A number of years have passed between Moana and its sequel, allowing audiences to miss the title character, Maui and the rest of the group (although now fans can visit an attraction at Disney Parks).

Without much in the song department or much useful story tension, “Moana 2” does its job just well enough to get by on looks. The open-air, open-water expanse of the rousing 2016 animated “Moana” was a big part of its success,

In “Moana 2,” our fearless heroine has a desire to explore even farther into the ocean, to go beyond where she’s ever gone before, specifically, to find and connect with other people.