Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Moana 2!
Moana 2 was a huge success, but the sequel to the 2016 Disney classic highlights a major challenge that Frozen 3 will have to overcome. Walt Disney Animation Studios making sequels to their animated hits is still a relatively new phenomenon, with the exception of The rescue teams belowsequels were handled by smaller studios until 2018. Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen 2and Moana 2The company's successes have proven that this new approach is popularand with more Frozen sequels on the way, Moana 2 could teach the studio an important lesson.
After years of waiting for a follow-up Moana2024 Moana 2 finally delivered, taking Moana and Maui and placing them in a story that's even more epic. The cast of Moana 2 brings back all of the beloved characters from the original film while adding some new twists, shaking things up and keeping what made the original film great. Although the sequel was not as critically appreciated as the original film, Moana 2 was a huge box office success, something Disney will no doubt want to recreate with Frozen 3.
Moana 2 leans heavily into the epic tone
Going even bigger than the first film
Although the narrative of the original Moana it was already great, Moana 2 really leans heavily into the epic tone. The whole story of Moana 2 revolves around the curse of a god that affected the entire oceanwith Moana having to take a leadership position to save her. Much of the film focuses on Moana finding her island's most capable crew members, with the jump in size of the main cast showing how much bigger the film is. Furthermore, Moana 2 shows even more giant monsters, gods, locations, islands and more.
One of the most epic things about Moana 2 is that the story isn't fully wrapped up at the end of the film, clearly leaving things open for a sequel. By the end of the film, all sorts of new orientation cultures converge, clearly establishing future stories in the Moana universe. Furthermore, the Moana 2 The mid-credits scene is the first time the villain Talo is seen in the film. This scene teases a potential villain team-up that could continue in Moana 3with the sequel seemingly setting up a bigger saga when compared to the original MoanaThe independent story.
Frozen 2 followed a similar path (but didn't quite hit the mark)
It wasn't received as well as the first frozen
Moana 2 is not the first Disney sequel to take a more epic route when compared to its predecessoras Frozen 2 I've done something incredibly similar. Compared to the original Frozenthe scale of Frozen 2his story is much grander. Frozen 2 tells a multigenerational story that explores the history of Arendelle, the origins of Elsa's powers, and even introduces an entirely new tribe known as the Northuldra. Much of the story revolves around the conflict between Arendelle and Northuldra, causing Frozen 2 almost a war epic.
|
Film |
Rotten Tomatoes score |
|---|---|
|
Frozen |
89% |
|
Moana |
95% |
|
Frozen 2 |
77% |
|
Moana 2 |
61% |
Although Frozen 2 underwent major changes, many fans of the original film think the sequel was a failure. Critics and fans said that Frozen 2 became mired in its tradition and exposition, with the simplicity of the original FrozenThe story suits the franchise much better. The focus on Elsa's story made Anna, Hans, and the rest of the secondary characters feel a bit sidelined, and the over-reliance on flashbacks took away from the main story. While Frozen 2 had some good elements, it really failed to tie everything together and make viewers care about the lore and exposition.
Frozen 3 and 4 need to be bigger than Moana 2
Could tell a story in two parts
Frozen 3 and Frozen 4 have already been announced and, if they want to be successful, they need to go further Moana 2. Moana 2 it was already bigso overcoming it will undoubtedly be difficult for the Frozen Disney team. However, Frozen 2 already tried to surpass its predecessor, so if Frozen 3 and Frozen 4 don't do the same, it will seem like a step backwards.
Since Frozen 3 and Frozen 4 are being developed together, there is much speculation that they could tell an overarching story split into two parts. This would easily allow Frozen sequences to tell an even grander story, doing something that Moana 2 couldn't do it.