The seemingly inevitable story of Moana 3 needs to bring back a key player from the original film who was absent from Moana 2. Overall, Moana 2‘s reception has been interesting. Despite the critical reviews for the film not being as positive as the first movie, Moana 2‘s box office numbers are promising to shatter records. This proves that regardless of the issues present in the story by the time of Moana 2‘s ending, the sequel is still resonating with general audiences across the world.
Reception to the film aside, it is clear that Moana 2 was crafted with the potential story of Moana 3 in mind. After Moana fulfills her destiny and connects the people of the vast ocean once more, Moana 2‘s credits begin to roll. However, the teases at Moana and Maui’s future, combined with Moana 2‘s post-credit scene, hint that another sequel is on the horizon. If indeed Moana 3 is crafted, the film must bring back one of the key figures to the development of 2016’s Moana, whose absence was notably felt in Moana 2.
Lin-Manuel Miranda Was Noticeably Missing From Moana 2’s Music
Moana 2’s Soundtrack Did Not Reach The Heights Of Its Predecessor
It is worth pointing out that Moana 2‘s soundtrack is not bad. In fact, most of the songs are enjoyable, convey the themes of the movie well, and are performed well by the film’s cast. All that said, it is almost irrefutable that Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was heavily involved in Moana‘s soundtrack, was missed when concerning Moana 2‘s songs and their sheer impact.
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Alongside Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i, Miranda was largely responsible for making so many of Moana‘s songs catchy, unique, and emotionally resonant. From Miranda’s “How Far I’ll Go” to “You’re Welcome” and “Shiny,” Moana has a whole host of stand-out songs that remain memorable eight years after the movie was released. While Moana 2‘s songs, and replacement songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, do an admirable job of emulating Miranda’s work from Moana, they are simply not as impactful and more forgettable.
Lin-Manuel Miranda Could Help Make Moana 3’s Soundtrack The Franchise’s Best
All of this is to say that Lin-Manuel Miranda must return to Moana 3. If he does so, the film’s soundtrack could be the best in the franchise. Having a team of Miranda, Mancina, Foa’i, Barlow, and Bear could allow Moana 3 to incorporate the promising albeit imperfect songs of Moana 2 with the obvious positives Miranda brought to the soundtrack of the first Moana. This way, Moana 3‘s soundtrack could be incredibly varied, though not without the catchy, simply unforgettable songs of the original movie that were notably absent from 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.
- Director
- David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller
- Release Date
- November 27, 2024
- Writers
- Dana Ledoux Miller , Jared Bush , Jason Hand , Ron Clements , John Musker
- Cast
- Auli’i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda
- Runtime
- 100 Minutes
