Eight years ago, Moana (impressively voiced by Auli’i Cravalho), the strong-willed Polynesian wayfinder – don’t call her a princess – made a splash with her eponymous Disney debut. Her unique oceanic adventure with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson in top form) earned more than $665 million worldwide for the studio and earned an Oscar nomination for best animated film. But it was the heroine’s charm and stubborn determination to save her people from ecological disaster that made it happen Moana its most durable properties.

As with all commercially viable Disney properties, Moana was destined for franchising. Four years after the success of the original, Disney announced plans for an animated television series. They then scrapped that idea in favor of a more traditional cinematic sequel and dropped news of an upcoming live-action remake.

But Moana 2directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David G. Derrick Jr. based on a screenplay by Jared Bush and Ledoux Miller, might have worked better as a longer series. While the highly anticipated sequel features stunning animation, it lacks the cohesive story and emotional intimacy that made its predecessor so special.

Cravalho and Johnson certainly reprise their roles as the voices of Moana and Maui, whose final mission takes them through unknown parts of Oceania. Their sea adventures are enhanced by a vibrant style (Byron Howard is the animation director and Kevin Webb and Amy Lawson Smeed serve as animation heads) and striking visual effects (overseen by Carlos Cabral and Kyle Odermatt). In breathtaking scenes, Moana, Maui and a new team, including the spacious chicken Heihei (Alan Tudyk), encounter imposing waves and mysterious creatures that remind viewers why 95 percent of the ocean remains unexplored. The scale of the action reflects Disney’s animation skills.

But this peacocking doesn’t extend to the story, which is scattered and shallow compared to the first film. Where Moana focused on the relationship between the titular adventurer and her reluctant demigod companion, Moana 2 divides its attention among more characters. These personalities – including fellow Motunuians and new villains – quickly become showcases in a film.

Moana 2 begins three years after Moana saves her island from environmental disaster. The young navigator has been sailing around in search of other societies, and at the beginning of the film she returns to Motunui with evidence of other inhabited islands in the region. The endearing homecoming introduces new characters, including Moni (Hualalai Chung), a passionate island bard; Loto (Rose Matafeo), a headstrong shipbuilder; Kele (David Fane), a grumpy farmer; and Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), Moana’s tenacious younger sister.

These islanders, with the exception of Simea, join Moana as she sets out to fulfill another mission of her ancestors. During a ceremony in which Moana receives her society’s highest honor for wayfinders, the ancestors come to her in a vision to reveal why the last person to receive the award, who never returned from their final journey, had such a undertook a dangerous mission. . They beg her to make a similar journey, as if recovering Te Fiti’s heart had not been risky enough. The future of her community, she learns, depends on finding an island hidden by the vengeful god Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i) that connects Motonui to the rest of the Oceanic archipelago.

Before Moana leaves, Moana spends time with Simea. The pair, who endearingly call each other Big and Little Sis, sneak off to other parts of the island to swap stories and secrets. With an enthusiasm reminiscent of Gramma Tala (Rachel House) from the 2016 feature film, Moana teaches Simea about the history of their people. Close-ups of the sisters, whose curly hair looks even more bouncy in IMAX, underline their intimacy. Their interactions are a highlight of the film, providing a crucial emotional anchor and a sense of Moana’s own development since the last story. She is now an older sister and is more aware of what she could lose if these missions fail.

After some convincing, Moana answers the call of the ancestors and ventures beyond the reef to find the lost island with her hodgepodge crew. A chaotic encounter with the coconut-armored Kakamora and a mountain-sized clam leads them to a reunion with Maui. He’s locked in a dark underwater lair by Matangai (top talent Awhimai Fraser), a cunning villain with an affinity for bats and shadowy corners reminiscent of iconic Disney villains like Ursula. Her song ‘Get Lost’ is one of the most memorable songs in a musical in which Lin-Manuel Miranda’s absence is unfortunately palpable.

From the moment Moana and her team rescue Maui from Matangai’s prison, Moana 2 builds impressive action scenes on a relatively weak story. Bush and Ledoux Miller’s screenplay contains funnier jokes, but lacks the narrative roundness of its predecessor, with the members of Moana’s capable team particularly lacking. You can’t help but wish for more time (the film is a whopping 1 hour and 40 minutes) or a more episodic approach might have helped. (A post-credits sequence hints that more is in store for Moana.)

However, scaling up does pay off in the images. The sea has never looked so menacing, and the deeper Moana and company venture into the unknown, the more menacing the environment becomes. Intense waterspouts spin uncontrollably above the water, threatening to destroy everything in their path. Glowing, eel-like leviathan leaps through the air before attempting to swallow Moana’s humble boat. Faced with these gigantic forces, the gang embraces new ways of working together. Even when Moana 2 falters, their courage remains a constant source of inspiration.