Want to sail the open sea with Moana from the comfort of the couch? Several news outlets report that Moana 2 is now available on streaming services such as Prime Video, YouTube, and AppleTV+, to name a few. Additionally, CNBC reports that the Walt Disney film has crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office.
Walt Disney reported on its official website that Moana 2’s record-setting performance provides the company with the top three domestic openings of 2024, just behind Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. the Gale poll, 53 people out of 197 said that they had already seen the movie, and overall, those polled enjoyed the film for many reasons.
“This movie was magical and the plots, graphics, characters, and story were all amazing. It kept me very entertained and interested. I would pay money just to watch this movie again because it was so good,” said Lancaster High School senior Mikala Price.
The character of Moana is a familiar one to teenagers today.
“Getting to watch Moana grow up with me was just so magical. I remember when I was a little kid when it came out and now that I am older, she [Moana] is aging with me. It’s crazy to think about how I was a little girl and how much I have changed and grown up since the first movie came out,” said LHS sophomore Sophia Stenriede.
Moana 2 presented important theme topics such as the importance of family and female strength. What’s more, according to The New York Times, songs in the movie such as “Beyond,” encourage Moana to explore far distances on the sea. This is typical of the iconic Disney princesses who demonstrate personal growth, coming-of-age, and finding themselves (Winkelman).
Interestingly, NPR’s All Things Considered reported this month that Moana 2 songwriters, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear made history as the youngest and only all-female team to lead a Disney soundtrack (Venkat).
The plot of Moana 2 involves the heroine discovering her place in the world and brings her to her island home of Motunui. An ancestor appears in a vision and prompts Moana to break the curse of the storm god Nalo and rediscover the sunken island of Motufetu, which once connected the people and the ocean (Truitt).
What’s next for Moana? One moviegoer said she thinks the story will continue to evolve.
“My favorite thing about the movie was that Moana has a sister, possibly meaning newer generations. This cute and adventurous movie shows how people would take risks for their family,” said LHS freshman Lydia Bushnee-Wenger.
