Polygon.com / 30.01.25

Disney needs more morally ambiguous characters like Moana 2's bat goddess

Compared to the original Disney musical Moana, which largely just follows wayfarer Moana (Aulii Cravalho) and cocky demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) for most of the movie, Moana 2 boasts a pretty expansive ensemble cast. The Moana sequel, now available for digital rental or purchase, introduces a wave of new characters, originally designed for a TV-series version of the story. Among them are Moni (Huallai Chung), a Maui fanboy who loves to draw self-insert fan art of him with his favorite hero; Loto (Rose Matafeo), a cheery inventor who confidently proclaims that the only two certainties in life are failure and death; Keke (David Fane), a grumpy farmer who somehow ended up on a boat-based quest despite not knowing how to swim; and Moanas adorable little sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda). Unfortunately, thats a lot of cast for the movies breezy 100-minute run time, so they all get a bit lost in the shuffle. And no ones shafted more than Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), the trickster goddess w...
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