Moana 2 is not the follow-up we expected and while it's not quite as brilliant as the first, it's still a lovely, heartwarming movie.

Moana may have taken on the ocean virtually alone in "Moana" — at least, until she dragged Maui along — but that isn't the case in Disney's latest sequel. In "Moana 2," our wayfinding hero sets out on another voyage.

Original voice cast members Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return, as does the first film's laudable commitment to repping Polynesian culture and empowerment.

Without much in the song department or much useful story tension, “Moana 2” does its job just well enough to get by on looks. The open-air, open-water expanse of the rousing 2016 animated “Moana” was a big part of its success,

And who can blame them: catchy songs, colorful settings, and one heck of a plucky heroine (do not call her a princess), all of it adds up to an enduring Disney animated classic that's fun for the whole family.

The animation is still strong and the character beats are affecting, but the villain and his motivations stand in the film's way of true greatness.

The studio has started giving these projects big screen sequels, and the latest of these releases is the aptly-titled Moana 2. Of course, that follow-up had some very big shoes to fill. A number of years have passed between Moana and its sequel,

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