Set sail for an epic showdown as we compare "Moana" and its 2024 sequel! From stunning animation to catchy tunes, we'll explore which film makes the biggest splash. Join us as we dive into the stories, characters, and cultural richness that define these Disney adventures. Which Moana movie will claim victory in this oceanic battle?
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00:00We were voyagers. We can voyage again!
00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and in this installment of Versus,
00:06we're pitting the original Moana against its 2024 sequel,
00:10determining which film is more worthy of a you're welcome.
00:14A few spoilers may follow.
00:16You wanted to come this time.
00:19Round one, story.
00:21Centered on a young woman who longs to explore the sea despite her father's wishes,
00:26Moana sounds like The Little Mermaid in reverse.
00:29What if we fish beyond the reef?
00:33No one goes beyond the reef.
00:35I know, but if there are no fish in the lagoon...
00:38Moana.
00:39And there's a whole ocean.
00:40We have one rule.
00:41An old rule when there were fish.
00:43A rule that keeps us safe.
00:45That isn't surprising, since directors John Musker and Ron Clements worked on both films.
00:50Looking beyond the surface, Moana distinguished itself with an emphasis
00:53on Polynesian culture and myths.
00:55One day, someone will journey beyond our reef,
01:00find Maui, deliver him across the great ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti.
01:09While some aspects derive from actual legendary figures like Maui,
01:13others are entirely fictionalized like the titular heroine.
01:17The story strikes a solid balance between the two as Moana sets out on a road trip,
01:21or ocean trip, to find Maui, the living island Te Fiti, and most importantly, herself.
01:41The setup for Moana 2 also sounds familiar,
01:43as our heroine embarks on another voyage across the ocean
01:47to locate another island that's been corrupted.
01:50Our ancestors wanted to connect our island to all the people of the entire ocean.
01:56By raising this island, Moana seeks to help her people while uniting others across the seas.
02:02Along the way, she clashes with the Kakamora again,
02:05meets up with Maui again, and learns something about herself... again.
02:09This is a call from the ancestors.
02:11The story isn't a complete rehash with some new themes and ideas introduced,
02:16but Moana 2 doesn't hesitate to follow its predecessor's proven blueprint.
02:20The fact this was originally going to be a Disney Plus series gives the story an episodic feel,
02:26hurting its pacing at times.
02:28It'll be harder than anything we faced before.
02:31Although both films keep the audience emotionally engaged,
02:34Moana overcame any sense of familiarity with fresh characters and environments.
02:39Moana 2 relies a little too heavily on what's worked in the past,
02:43and can flow more like a serialized TV show than a film.
02:46Our first point thus goes to the OG.
02:57Moana was somewhat uncharted territory for Musker and Clements.
03:05While they had incorporated CG elements into their past films,
03:09the duo was primarily known for 2D animation.
03:12The two not only made a seamless transition to 3D, but also pushed the technology forward.
03:17As realistic as the water looks,
03:19the animators and effects artists give the element a personality that splashes to life.
03:24This is an early test. You can see Moana kind of bobbing up and down,
03:27not entirely in sync with the boat,
03:30but we're really encouraged by what we're getting from the water itself.
03:34Moana doesn't abandon Musker and Clements' 2D roots either,
03:37enlisting Eric Goldberg to animate Maui's hand-drawn tattoos.
03:41Using the meander animation tool,
03:43the team combined 3D and 2D techniques during sequences like You're Welcome,
03:48celebrating the best of both worlds.
03:57Being conceived as a streaming series,
03:59Moana 2 was outsourced to Disney's Vancouver Animation Studio.
04:03As such, you might expect a visual downgrade akin to Disney's straight-to-video sequels
04:08like The Return of Jafar.
04:09Yet, Moana 2 manages to match its predecessor's quality animation,
04:14maybe even surpass it thanks to eight years of technological advances.
04:18The storm god Nalo provided a particular hurdle,
04:21requiring the crew to animate a whole weather system.
04:24The new again blends with the old,
04:26bringing Eric Goldberg back on board,
04:29Technology aside,
04:30the animation largely contributes to the film's comedic timing
04:33and quiet emotional moments.
04:35I'll be back, I promise.
04:38Despite entering development as a series,
04:40Moana 2's visuals are worthy of the big screen.
04:43While the sequel may be a bit more technologically advanced,
04:46the original has more iconic elements,
04:49like the new water system,
04:50and the water-repellent effects of the water.
04:53While there's a lot to be said about Moana 2,
04:56the original has more iconic imagery.
04:59We're splitting hairs at this point,
05:00so we'll call this round a draw.
05:02First, we get my hook.
05:04Then save the world.
05:06Deal?
05:08Deal.
05:14Although he collaborated with Mark Mancina and Opetiah Fawaii,
05:18Lin-Manuel Miranda was the life force behind Moana's songs.
05:22You know, this is pre-Hamilton,
05:23this is pre-that whole phenomenon,
05:25I think I was one of many composers who interviewed on the project,
05:28but I knew I wanted to be a part of it as soon as I heard about it.
05:31Moana.
05:32Miranda's lifetime appreciation for Disney musicals is on full display,
05:36from the Oscar-nominated I Want song, How Far I'll Go,
05:39to the comedic You're Welcome,
05:41to the semi-villain song, Shiny.
05:43I'm too shiny,
05:45watch me dive in like a diamond in the rough.
05:48Strut my stuff, my stuff is so shiny.
05:52At the same time, Miranda injects his signature sound
05:55while paying deep respect to Polynesian culture.
05:58Even if English is the only language you speak,
06:00you'll still find yourself singing along with every lyric of We Know The Way.
06:09Between the soothing Where You Are
06:11and the atmospheric Know Who You Are,
06:13the soundtrack has zero skips.
06:15This is not who you are.
06:19You know who you are.
06:27While Mancina and Fawaii returned to work on the sequel score,
06:31songwriting duties shifted to Abigail Barlow
06:33and Emily Bear of the unofficial Bridgerton musical.
06:36Toe-tapping tunes like We're Back and What Could Be Better Than This
06:39fit well with the first film sound.
06:41Come on, you just need some sun.
06:43You can't stand there forever.
06:45You're gonna miss all the fun.
06:47Don't you know together's better?
06:49That said, the soundtrack struggles to get out from under its predecessor's shadow.
06:53Beyond has a mysterious allure,
06:55but it's hard not to think of How Far I'll Go
06:58as Moana revisits the same landmarks.
07:00Know that we know right here what's out there beyond.
07:07Can I get a chee-hoo is fun,
07:09although it's no, you're welcome.
07:10Can I get a chee-hoo?
07:12You gotta, you wanna, it's time to level up.
07:15For us, the most unique standout is Get Lost,
07:18an infectious song we'd gladly get lost in.
07:29Although the songs in Moana 2 are much better than some critics give them credit,
07:33the first film set a high bar that's hard to top,
07:36especially without Miranda.
07:37The original knows the way.
07:46Moana 3, Moana 2, 1.
07:51Round 4, Supporting Cast
07:54Moana had no shortage of memorable characters,
07:56with Maui stealing the show,
07:58Heihei making us laugh with every squawk,
08:00and Grandma Tala balancing humor with heart.
08:03Why are you acting weird?
08:05I'm the village crazy lady.
08:07That's my job.
08:09If we had a complaint,
08:10it's that some supporting players get lost in the shuffle.
08:13Pua the pig is introduced only to be left behind.
08:22The Kakamora pop up for a thrilling action set piece,
08:26yet disappear for the rest of the movie.
08:28Likewise, Tamatoa shines in his musical number,
08:31but is forgotten about until a post-credits scene.
08:34Can we be real?
08:35If my name was Sebastian and I had a cool Jamaican accent,
08:38you'd totally help me.
08:40You would, you know you would.
08:41While we could have used more of these characters,
08:43the dynamic between Moana and Maui is more than enough
08:46to keep the story afloat.
08:48How do you get your tattoos?
08:51They show up when I earn them.
08:54How do you earn that one?
08:56What's that for?
08:57That's a man's discovery of nunya.
09:01What's nunya?
09:02Nunya business.
09:04Seemingly in response to the first film,
09:06Moana 2 gives us more of Pua and the Kakamora.
09:09You guys!
09:10We got this!
09:11Go get it!
09:12It also makes way for new characters like Moana's crewmates.
09:16While they're enjoyable enough company,
09:18their screen time comes at the expense of Maui,
09:20who we keep waiting to reunite with Moana.
09:23Now I kind of miss the lava monster.
09:25Ow!
09:26Again, a few other characters deserved more substantial roles
09:30like Moana's little sister and the bat lady Matangi,
09:33although both make the most of their limited screen time.
09:36If you try to reconnect the people of the ocean,
09:39you will be destroyed!
09:41Let's not forget the villain Nalo.
09:43Actually, maybe we should,
09:44since the film kind of forgets about him until the mid-credits.
09:47The supporting cast in both films have their pros and cons.
09:51All right, I'm out.
09:54In the first film, some characters are underutilized.
09:57The sequel, meanwhile, perhaps has one too many characters to keep track of.
10:01We're giving Moana 2 a slight edge since it's more of an ensemble piece.
10:06Even if it feels like some of the character development got lost
10:08in the transition from streaming series to theatrical film.
10:12The sequel narrowly takes this round.
10:14Moana, show our people just how far we'll go.
10:19Moana 3, Moana 2, 2.
10:22Round 5, Moana's Ark.
10:24Moana signified a turning of the tide at Disney Animation
10:27as heroines became more and more independent.
10:30I am Moana of Motsunui.
10:33You will board my boat.
10:35Sail across the sea and restore the heart of Te Fiti.
10:39While it's certainly a step in the right direction,
10:41Disney sometimes risks making their female protagonists too perfect.
10:45I wish I could be the perfect daughter.
10:50They didn't fall into this trap with Moana,
10:52who's a strong role model but is still figuring out who she wants to be.
10:56See the line where the sky meets the sea, it calls me.
11:01Her emotional journey is every bit as compelling
11:04as the physical obstacles she encounters.
11:06We feel the gravitas as Moana sets sail, not knowing what awaits.
11:11That mystery is part of what motivates her to keep going
11:13as she awakens what's always been inside of her.
11:16I am Moana.
11:22As far as Moana went in the first film,
11:24the sequel continues to push her beyond.
11:27It's my job as a wayfinder to finish what I started.
11:32The emotional stakes are raised,
11:34with Moana now having a sister to return to and a crew to keep safe,
11:38putting her leadership to the test.
11:40The physical stakes are raised as well,
11:41with Moana accepting a mission no mortal can survive.
11:45What if you don't come back?
11:48I'll be back. I promise.
11:52Showing just how far she'll go for her people and the ocean,
11:55Moana makes the ultimate sacrifice in the end.
11:58Although this is quickly retconned,
12:00with Moana 3 seeming inevitable,
12:02we wish Moana 2 left her fate more open-ended.
12:05Although her new demigoddess status does open the door to new possibilities.
12:10Bring it on, Coco!
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12:28Moana remains one of Disney's most absorbing protagonists.
12:32While the sequel continued to evolve her as a leader,
12:34her arc hits one too many beats we've seen before.
12:37The same can be said about the sequel overall.
12:40The first film did most of the heavy lifting,
12:42with a lot of residual goodwill carrying over to Moana 2.
12:46The tribe has spoken, and the winner is Moana.
12:50See you out there, Maui.
12:52See you out there, Moana.
12:54Moana 4, Moana 2, 2.
12:57What do you think?
12:58Should we have given Moana 2 a chee-hoo,
13:00or does every path lead you back to the first film?
13:03Let us know in the comments.
13:04This is serious!
13:06Is something distracting you?
13:07Do you agree with our picks?
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13:27you