So I saw Moana 2. And it was…something.
No, but honestly, I’m a massive fan of Disney and always have been. I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve written about me singing praises to the company that I essentially grew up on, whether it was the movies or TV shows. There are so many upcoming Disney movies that there is a lot to be excited about…but Moana 2 kind of dampened that excitement a bit.
Even considering my personal feelings about the movie as a whole, there is one scene that I really need to talk about, from the end of the film, that irks me the most. So, let’s get into it.
The Film Was…Fine
Like I said when I began this, the film was okay. It was a movie. And I can see why a specific demographic (mainly children) would like it. It’s made for children.
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 knew I had to check it out. I have a fondness for the original and love it dearly, so of course, I had to see the sequel.
But, there was just so much about it that I didn’t like. Again, I know that the movie is made for children, as most animated films tend to be. They are directed towards that demographic, and that’s okay. Disney has always been a company that, I feel, 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.
But How The Heck Is Moana Able To Swim So Deep?
So, first off, I’m totally okay with characters dying. Heck, at this point, I think I’m desensitized to main characters being offed in movies and TV shows. I’m the person who wrote a list of the most shocking Game of Thrones moments – half of those are character deaths.
I’m okay with it happening as long as it really means something, and yeah, Moana’s death in this movie did mean something – until they brought her back to life literally three minutes later, but anyway-
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, trade, and so much more. 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.
However, the fact that Moana is able to dive that deep is literally physically impossible. I’m okay with someone swimming deep in the ocean, but nine times out of ten, it’s because they have the right equipment to swim that deep. You may not think that Moana swims that far down, but when you rewatch the movie, she goes deep.
That kind of pressure, where she swims that far, would harm her. I get that she’s a warrior, 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.
And You Can’t Even Use The Excuse That The Ocean Helped Her
Something else I’ve seen is that people are like, “Oh, she has the ocean that could help her,” but no, that’s not the case with this. 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. But in this case, no one is there, not until she restores the island.
That in itself is a big plot hole that bothers me, and I can’t get over it.
Also, The Moment That Island Rose From The Sea After She Comes Alive, It Would Cause MAJOR Issues
Okay, 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 island is able to rise from the sea.
It’s all magical, but in reality, that would mess up so much.
First of all, the momentum from that amount of water rising from beneath the surface would most likely cause massive waves. I’m not a scientific professional, but to me, 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.
What does that lead to? Maybe… a tsunami? And where would that go? The islands that this new one would connect. Heck, 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.”
I Think Disney Should Leave The Moana Movie Franchise Alone
Gosh, I sound like such a grump writing this article, but I just needed to rant about this. I’ve already talked about how I’m not a big fan of sequels at the box office, but sometimes they can be done well. Leading up to this, I was excited about Moana 2. I was eager to meet Moana’s little sister, to go on another adventure with a character that I held so dear – heck, 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, and personally, I really think it should have stayed that way.
If this was a series, it might have been given the proper story and would have allowed the new characters we meet a chance to grow. But, 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. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. A girl can dream about a future where Moana gets the proper continuation that she deserves, though.