The new Moana 2 film has been compared to Disney’s ‘direct to video’ films by several fans on social media.
While unclear whether they actually saw the film, several fans complained that the new sequel seemed to be of the same level of quality as previous Disney films that went straight to VHS.
Moana 2, which hits U.S. theaters today, is the sequel to the beloved animated film Moana and follows the titular character as he ventures to the distant seas of Oceania.
The sequel was originally intended as a series on Disney+, but was remade to become a theatrical film. Variety previously reported.
One
‘The basic consensus I get from Moana 2 is that it’s not as good as the first, the story isn’t that good, but it’s actually a lot of fun and not terrible. wow it really is a direct-to-video Disney sequel lol,” another X user posted.
The new Moana 2 film has been compared to Disney’s ‘direct to video’ films by fans watching the new film on social media
One BUT it should have been fair because it was for a big screen with another terrible villain, it could have been better…’
One viewer said in their review: ‘Good enough, welcome back Disney direct-to-video sequels. #Moana2 has beautiful animation and solid voice acting, but suffers from a half-baked story, boring new characters, and unmemorable songs. Not terrible, but much inferior and not as GLOSSY as the original.’
Another heard through the grapevine that the film was being compared to a “direct-to-video effort.”
‘Someone else described it as a direct-to-video effort, or a TV movie. With such a compelling character and franchise here, they shouldn’t have been so lazy with the writing. At least they didn’t let Moana go to America, where she quickly hitchhiked back home on a boat. #Moana2,” they noted.
One gave Disney advice on how they “should” have continued with Moana 2: “Disney should have made a Toy Story 2 for Moana and scrapped the direct-to-video thing to make a good sequel from the ground up.” to build. It’ll make a billion anyway, but it’s kind of crazy that this was never the plan from the start.”
One oh this was really a direct-to-video sequel wasn’t it.’
Another said the film felt like a “soulless, straight-to-Disney+ production.”
On X, several fans complained that the new sequel seemed to be of the same quality as previous Disney films that went straight to VHS
The new Moana 2 film has been compared to Disney’s ‘direct to video’ films by fans watching the new film on social media
‘#Moana2 is a hollow effort, lacking the emotional depth and creative ambition it so desperately needed. It’s clearly intended to bolster Disney’s bottom line and feels like a soulless, straight-to-Disney+ production, without the artistry or heart that made the original special,” the user wrote.
Another wrote: ‘#Moana2 Disjointed, messy, low-stakes story; disappointing songs that unsuccessfully imitate the masterful tunes of the first; forgettable new characters. Feels like a direct-to-video sequel from the 2000s. Would have worked much better as the Disney+ limited series it was originally planned in.”
Others stood up for the film: “I really don’t think Moana 2’s reworking of a canceled TV show will bring the film to a similar level as the direct-to-video Disney sequels that were literally completed episodes with some framing equipment.’
On Monday, someone said the film had “a chance”: “Moana 2 was made by the B Team crew! It’s like a direct-to-video movie in theaters!” Hey, SOMETIMES it works! (Look it up, made by Disney Movie Toons AND THE TV ANIMATION division!) It has a chance!’
One fan said the movie still had “a chance.”
The possibility that the film resembled a straight-to-VHS Disney film was also not far from the minds of several reviewers
The film was released in US cinemas today, November 27
The possibility that the film resembled a straight-to-VHS Disney film was also not far from the minds of several reviewers.
Rolling stone, However, readers assured readers that this was not the case: “Is Moana 2 better than the straight-up sequels that Disney gave to their most popular titles at the time? Of course it is, and the animation of these sun-drenched Pacific island landscapes, the aqua blue waves and churning ocean waves, and the purple-hued meteorological phenomena couldn’t look more awe-inspiring,” they wrote.
The AV clubdid, however, say that it had similarities to straight-to-video films.
‘The resulting feature debut from directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller is a rickety Franken-ship that’s still seaworthy enough to hit theaters, but it has more in common with straight-to-video sequels than with the clever original,” they wrote.