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4
FILM
“Vaiana 2”
Directed by: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand & Dana Ledoux Miller
United States – 2024
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We may all need to dream away a little to sunny, tropical regions in the god forsaken winter time. The first “Vaiana” garnered two Oscar nominations and came so long ago that it was in 3D. The kids who let themselves be seduced at the cinema back in 2016 are now well into their teens, so it’s an open question how long-awaited this delayed sequel really is. The plan was originally for “Vaiana 2” to become a computer-animated streaming series on Disney+, but since that market is apparently in the process of collapsing, Disney chose instead to adapt the project into a traditional cinema sequel.
It is difficult to know how much was changed on the way to the big screen, but nothing in “Vaiana 2” bears a noticeable mark of compromises, shortcuts or lower technical quality. The animation is of high Disney class, and very few fix this with lifelike facial expressions better than them. The story remains firmly rooted in Disney’s patented princess recipe (although we’re self-deprecatingly reminded that Moiana isn’t technically a princess), and follows the same old formula of family values, inner strength and community.
Vaiana is in any case more robust than most Disney heroines, and the respect for Polynesian folklore gives this universe a colorful distinctive character. She has now become an adventurous nineteen-year-old, and after the experiences in the first film, Vaiana is a celebrity on the paradise island of Motunui. This close-knit tribal community remains isolated from the outside world, and now we find out why.
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The evil storm god Nalo cursed the Pacific Islanders to ensure they lost contact with each other, and that curse can only be lifted if a human sets foot on the mythical island of Motufetu. A challenge, since it was sunk to the seabed by Nalo, and no one has so far been able to find it. Vaiana nevertheless intends to follow in her ancestors’ footsteps to Motufetu, and embarks on a journey so dangerous that this time she must recruit a crew. They include the impulsive boat architect Loto, the grumpy old farmer Kele and the enthusiastic bundle of muscles Moni – who has devoted her life to studying ancient legends and is a real fanboy of the demigod Maui.
Also in place are Vaiana’s pet pig Pua and the chicken brain rooster Heihei, but not her cuddly little sister Simea. I automatically assumed that the little charmer would sneak aboard her big sister’s Kon-Tiki-like raft as a stowaway, but instead she has to stay at home with dad Tui and mom Sina. Meanwhile, the shape-shifting demigod Maui has been captured by the enigmatic goddess Matangi, who has her own motivations and disappears from the story entirely after her song number.
The last thing in the world Maui wants is to be saved by the troublesome girl child Vaiana, that kind of thing eats away at his self-righteous pride – but you shouldn’t ignore the fact that their paths cross anyway. On the way, the traveling party meets a tribe of coconut pirates called the Kakamora, who remain the funniest creatures in Oceania. The fact that certain side characters get such limited scope is possibly due to the fact that the playing time was cut down in the journey from streaming series to cinema film, but an additional bonus scene during the end credits suggests that some of them will certainly return in “Vanaia 3”. Yes, it’s coming. Guaranteed.
Like its predecessor, the Norwegian dub track is of a high class, and resiliently translated (with the exception of some sweaty emergency rhymes under the lyrics). Nora Gjestvang and Jeppe Beck Laursen are back as voicers to ensure that the Norwegian version can measure up to the American original. Incidentally, both language variants are shown in cinemas here at home – where, among others, Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have the roles. The latter is currently filming a feature film version of the first “Vaiana”, in which he reprises his role as the demigod Maui. Doesn’t sound like a very good idea, but it’s coming to cinemas in the summer of 2026 anyway.
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“Vaiana 2” is unlikely to stand out as a future classic, and keeps such a rapid pace that the phobia of dead ends eats away at the personal commitment. Directing debutants David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller seem so anxious that the kids in the movie theater might get restless that they never take time to breathe and give the characters time to develop chemistry together. So every time they take a breath it’s to sing, and the big weakness here is the musical numbers.
It is noticeable that composer Lin-Manuel Miranda was not invited back, and instead has been replaced with TikTok star Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. A marked downgrade, which adds very little to the film. It goes without saying that the undersigned is not the world’s biggest fan of bloated Disney power ballads, regardless of who composed them – but none of the new songs in “Vanaia” are particularly memorable – especially when compared to the cinema-current “Wicked: Part 1 ». Fortunately, these characters are really charming, the computer animation maintains a high Disney class and for many it will surely be enough to be able to spend a hundred minutes in this tropical paradise.
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