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Moana 2
Movie

Moana 2

2024 • Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Woke Score
4
out of 10

Plot

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.

Overall Series Review

Moana 2 centers on the heroine's journey three years after the first film, where she receives a message from her wayfinding ancestors to find the lost island of Motufetu and break a curse that has isolated all the islands of Oceania. Moana is tasked with uniting different Pacific Island cultures by retrieving the sunken island and defeating the evil storm god Nalo. She assembles a new crew from her home island for the voyage. The narrative strongly emphasizes the importance of reviving ancient traditions, following an internal destiny, and the power of connection and community. The demigod Maui's role is diminished for much of the film, as he is captured by a new female antagonist and is initially portrayed with flickering powers. The film avoids any Western cultural presence, keeping the conflict entirely within Polynesian mythology and culture. The story is a straightforward adventure about a singular female hero, her quest to fulfill a purpose, and honoring the legacy of her ancestors.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics6/10

The entire story is built upon a non-Western ethnic identity, focusing on Pacific Islander cultures and their unity, which is a key element of identity politics in media. There is no villainization of ‘whiteness’ because white characters are absent from the narrative. The plot centers on Moana, an indigenous female, as the sole figure whose unique ethnic and ancestral connection gives her the merit to save all the people of the ocean. The mere existence of the film as a corporate product using this identity for profit is also a source of external contention within cultural commentary.

Oikophobia2/10

The plot's driving force is the respect for and revitalization of the ancestors' traditions of 'wayfinding' and exploration. The movie explicitly celebrates the protagonist's home, family, community, and the deep, rich heritage of the Pacific Islands. The theme is one of cultural vitality and gratitude for ancestral sacrifices, rather than shame or hatred toward the home culture or heritage.

Feminism7/10

Moana is presented as a flawless 'Girl Boss' lead, a confident explorer and respected leader on a self-guided mission to fulfill her individual destiny. The main male character, the demigod Maui, is intentionally marginalized early in the plot, being held prisoner by a female witch and having his shapeshifting powers diminished, which serves to amplify Moana’s competence. The narrative maintains the focus on the female lead's personal career as 'Wayfinder,' completely absent of any romantic or family-oriented development for the protagonist.

LGBTQ+3/10

The movie contains no explicit LGBTQ+ characters, relationships, or overt political lecturing on gender or sexual identity. The family and social structures depicted are normative. However, external commentary notes that a new male crew member is a 'fanboy' whose extreme admiration for the male demigod is framed as 'hero worship.' There are also interpretations of 'queercoding' applied to a secondary female character, but this is subtextual and not a primary feature of the film’s narrative.

Anti-Theism1/10

The film is heavily immersed in Polynesian mythology, which provides a clear transcendent framework. The plot centers on confronting the evil storm god Nalo and the guidance of benign, visible ancestors' spirits. The spiritual realm is the source of the conflict and the solution. Faith in the ancient gods and ancestors acts as a source of strength, directly affirming a higher moral law and a supernatural objective truth rather than a spiritual vacuum or moral relativism.