Moana 2
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: November 27, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 50 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
29
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyDec 6, 2024
Moana 2 would have made for a very nice television series – as it was originally meant to be. But as a reskinned theatrical sequel to one of Disney Animation’s biggest hits, it’s a little harder to justify. Read full review
60
The New York TimesNatalia WinkelmanNov 27, 2024
Squint your eyes against the specifics, and the odyssey tends to deliver a mood that fluctuates along a scale of benign to bright. Read full review
60
SlateDana StevensNov 26, 2024
Scene by scene, there’s nothing not to enjoy about this lushly animated ode to exploration, teamwork, and pluck, especially if you’re a parent of small kids on the hunt for a fun family outing. But for all its verve and polish, Moana 2 seems more like a consumer product, in some subtle but unmistakable way, than the first film did. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesTara BradyNov 26, 2024
Fair play to Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the songwriters drafted in to replace Lin-Manuel Miranda: Moana 2 can’t quite match the showstopping highs of the original film’s How Far I’ll Go, but the songs are consistently, toe-tappingly good. Read full review
60
Time OutPhil de SemlyenNov 26, 2024
The songwriting verve of Lin-Manuel Miranda is missed, too. Composers Barlow and Bear chip in with some catchy ditties, but there’s nothing to match How Far I’ll Go and You’re Welcome. Read full review
60
iFrancesca SteeleNov 26, 2024
It fails to offer anything new and lacks the original’s fearless spirit. It’s not a dud, just a muted version of its forerunner, getting you where you want to go, just with less wind in its sails. Read full review
60
BBCNicholas BarberNov 26, 2024
Despite all this Moana moaning, though, it's still a high-quality piece of work: a hurtling Disneyland rollercoaster ride that small children, especially, are bound to enjoy. The irony is that if it had been a television series, viewers might well have gushed about how spectacular it was. But as a film, Moana 2 wouldn't be near the top of any list of Disney's finest. Read full review
60
Screen DailyTim GriersonNov 26, 2024
Moana 2 boasts such beautiful visuals, it’s all the more disappointing that the sequel’s story and songs struggle to keep pace. Read full review
60
VarietyOwen GleibermanNov 26, 2024
Moana 2 is an okay movie, an above-average kiddie roller-coaster, and a piece of pure product in a way that the first “Moana,” at its best, transcended. Read full review
60
IGNCarlos AguilarNov 26, 2024
This sequel doesn’t merit a sing-along and does little to expand on what we already knew about Moana and her friends. Read full review
60
Rolling StoneDavid FearNov 26, 2024
No one wants to rock the camakau too much here, and the overall sentiment seems to be something like Sequel 101: You loved the first movie, so here’s a second movie that’s a lot like the first movie. This is the good news if that’s what you’re after. If not, well: It’s one hour and 40 minutes. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeNov 26, 2024
While the highly anticipated follow-up features stunning animation, it lacks the cohesive narrative and emotional intimacy that made its predecessor special. Read full review
60
The Film VerdictAlonso DuraldeNov 26, 2024
Moana 2 is always a joy to look at, from its shimmering blue waters to its stunning seacraft to the engaging character design of the human characters, the animals, and even the sentient coconut pirates. (Yes, they’re back, too.) But this remains firmly the kind of sequel aimed solely at people who want to watch the same movie again, only with a number in the title. Read full review
60
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiNov 26, 2024
The animation is still strong and the character beats are affecting, but the villain and his motivations stand in the film's way of true greatness. Read full review
58
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodDec 3, 2024
Too much of Moana 2 is simply far too familiar to make it anything more than a convenient escape. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubJacob OllerNov 26, 2024
It makes less sense for this story, haphazard and lost, to follow one of Disney’s better films of the last 20 years. There’s almost an affecting message, where teamwork on a small scale results in greater togetherness on a large scale. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreDec 7, 2024
It’s all perfectably passable filler, a nice “escape” with the kids at the movies, with a few stunning animated effects to recommend it. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Radheyan SimonpillaiDec 5, 2024
The big, disappointment here are the flat musical numbers that bide time between adventures and fail to sink Maui’s hook in us. Read full review
50
Washington PostChris KlimekNov 27, 2024
The songs aren’t the problem. Rather, it’s the muddled story, which takes way too long to give Moana — now a skilled wayfinder scouting new lands and new peoples to reconnect her long-isolated island tribe with the world — her mission. Read full review
50
The Associated PressJake CoyleNov 26, 2024
Only a few times does the banter between Moana and Maui really remind you of the fun that characterized the original. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineJustin ClarkNov 26, 2024
For a story that so prizes how far its heroine will go, Moana spends so much of this sequel stuck in a rut. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonNov 26, 2024
Moana 2 is disappointing, but it’s also watchable. I appreciated the attempt to tell a story that wasn’t based solely on the studio’s IP. And the visuals will entertain the kids too young to endure all 160 minutes of “Wicked” this holiday season. Read full review
50
ScreenCrushMatt SingerNov 26, 2024
Without the musical heart or stirring adventure of the first movie, Moana 2 relies on a surprising amount of gross-out humor and meta jokes to keep audiences engaged. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoNov 26, 2024
It looks gorgeous, which may be enough for some viewers, but it's a remarkably thin piece of storytelling, an adventure tale with very little actual adventure, and a musical with very few memorable songs. Read full review
50
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiNov 26, 2024
There’s nothing particularly terrible about Moana 2, but the fact that it’s necessary to write 'there’s nothing particularly terrible about Moana 2' means something still went wrong. Read full review
40
LooperAlistair RyderNov 26, 2024
Whereas parents and kids alike will have been charmed by the first, Moana 2 will be overshadowed for anybody other than the youngest kids watching. It will likely make a billion dollars regardless. Read full review
40
New York Magazine (Vulture)Alison WillmoreNov 26, 2024
It’s so devoid of bangers or any remotely memorable tunes that there’s nothing to distract you from the movie’s lack of clear stakes, or meaningful drama, or antagonists with any personality. Read full review
40
The TimesKevin MaherNov 26, 2024
The music is from the TikTok stars Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, who bring some verve and serious Frozen-esque power to the standout track Beyond (chorus: “Can I go beyoooooooond?!!!!!”). It’s just a shame that the surrounding film, unlike Moana, never really finds its way. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawNov 26, 2024
It is all inoffensive enough, but weirdly lacking in anything genuinely passionate or heartfelt, all managed with frictionless smoothness and algorithmic efficiency. Read full review
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