celebrated, loved, proud. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I was given to celebrate this movie with the Pasifika community.

I will end this very long "In Conclusion" with this: director Dana Ledoux Miller introduced the screening by saying she is so thankful there are children who will never have to live in a world where Moana doesn't exist. Moana continues to be the heroine we need to remind us that we can go beyond and farther than we ever thought possible.

Shout Out!

I would like to give a shout out to Pacific Islander Books! They are a great resource for amplifying Pacific Islanders and their published works. They also have a publishing guide and give great tips on how you can support Pacific Islander books and authors, such as requesting Pacific Islander books at your local library and reviewing books. From children's books to mystery and romance, there is a book for every reader!

If You Liked This, You Might Also Like:

Mulan on Disney +

Over the Moon on Netflix

Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix