Movie sequels: either you love them or you hate them. 

Sometimes a movie can get a sequel that becomes my favorite movie (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), or is a plot-hole filled waste of time (“Mulan II”). 

Almost all Disney princess movies have unnecessary sequels that went straight to DVD — the 2000’s equivalent of being sent right to Disney+. Most people haven’t heard of these sequels, but does “Moana II” live up to the disappointing legacy of Disney princess sequels? Or will it be the first to break the uninspiring mold? 

Surprisingly, it wasn’t half bad. 

The plot of this movie revolves around Moana, our beloved heroine, journeying to uncover the hidden island of Motufetu. Until Motufetu is pulled from the ocean depths, all the inhabited islands will remain “unconnected” — meaning Moana’s people will be isolated forever. 

Moana knows what she has to do: find Motufetu and connect the islands. 

Enter Simea: Moana’s little sister. Ultimately, Simea is a plot device to give Moana internal conflict over leaving her home to find Motufetu. 

Still, I found Moana and Simea’s sisterly interactions endearing. Simea is a cute, three-year-old girl who adores Moana and always greets her with a hug. She highlights a new side to Moana’s character — Moana is no longer just a brave, ever-optimistic seafarer on screen, but also an older sister who would do anything to create the best future for Simea, even if that means embarking on a dangerous journey. 

Moana gathers a crew to set sail with her, but here’s where things get a little “eh.” 

These new characters are pretty much walking stereotypes: Kele, the grumpy old man, Loto, the quirky smart girl and Moni, the klutzy strong dude. They feel a little less like characters and more like caricatures, which is a little disappointing. 

If I’m being entirely frank, I expected to see a love interest for Moana in this movie. Moni could have been made “shippable” with Moana, but, in the end, he was just a 2D character.

Moana and her motley crew journey on, crossing paths with a monstrous clam, a boatful of Kakamora coconut men and a mischievous bat goddess (oh, and they also pick Maui up on the way). 

The music was good, but it wasn’t able to top the original movie’s soundtrack, which may be because Lin-Manuel Miranda wasn’t writing the songs this time around. 

The animation was solid, but in certain scenes, something felt slightly off. So much effort was put into the details in the visuals of this movie — every strand of Moana’s hair to the microscopic grooves on a sea shell — yet sometimes the character’s movements felt stiff. Moana herself hardly looked different than she did even in the original, even though three years were supposed to have passed. I was hoping to see Moana a bit older, less like a teenager and more like a twenty-something year old. 

But, the ending of this film is what made it worthwhile. 

The movie hits you with an emotional gut-punch at the climax, and few people around me in the theater were moved to tears. The last few scenes are visually stunning: you can tell the animators really poured their souls into it to make the story’s message shine through. 

And, of course, seeing Moana reunite with her little sister at the end was sweet. 

So, did “Moana” need a sequel? Not exactly. 

But is it worth the watch? I’d say yes. 

While “Moana II” had a few hiccups (Like, what ever happened to that crazy bat goddess? And why did we never see the big bad guy on screen?), in the end, it was a heart-warming, feel-good movie. The original left a lot for “Moana II” to live up to, and, while it didn’t surpass its predecessor, it was worth the watch. 

I’d rate this movie three and a half out of five stars. If you are ever in need of a fun movie to see with your family this Thanksgiving weekend, I’d suggest you grab tickets to watch “Moana II.”