Repurposed from a limited series initially intended for Disney’s streaming platform, Moana 2, an eight-years-in-the-making sequel, arrives in movie theaters with the usual expectations associated with big-screen Disney fare: vividly realized, sometimes stellar animation, relatively well-drawn, well-rounded, arc-driven characters, and a compellingly strong, goal-driven storyline with clearly defined stakes. Unfortunately, Moana 2 meets only the first criterion, leaving the other two woefully underdeveloped and haphazardly structured, respectively, It’s all the more disappointing once the new-to-the-series songs drop into the film at periodic intervals, each one sadly less memorable than the last. Despite the involvement of three directors, David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, two credited screenwriters, Jared Bush and co-director Miller, and additional contributions from others, Moana 2’s conversion...

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