Make way, make way! Moana is back in Disney’s latest sequel “Moana 2,” and taking on a whole new adventure. But there are definitely some things from the first film you might want to keep in mind.
The first film is now streaming on Disney+ — in fact, it’s the most streamed title on the service to date — and centers on Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), a young girl from Motonui who becomes a hero to her people. The sequel doesn’t require you to have seen the first one, but there are a few pieces that might be helpful.
In case you don’t have the time (or possibly the desire) to rewatch before you head to theaters, we went ahead and rounded up those pieces for you.
Moana’s wayfinding roots
Moana has always been drawn to the ocean, much to the chagrin of her father, the chief. He considers the ocean to be too deadly to explore, always keeping his daughter and his people from going beyond the reef.
But, when the island’s food supply starts dying out, Moana’s grandmother informs her that Te Fiti, the goddess responsible for creating life, is herself dying because her heart was taken (more on that in a moment). Gramma Tala also reveals that, as a baby, Moana was chosen by the ocean itself to restore the heart of Te Fiti, which is why Moana has such a bond with the water.
Gramma Tala then takes Moana to a hidden place on the island where Moana’s father hid his people’s boats, revealing that the people of Motonui were actually voyagers and wayfinders.
So, against her father’s wishes, Moana sets out to restore the heart of Te Fiti, all while avoiding lava monster Te Ka.
“How Far I’ll Go”
Moana’s power song — or, as it’s known in Disney terms, her “I want” song — of the first film was “How Far I’ll Go.” Odds are, if you have a young child who came up with the film, there’s simply no way you’ll ever forget that song.
But, on the off chance you have, you might want to brush up. The song doesn’t get a reprise or anything in the new film, but the dialogue does contain a lot of variations of the actual phrase, calling back to the song. The joke might land better if you remember the song. You can listen to it below.
Who is Maui?
Maui is a demigod who Moana recruits in the first film to restore the heart of Te Fiti. Of course, he’s also the one who stole the heart in the first place.
He stole it for the people of Motonui though — that’s kind of his whole thing. He pulls islands up from the sea for people to inhabit (this is particularly important to remember, since doing so is a key piece of “Moana 2”), he’s responsible for creating most natural phenomena and is determined to be a hero.
He is also covered in tattoos that appear after each adventure he has. One of those tattoos is a Mini Maui that is actually kind of alive, and interacts with both Maui and those around him.
He’s cocky, but generally good hearted, and relies on a magic fish hook to transform himself into various creatures
How did “Moana” end?
In the end, Moana realizes that Te Fiti actually morphed into Te Ka after Maui stole her heart, unintentionally creating a monster.
Realizing this, Moana restores the heart to its proper place, bringing back Te Fiti’s true, generous form. Te Fiti restores Maui’s hook, which gets broken in battle, restores life to the ocean and the islands surrounding it, and finally, chooses to simply rest.
Moana returns to her people a hero and a proper wayfinder, thanks to Maui’s training on their journey.
Tamatoa
Tamatoa is one of the secondary antagonists in “Moana,” a giant crab with a penchant for shiny objects. He’s voiced by Jemaine Clement and just kind of goofy.
He is not the main antagonist in “Moana 2,” but he’s worth remembering.
