The sequels to Disney’s animated features don’t typically receive theatrical runs (Pixar works excluded). But we live in a brave new, IP-driven world, and so one of Disney’s most popular titles in recent memory is coming to a multiplex near year. Welcome, Moana 2!

The second installment picks up three years after the original adventures wraps. The titular wayfarer Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) must go on another quest. This time, our heroine is racing against the clock to save her people from a prophesy that says they will all perish if they cannot reach islands with other inhabitants. Of course, Maui (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) returns to help her. But in addition, Moana has a ragtag team of crew members. My favourite of whom is a sarcastic Octogenarian farmer the teen tricks into helping her, because, for some reason, she is concerned they might need to farm at sea?

As you can see, the plot and the characters in Moana 2 don’t always feel fully fleshed out. But it’s colourful and propulsive, which means the legions of kids who adore the original might not notice its deficits. The best addition to the sequel? Moana has an adorable little sister named Simea. I hope all the preschoolers dress as her next Halloween!

Moana 2 was originally intended to be a Moana TV Show airing on Disney+, and you can see that small-screen DNA throughout the movie. It both looks and sounds a bit more Saturday Morning Cartoon than Major Motion Picture.

The film features original songs by Emily Barlow and and Emily Bear, but they’re neither masterpieces nor bangers. Sure, 2023’s Wish was lacklustre, but I still left the theatre singing the theme song. Whereas, I cannot remember a single lyric from Moana 2. The musical numbers are pleasant enough to watch, but they do not leave any sort of impression. Nothing feels even half as impactful as “How Far I’ll Go” or “You’re Welcome,” numbers from the first movie that both became bona fide hits.

The quality of animation is perhaps the biggest tell Moana 2 wasn’t always destined for The Big Screen. It feels less expertly realized than your average Disney Movie. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr, Dana Ledoux Miller, and Jason Hand, the film’s visuals aren’t as vibrant or as sweeping as the first Moana. But mercifully, the visuals don’t look like the candy-coloured vomit of a Trolls movie. The animation is neither good nor awful, but middling. However, middling animation isn’t what we’ve come to know and love about Disney’s musicals.

While the world isn’t as beautiful as it was in the first movie, it’s still fun and and it has lots of heart. The murderous but cute Kakamora Coconuts are a highlight! However, as with the original, the best part of the sequel is the relationship between Moana and her demi-God mentor Maui. The characters still have a strong rapport that feels like a wise-cracking but heart-warming depiction of a mentor/mentee relationship. Perhaps the best part of the movie is also the most meta: when Maui tells his protegee, “Go get ’em, princess,” Moana pluckily responds, “I’m still not a princess.” To which, Maui quips, “A lot of people think you are.” And perhaps that’s the best argument for making Moana 2?

While not technically a Disney Princess, Moana is the feisty, courageous, princess-adjacent character our daughters need. She isn’t afraid to explore the unknown or lead her a team on an adventure. That’s the sort of Strong Female Character I want my daughter to see more of, regardless of whether the musical numbers sizzle.

So, fellow parents, go see Moana 2 with your little ones. Your kids will love it and you’ll love watching them look up to this strong female character…