Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Moana 2.
Disney’sMoana 2did the right thing by avoiding a romance cliché between Moana and a new character. The sequel to the 2016 phenomenon continues the story of the chief of Montunui’s daughter and her adventures across the ocean. The 2016 movie depicts Moana befriending the demigod, Maui, and journeying over the seas to return the heart of Te Fiti. TheMoanafranchise explores different gods and demigods in Polynesian mythologywho impact the oceans and the surrounding islands.Moana 2continues Moana’s journey to find other islands connected with Montunui.
The cast ofMoana 2includes Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson returning as Moana and Maui respectively, as well as introducing new characters to the story,including Moana’s little sister, Simea. These new characters join Moana on her new adventure across the sea and play a critical part in her mission to fight against the storm god, Nalo.There were hints throughout the movie that Moana may begin a relationship with one new character,but thankfully, this ultimately didn’t happen.
Moana 2 Seemed To Position Moni As A Potential Love Interest For Moana
Moni Serves As The Island’s Historian And Part Of Moana’s New Crew
One of several new characters inMoana 2is Moni, who serves as Montunui’s chief historian and storyteller to the island’s children. He is a big fan of the demigod, Maui, and creates tapestries depicting himself and Maui in different adventures. He becomes one of three islanders who Moana recruits as part of her new crew to take part in her new mission to raise Motufetu.Throughout the movie, Moni serves as the strength of the crewand is described by his voice actor, Hualalai Chung, as “whimsical, warmhearted, and fun-loving” to everyone (viaComingSoon).
In the beginning, it was hinted that Moni could serve as a potential love interest for Moana. Out of the three islanders who Moana recruits,Moni was the most eager to join her on her new mission. During Moana’s recruitment, Moni tells her that she needs a member “who knows all the old stories” and is “super strong” and “has great hair” for the team.Moana sees that Moni is subtly referring to himself in his description and is shown to be impressed with what she sees; she ultimately chooses Moni to join her crew.
Moana Didn’t Need Moni Or Any Love Interest In Moana 2
The Film Producers Never Intended For Moana To Have A Love Interest
While it was initially hinted that Moana and Moni could become a couple at the beginning of the movie, bythe end ofMoana 2, the potential romance was disputed.During their journey to Motufetu, it was shown that Moni was more interested in befriending Maui; the two do end up becoming friends and telling stories to the island’s children.Moana 2’s director, Dana Ledoux Miller, stated in an interviewvia Yahoo! UKthat it was never intended to create a love interest for Moana; her true focus is “her deep friendships” with the other characters.
Should Disney make Moana 3?
Moana 2 is now in theaters, and it’s already breaking records at the box office. While I don’t think it was as good as the first Moana, the sequel does have some entertaining elements and an exciting post-credits scene teasing Moana 3. While it’s yet to be confirmed, I think it’s a no-brainer for Disney to make a third Moana movie, though I would like to see a stronger story with some more depth compared to Moana 2.
The decision not to introduce a love interest was the right choice forMoana 2as it would have added unnecessary complications to Moana’s determination to defeat Nalo and unite the islands.Moana’s transformation into a demigodafter bravely sacrificing herself to raise Motufetu proved that she didn’t need a love interest to grow as a character and serve her tribe on Montunui. While it was initially hinted that a relationship could take place between Moana and Moni, the filmmakers chose to keep the story focused on her mission, preventingMoana 2from entering into another clichéd Disney romance.
Sources:ComingSoon,Yahoo UK
Moana 2
Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.
