Eight years later, the follow-up to the cultural phenomenon that is Moana emerges as yet another visually breathtaking, though narratively messy, crowd-pleasing adventure. Yep, moviegoers (especially the wee ones) are guaranteed to leave the cinema with a big ‘ol smile on their faces. And how could they not, especially with the tidal wave of beautiful colour and stirring music at hand. Although, I will say that the latter is a little less, shall we say, “catchy,” this time around. However, even without Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical touch, the songs still deliver, providing just enough emotion and depth to enhance the experience. As for the story, however, there’s a lot going on. Too much? I’d say so. The problem is that the back-to-back serialized adventures lack any semblance of a smooth flow. Streamlining and trimming the journey would have certainly made things significantly more cohesive. And by cramming in a multitude of new characters, the focus shifts too often, making it difficult to form a meaningful connection with any single one. The good news is that the conclusion lands well, delivering impactful revelations and driving the story forward in new and exciting ways. This definitely isn’t a “cash grab,” as it avoids simply rehashing what came before — even if what came before was admittedly of a higher calibre.