Movie Review: Moana 2

Movie Review: Moana 2                                                                                                                11-27-24

In this movie, Moana is now 19 with a little sister named Simea. While exploring another island, she discovers that before Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti, the people of the ocean were once united, only to be cursed by the thunder god Nalo. Now, with her animal companions Pua and Hei-Hei, along with the grouchy farmer Kele, the brainy but quirky Loto, and Maui super fan Moni, to journey across the ocean to find the island of Motufeti and break the curse.

Moana 2 is a silver lining in Disney’s Post-Revival Era* with outstanding animation, a story that is basically an improved take on Trolls: World Tour, engaging albeit familiar songs, and some funny anachronistic jokes.

'Moannabes' with their own Pua.

Remember the Kakamora, the cocoanut pirates in the first film? Well, in this movie, it’s revealed that they were split from their loved ones, too, and they’ve been searching for Motufeti too. This makes their scene in Moana 1 a lot more interesting, since that means that they were trying to use Te Fiti’s heart to save their kind.

If I were to nitpick about one thing, the villains of the movie Nalo and Matangi feel underutilized. Matangi, in particular, appears in lots of promotional material and even has her own song, but doesn’t seem to have a strong presence on screen. Maybe it’s just me since I didn’t take much notes during the movie. Not to mention that Maui actually doesn't reunite with Moana until at least halfway through the movie.

In conclusion, while it obviously doesn’t hold a torch to the first movie, Moana 2 is still a sea-worthy sequel that the whole family can enjoy. It’s already five times better than another animated sequel this year, the rather disappointing Kung Fu Panda 4. Just be warned that Moana 2 has a shocking climax.

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5.

Plus four coconuts 

*Walt Disney Animation Studios' history is split into eight sections: Golden Age (1937), Wartime Era (1943-1949), Silver Era (1950-1967), Bronze Era (1970-1988), Renaissance (1989-1999), Post-Renaissance (1999-2008), Revival Era (2009-2016), and Post-Revival Era (2018-present). Right now, we are in the Post-Revival Era. Here's a helpful link below, though it's a bit dated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqKfu_-WZ58

Movie Review: The Wild Robot

Movie Review: The Wild Robot                                                                                                     10-30-24

Based on the book by Peter Brown, this movie is about a helper bot named Roz, who crashes into the woods. When all the animals neglect her, Roz decides to raise an orphaned gosling that she names Brightbill so she can teach him how to eat, swim, and fly just in time for Winter.

The Wild Robot is another jewel to put on DreamWorks’ crown with a heartfelt albeit slightly familiar, outstanding animation, engaging characters, and a great score from Kris Bowers.

Another thing that makes The Wild Robot stand out is that it’s one of DreamWorks’s last movies to be animated in-house. This is because they’re outsourcing future works to Sony Pictures Imageworks to reduce costs even further. This is a shame since the animation in The Wild Robot is amazing- Just like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, this movie uses a painterly art style while showcasing semi-realism that computer animation is famous for.

Fink the fox teaching Roz how to tell a story.

If there’s one thing I have to nitpick about The Wild Robot, it would be pinpointing where in time the movie takes place: The movies seems to take place in modern times, but the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is seen underwater? Is this the distant future in which climate change flooded the city?

In conclusion, even though it’s probably no longer around in theaters where you live by the time I’m writing this, The Wild Robot is, alongside Inside Out 2, the best animated movies for 2024. If you’re reading this, Chris Sanders, you need to become the chief creative officer of DreamWorks Animation! Disney has Jennifer Lee, Pixar has Pete a Docter, and Sony has Kristine Belson, so why not have you run DreamWorks?

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Plus 4 eggs