First to react to Disney’s latest animated offering, Moana 2come online, can the sequel live up to the beloved 2016 original?

A recent update cast doubt on whether Moana 2‘s reviews would yield results, as the embargo on full reviews will reportedly not be lifted until Tuesday, November 26, just one day before the theatrical release.

First Moana 2 social reviews are full of praise

Ahead of its theatrical release on Wednesday, November 27, a lucky group of critics got the chance to see Moana 2 asked and share their first reactions on X (formerly Twitter). Overall it looks good.

Moana 2 offers “another emotional and powerful journey,” says Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky, who praised the music, humor, characters and animation:

“‘Moana 2’ is a worthy sequel! Hilarious, great music and lots of it. Another emotional and powerful journey at sea. Animation is BEAUTIFUL! New characters are fantastic, but at their best when Moana and Maui are together. Their banter is everything That mid-credits scene (baffling emoji)!”

Intriguingly, Smith also highlights what happens after the credits, saying: “that mid-credit scene” followed by a stunning emoji, possibly hinting at the main implications for a potential third film.

The show-stealing character in the “great sequel” because Screen Rant’s Joseph Deckelmeier turned out to be Moana’s little sister Simea:

“I absolutely loved ‘Moana 2’! The animation is breathtaking, and Moana’s ensemble crew is fantastic. Her little sister completely stole the show for me.

The story is strong and well crafted. It’s a wonderful sequel. I also enjoyed the music!”

The songs may not be “Just as catchy as this comes,” according to ComicBook’s Chris Killian, but they’re still out there “hilarious jokes and heartfelt moments” along with a “deeper dive into Polynesian lore:”

“While the songs aren’t as catchy this time around, Moana and Maui are still an infectious couple, delivering hilarious jokes and heartfelt moments. Brilliant animation, a deeper dive into Polynesian lore, ‘Moana 2’ proves it’s worth it is to sail beyond the reef one more time.”

Why Moana 2 had to be a win for Disney

For readers who may not know: the sequel to 2016 Moana was not always intended as a theatrical sequel, but as a Disney+ series (read more about why Disney’s CEO changed plans for the release).

The story that is now coming to theaters was originally planned Moana: The Series but was officially switched to Moana 2 in February.

Naturally, the change in plans led to concerns about the quality of Moana 2as the story was originally planned for a completely different format and a nine-month turnaround time to adapt the series into a film isn’t very long.

But unfortunately, if the initial reactions from critics are to be believed, Disney has followed through with a successful sequel Moana.

Disney appears to be betting big on the aquatic franchise in the future, with a sequel imminent and a live-action of Moana now in production and set to hit theaters on July 10, 2026 (starring Catherine Laga’aia and Dwayne Johnson).

As an early response to Moana 2 has hyped the mid-credits scene as stunning, which fans should expect a tease for Moana 3 to conclude the sequel. While a sequel hasn’t been announced yet, it looks like there will be a sequel if the second outing can make money at the box office again.

Moana 2 will be in cinemas from Wednesday 27 November.