The Feels Review: Moana 2

This weekend I had the privilege of taking my daughters (ages 3 and 2) to their first ever movie experience. And of course, we saw Moana 2. My youngest was feeling it at the end!

This review is from two points of view. The first, my children. The second, me.

My Children's Feel

Important because every parent wants to know if their time and money will have a payback measured by our children's happiness. Have no fear, Moana 2 was hit with my own children! That is a bold statement because my girls rarely sit for anything, or anyone, which is why we waited so long to take them to a theater. Going in, we established detailed plans on how to excuse ourselves when the girls turned into their Gremlin selves. Miraculously, the need never arose.

A bucket of popcorn in hand, a couple of waters, our laps as seats, and the largest screen the girls' have ever seen resulted in a never before experienced phenomenon - 2 hours of neither girl yelling, screaming, crying, or talking! The money was worth that silence alone!

At their respective ages, the girls failed to grasp the movie's theme, but it doesn't matter. They enjoyed seeing all the characters they have grown to love, the vibrant colors of Moana's world, new but familiar songs, and several new characters.

If your children enjoyed Moana, then they will love Moana 2!

CHILDRENS RATING: 9

My Feels Review of Moana 2

Moana was, is, a great movie. It explored the concept of identity, the journey of establishing one's identity, overcoming barriers, and grace. A critical note for Moana is that her adventure was her own. She needed to discover her identify without the influence of others. The music was outstanding and the characters were relatable. I also thoroughly enjoyed the plot and theme.

Moana 2 explores what happens after realizing one's identity. Understanding who we are isn't a formula for a perfect, harmless life. Life will continue to challenge us at every corner, but we are better equipped to summit those challenges if we realize and accept our identity.

Moana's second adventure includes help from friends. The theme transitions from discovering one's identity without influence to a need for help/friends to persevere through this thing we call life. We cannot better ourselves, or the world, without the help of others.

Although the plot and theme were excellent, I found several aspects to fall short in comparison to Moana. The music was good, but the songs lacked a depth when compared to the originals. And despite reprising many familiar faces, and including several new additions, I found it harder to relate to the characters.

Moana was a great move. Moana 2 is a good movie that made me feel less than I'd hoped for.

RATING: 7 on the Feel Scale