'Moana 2' review: Sequel is worthy follow-up to original

"Still not a princess," says the young hero of Disney’s "Moana 2," correcting her old demigod friend Maui. But to no avail. "Well," he replies, "a lot of people think you are."

It’s a sly nod to a passive archetype that Disney itself helped create over the past 90 years but has been trying to update in recent films like "Frozen," "Raya and the Last Dragon" and 2016’s "Moana." All focused on assertive, action-oriented women, but Moana stood out for her sea-faring spirit, Polynesian ancestry and curvy-athletic frame. (Not for her Cinderella's corset.) Thanks also to the charismatic voices of lead actor Auli’i Cravalho and her co-star Dwayne Johnson as Maui, "Moana" become a $687 million smash, driven by mostly female audiences.

"Moana 2” is not about to fix what isn’t broke. (Box-office predictions for opening weekend are a sky-high $135 million.) The original voice cast is back, right down to a squawking Alan Tudyk as Heihei the chicken. Also back, more or less, is the original story. This time, Moana must sail across the sea to find Motufetū, a mythical island that holds the key to her island’s future. Her obstacle: Nalo, a god who seethes with hatred for humanity. Sailing on Moana’s craft will be her STEM-minded friend Loto (Rose Matafeo), goofy storyteller Moni (Hualālai Chung), cranky Kele (David Fane) and even one of the Kakamora, those tiny, coconut-like creatures that plagued Moana in the first film.

Though "Moana 2” is credited to three new directors (led by Jason Hand), it’s a seamless continuation of the first film. Mark Mancina returns as composer (with Opetaia Foa'I on some songs), though the two best numbers, Moana’s soaring "Beyond" and Maui’s upbeat hip-hop track "Can I Get a Chee Hoo?," come from rising songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Cravalho and Johnson maintain their rapport: a little flirty, always respectful, sometimes tender. There’s also an intriguing new figure, Matangi, played by a terrific Awhimai Fraser. (She honed her Disney chops as Elsa in the Māori version of "Frozen"). A slinky siren whose signature song is titled "Get Lost," Matangi is clearly being saved for a future installment.

Like its predecessor, "Moana 2” lacks a traditional villain. The angry Nalo is an amorphous force who almost never shows his face, which makes him less compelling than classic Disney heavies like Cruella de Vil, Maleficent or Scar. Then again, maybe this is part of the studio’s attempt to rethink ideas of heroism. As in the first film, Moana won’t use her might to vanquish a foe. Instead, she’ll use her wits to solve a problem.

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com@raferguzman