5 Lessons We Can All Learn From Moana 2

When Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated musical Moana was shown in the movies way back 2016, I only had one child back then. My daughter, only three years old at the time, was undoubtedly captivated by stunning visuals from the first one, as well as the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i. She immediately fell in love with ‘How Far I’ll Go’ and ‘We Know the Way’ at a very young age. Propped on a booster seat, she filled the theater with applause, even commented ‘ang galing,’ at the end of those songs, and I was biting my lips in embarrassment—I could remember people looking our way to figure out where the loud comment was coming from. (Oh kids!)

Moana 2 | Official Trailer - PH

Now with two kids in tow for the sequel (she’s now 11 and my son 7), we were excited to hear new songs from Moana 2. And although it’s hard to let go of the soundtrack of the first movie, the songs from Moana 2 are still arguably enjoyable. Moana, now 19, returns to screen with a more mature view of things and Auli'i Cravalho’s “Beyond” translates a more profound search of self while looking forward to what else is beyond the horizon—its lyrics and melody tugging at our heartstrings, and so does the Filipino version of Belle Mariano’s “Anong Daratnan?”

Belle Mariano - Anong Daratnan (From "Moana 2"/Tagalog Single Version) ft. Te Vaka

We also love the song, “We’re Back,” and yes, the duo comes back with their usual banter—Moana (voiced by Cravalho) and Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) reunite three years later for an expansive journey, joined by an unlikely crew of seafarers. Kele (voice of David Fane) is an elderly farmer, Moni (voice of Hual lai Chung), is the village storyteller, inspired by generations of oral storytelling and an avid fan of Maui, and Loto (voice of Rose Matafeo), is a brilliant engineer and boat technician.

Another adorable new character is Moana’s baby sister, Simea, feisty and charming at the same time.

But of course, the ensemble is not complete without Pua and Heihei.

Responding to an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors through a vision, Moana ventures back into the far reaches of Oceania, navigating perilous and long-forgotten waters, storms, and challenging new adversities that would test her resilience and self-belief.

The animation remains to be epic and is a sure hit with both of my children. I’m a little teary-eyed at the end of the film but you know, it’s Disney—it never fails to warm the hearts—or maybe it’s grandma Tala, because even though she’s off to a better place following her passing in the previous movie, she reminds Moana that they’re still together, but ‘just a little different.’

More than the songs we love, we also have some key takeaways from the film that we carried with us long after we’ve left the cinema.

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5 lessons we can all learn from Moana 2

1. A strong support system helps us get through adversities.

Moana’s family, new-found friends, Maui, and the entire village all contribute to Moana’s valor and confidence, that someone’s got her back no matter what. Their belief in her shaped her self-belief and that’s what helped her through adversities.

2. Vulnerability can be translated into strength.

Maui, a central character, a demi-god, learns the value of asking for help–teaching us that vulnerability can be a strength. This goes to show that even those who appear powerful and self-reliant still need support and there’s no shame admitting that we all need help sometimes. (It can be a superpower!)

3. We can’t live in isolation.

In the original version, Moana focused on reconnecting with cultural roots: who they are as wayfinders. In Moana 2, the movie highlights building a future for one's community and that means reaching out to other communities in the spirit of belonging, camaraderie, and collaboration. 

4. It reminds us that our perceived foes can turn into allies.

Moana 2 prompts us that sometimes people show us a difficult version of themselves and we think of them as enemies, but if we only realize that sometimes, these people are just lost and been wanting to come home, then we can have a whole different perspective of viewing people (and things) in general.

5. There’s always a way.

When Moana was lost and felt like she’s not doing the right thing—just when she was almost devoid of hope, she reminded herself (and us, too) that there’s always a way. You just have to dive deep into the recesses of your being and you’ll find the answers there.

Moana 2 is directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller; produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino. It is available in cinemas only beginning November 27.

Share this review with another family if it helped you decide if you’ll be watching Moana 2.