“Moana,” a children’s film initially released on Nov. 23, 2016, was the principal film for the “Moana” series, setting the foundation for the story progression in its sequel. Following the release of this film, many movie articles appealed to how well the movie did post-production and how it influenced the youth in Disney films during this time. Statistically, the film has become the standard of cultural strength for many people in the 21st century.
Following the tremendous success of the original film, its directors, John Musker and Ron Clements, stepped away from involvement in the sequel, “Moana 2.” Along with the series’ change of directional course, the concept of what it was supposed to convey to youth shifted, as shown throughout many reviews critiquing the movie.
The sequel’s new directors, David Derrick Jr, Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, struggled to find their production’s true meaning and direction. Critics complained that the production of “Moana 2” was a forced attempt at resembling the cultural influence that the original movie had.
Unsurprisingly, the movie’s post-production ratings plummeted extremely low compared to its prequel and to other movie sequels during the same time of its release. Many movie critics and viewers believed that the issues fell way beyond a rushed movie, but a lack of character development and a poorly written script. This can be shown through the forced involvement of the character Simea, a lackluster attempt to give the audience something new to be interested in.
Despite the success of the original film, “Moana 2” failed to present the movie in a relatable fashion or continue the influence that “Moana” had, forcing people to just come back and rewatch the masterpiece that Musker and Clements initially laid out for the public.
Ultimately, viewers’ high expectations for the series led to the massive failure of what the sequel could have been as a whole. With directors attempting to match the same results received from the release of the original Moana movie, the movie’s production was rushed to “give the people what they wanted.” Widespread disappointment with the second film highlights how the original remains a staple of the series.
