Why So Blu?

Moana 2 (4K UHD Blu-ray Steelbook Review)

I’ve said it before previously, but I am a preschool teacher in my day job.  I hear about animated films from the children and their parents.  When it comes to Disney properties, I hear about them more often and sometimes overwhelmingly.  Frozen and Moana are the films that are almost constantly referenced.  Moana 2 emerged as a huge hit for Disney, and yes, I have heard plenty about the film and more than enough of the songs.  But how did the film go down for my first viewing?  Read on below and get to the nitty gritty not just on Moana’s newest adventure, but of this 4K Steelbook release too!

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Film

Moana 2 reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

After Moana and Maui’s previous big adventure, Moana is now a wayfinder and her home of Motunui is thriving.  Moana spends her time looking for other people connected to the ocean like her island.  She also spends time with her little sister and her favorite animal pals.  When Moana learns of the reason all the Island people are separated, she learns that the storm god Nalo wanted to control all mortals and sunk a connecting island in the process.

Moana begins to journey to find the island, Motufetu, in hopes to resurrect it and connect the ocean faring islands once and for all. She has assembled a rag-tag crew of islanders to help forge the journey.  She has a land-locked farmer, a destructive creator, a Maui fanatic and her faithful pets HeyHey the chicken and her pig Pua. Maui is also on this mission, although Nalo’s living enforcer Matangi has captured him.

The biggest excitement of the first Moana film was capturing the titular character at a formative age, looking to establish her maturity.  Meeting Maui, the pair needle one another but become friends and work well together.  Here, the pair is split up until about an hour into the film.  The dynamic has shifted to Moana leading her crew.  The crew has some moments, but in truth, they pale to the connections Maui and Moana had in the original.

The story in Moana 2 is at the core extremely simple.  The imagery and the songs are what carry the messages through.  As with most Disney animated films, this is the case for decades.  In Moana 2 though, the film is actually let down by the songs.  Filling space for a good chunk of the runtime, the songs, penned by the duo Barlow and Bear also pale to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original songs.  They feel overlong and not as catchy, making for taxing listening for adults in the audience.

Speaking of overlong: the opening of Moana 2 feels like a wasted opportunity for a better story point.  We are reunited with the islanders of Motunui and we meet Moana’s sister Simea.  Then we stay with that story point for a long while before we set sail with Moana and her crew.  This feels like an attempt to drag out more from the story and the attempt does not land.

On the positive side, the animation here is relatively stunning.  Colors and movement are spectacular with technology seemingly catching up to the imagination of the animators.  There is also a very game voice cast here, with many players from the original Moana returning once more.

The kid in me was disappointed by the lack of originality, story and song quality of Moana 2. The adult in me was not surprised.  It feels like the filmmakers had their hearts in the right place, with animation being this gorgeous and pacing being well balanced also.  However, the songs not being great is an oversight as well as a lack of story beyond the main journey. The resulting film feels like a mixed bag.

I would love to say that I loved Moana 2, but at the end of the viewing day, the film felt overcooked and underwritten.  Animation, voice acting and good intentions aside, Moana 2 can’t compete with the first film in my humble opinion.  Again, the heart is in the right place, but the story could have used some retooling to make a more engaging film.  The same can be said for the songs, which often verge on grating or overlong. I’ve not doubt that if you’re a reader with children you’ll be watching this soon, and in that regard, I hope you enjoy the film better than I did.  I do wish Moana 2 could’ve served its characters better.

Video

Encoding: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 2160p

Aspect Ratio: 2.00:1

HDR: Dolby Vision

Layers: BD-66

Clarity/Detail: Moana 2 may have a fuzzy blurred story, but its 4K UHD Blu-ray looks phenomenal.  Using the dual layered disc solely for the film, the clarity and detail of the animation comes through flawlessly with each scene.  Lighting is incredible and shadows and clothing detail come through nice and clean as well. No encode errors or disc space limitations hinder the viewing experience.

Depth: Depth is excellent with the animation getting time to breathe in the frame, with movements looking fluid and perfect each time the action moves along.

Black Levels: Blacks get deep and dark, never once giving way to crush.

Color Reproduction: Colors in this presentation are stunning.  There is a rainbow array of primaries and a variety of more exotic tones too.  Nothing looks out of the ordinary, but it’s all bright and beautiful, especially Maui’s glowing hook or Moana’s eventual golden tattoos.

Flesh Tones: N/A

Noise/Artifacts: Flawless

Audio

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, Spanish and French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus, English AD 2.0 Dolby Digital

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Dynamics: Dolby Atmos brings the ocean/island sounds right around you.  Rumbling magic, storms, comedic pratfalls and music all get the same love from the Atmos mix, sounding pitch perfect and at the correct volume too!

Height: Height speakers get work to do during moments where Maui and Moana are trying to resurrect the sunken island.  There is a piece of the film where Moana encounters the coconut pirates from the first film, and you hear them clicking and clacking all over the place.  Echoes are prevalent in caves and underground too.

Low Frequency Extension: Bass comes rumbling when Maui uses his hook, or Moana begins to harness her powers.  Music is also a piece for the sub to work with. The bass here isn’t deafening but works perfectly for the film.

Surround Sound Presentation: Surrounds staging is spacious, opening the film to feel as if we are right on the water with Moana’s crew, or harvesting and planting with the islanders on land. Music surrounds you as do sound effects during the climactic scenes.

Dialogue: Dialogue is nice and clean and even when placed in other speakers is easy to hear!

Extras

Moana 2 comes to 4K UHD Blu-ray in a steelbook-only version.  The artwork is akin to the original Moana 4K Steelbook from 2020.  This is great if you’ve got that one (which I do!) and if you don’t it’s still a nice rendering of art. Bonus features are on the included Blu-ray and there’s also a digital code. Bonuses here are along the longs of typical Disney releases.  A little bit of everything and a lot of fun for kids and adults who want to deep dive into the process of the filmmaking.  There’s also the song selection and sing along options for fans of the music.

Bonus Features:

• Full Length Sing-Along – Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.
• Call of the Wayfinder – Celebrate Pacific wayfinding with the Moana 2 filmmakers as they meet real-life navigators from the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Hear from Nainoa Thompson, CEO of PVS, and other crew members as they discuss the cultural renaissance of wayfinding.
• A New Voyage – Join the filmmakers and artistic leads for a deep dive as they reveal the development of this sequel and discuss the impact that the first film had across the globe. Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson talk about what it means to them to return.
• Songs of the Sea – Sit down with songwriters Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear, Pacific Islands music legend Opetaia Foa‘i, and composer Mark Mancina as they discuss making the music. Get to know this talented team as they share insight into writing each brand-new song.
• Kakamora Chronicles – Ever wanted to know more about the Kakamora? Gather ’round while Moni, everyone’s favorite Motunui historian, tells the tales from real Solomon Island folklore surrounding the mysterious and unforgettable beings known as the Kakamora.
• Fun in the Booth – Step inside the recording booth with the brilliant and talented actors of Moana 2 for some creative fun as they bring their characters to life.
• Deleted Scenes – Overall introduction to Deleted Scenes by directors David G. Derrick Jr, Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller.
  • Call to Motufetū
  • Late to the Party
  • Crew’s In for a Bruisin’
  • Help Wanted
  • Odd Birds
  • Reunited
  • Simea’s Chant
• Song Selection:
  • “We’re Back”
  • “Beyond”
  • “Finding the Way”
  • “What Could Be Better Than This”
  • “Get Lost”
  • “Can I Get a Chee Hoo”
  • “Mana Vavau”
  • “Beyond” Reprise
  • “Finding the Way” Reprise

Summary

Moana 2 has its issues.  The pacing is marred by songs that feel overlong and the Animation and Voice Acting can’t mask an undercooked storyline for Moana and Maui.  The technical merits here are excellent and if you’re a fan of Moana, Maui, or Disney you’ll no doubt grab this release regardless.  In this iteration, this is the best way to view the film and the collectible steelbook makes for an attractive purchasing reason as well.  I’d recommend a watch on Disney+ before committing if you’re unsure about the film though.  Moana 2 tries hard, but in the end it’s impossible not to compare it to the first film, and that just shows how Moana 2 is a weaker story.

Buy Moana 2 on 4K UHD Blu-ray Steelbook HERE