'It was hidden': The biggest problem with Disney's Moana 2

I'm sorry, but you might want to keep this review away from the kids. 

It's been a long, exciting, and sometimes agonising wait for Disney to release the sequel to our beloved Moana. 

It's been eight years of watching it over and over with our kids, having the soundtrack on repeat, dress-ups at any occasion, live remake announcements, and teaser trailers to get us excited. 

Now, the time has come for obsessed fans to enjoy. I'd love to say "you're welcome" for a super-duper five-star review of the highly anticipated sequel... but sadly, you won't get that here. 

I'm so sorry. 

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

Moana is back and pushing herself more than ever. Image: Disney

Moana was just a hard act to follow

When a first movie is just so good, it's always going to be a hard act to follow. But after seeing Frozen 2 successfully do it, I had high hopes for our island girl. 

As the story goes - and without giving away any spoilers - Moana sets off on a new voyage after being called upon by one of her Wayfinder ancestors to track down the lost island of Motufetu and break the God Nalo's curse in order to "free" her people and reconnect lost islands. 

She recruits a bunch of unlikely sea hands in locals of Motunui and together with her beloved chicken Hei Hei and pig Pua, they sail out beyond the reef - this time with her dad and community's blessing. 

And yes, of course Maui joins in on their adventure!

For David Fane (who voiced the new character of Kele), he knew it would be a hard sell for die-hard fans. 

"It was a totally different experience! Coming on board, you feel a sense of, 'oh, you don’t want to muck things up!' Temuera [Morrison, aka Moana's dad Chief Tui] set such a high standard, and all the other cast members from Moana the original, so that was fun, coming on board," he told Kidspot when we caught up with the cast ahead of the film release. 

For Temuera, the sequel was almost like coming back home.

"It was wonderful to come back. I think for me, from the first film, I was always saying, ‘No one goes beyond the reef, Moana!’, but with this one, I seem to be going ‘Go beyond and far and further more beyond the reef!’. It’s wonderful to be back."

The music leaves fans a little torn 

After Auli'i Cravalho's (Moana) banging first number "Beyond" - I wholeheartedly agreed. It was great to see her back. 

"What lies beyond... under skies I've never seen. Will I lose myself between my home and what's unknown..." 

The song took all of two to three seconds to be embedded in my brain forever. 

For the film's songwriter/composer Emily Bear, part of duo Barlow & Bear, the first number by the lead character was always going to be a big one just like the first film. 

"The movie version of 'Beyond' has a special place in my heart, because people have only heard the end credit, which I love, but the movie version makes me tear up," she told Kidspot. 

Other half, Abigail Barlow, agreed that the song ticked all the boxes for an animation that kids will become obsessed with. 

"It’s very Disney. Very Disney classic."

But sadly, for me personally, that's probably the only song that will stick.

A rap is thrown in, which the composers admit was a "challenge" and Maui's big number had big shoes to fill after "You're Welcome". And it just didn't fill them at all. 

Moana seeks help from Demi God Maui once again. Image: Disney

RELATED: Aussie star confirms daughter as star of Moana remake

The jokes and one-liners fall flat

Sometimes the good thing about seeing characters you're already familiar with is anticipating what they might say or do but instead of creating new lines that will have people quoting for years to come, there are plenty of rehashed jokes that kind of fall flat. Especially with (I'm so sorry!)... Maui.

Maui's return sees him turn to villagers with "Can I get a cheehoo?" which feels almost like they're trying too hard to get fans to remember him. Of course we do! There are also several references to Hei Hei being a "boat snack" which feels equally cringe. 

Moments like this make fans excited for new characters and their ability to create new lines and witty moments. Sadly, that doesn't happen with Moana's new sea mates Loto, Kele and Moni, either. 

Which then brings me to another new character, Matangi. The villain who isn't exactly a villain but is a villain. Are you confused? Maybe that's the point because Awhimai Fraser (who voices Matangi) hints that the character is meant to be mysterious. 

"Ooh ‘villain’! Love that. Is she? Is she not? We’ll see! She’s larger than life, so I had a lot of fun finding inspiration in people that reminded me of her in my own life to try and bring that quality out," she told Kidspot.

"She also is quite eccentric, and she ebbs and flows a lot of her lines, and she’s over here and then she’s over there and she’s back there, and so I think I just had a lot of fun. I just had a lot of fun playing with her voice, finding her voice, getting her quite grounded to get that villainy feel."

Matangi is the new villain. But is she really? Image: Disney

The biggest problem: The message is buried 

There are plenty of inspirational messages sprinkled throughout this animation but it takes a while for the main one to be delivered. And by a while, I mean like right at the end in some of the closing scenes. 

For the creators and cast, the obvious message of the flick is to push yourself beyond what you think you're capable of. 

"I think Moana is the perfect Disney heroine, but she gets a little vulnerable in this movie, and you see her go through the high highs and the low lows of what it’s like to just try to find your place in the world. That’s something that we really resonated with because it’s real," Emily says. 

"I think showing how she handles herself in these situations and how she grows when she does make a mistake that feels like there’s no way she can come back from, is a really beautiful thing to show to the young generation that will be hopefully watching this movie."

David agrees: "I think Tem said it best with ‘go beyond the reef’. It’s going beyond what you think is possible, try your hand. The worst thing that can happen is that it doesn’t happen, and if you never try, you’ll never know."

"Give it a go, keep paddling… you’ve got to move forward towards that star towards your goal, and Moana’s doing it," Temuera adds. 

"She’s showing us that there’s something towards the reef. And, as you said earlier, a big theme is the uniting of the people, which is happening in a way."

Ah, there it is! The message that many fans would be taking away from this sequel - and possibly the most important in today's climate - but is sadly tacked on to the very end of the film. 

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

RELATED: Fans divided over Disney’s live-action remake of Moana

The verdict

When I asked my 10yo daughter what she thought of the film, I played down my own reaction to get a genuine feel for what she thought. 

"Eh, it was OK. I like the animals and the music."

The music, yes. But Hei Hei and Pua stealing the show? I definitely didn't see that coming. 

But knowing what kids soak up from films like this, I think that's exactly what I think most kids will take away from it, which is sad because the flick is so much more than that.

Originally published as 'It was hidden': The biggest problem with Disney's Moana 2