Holy s***, to say the least.
After seven years.
After the announcement of a live-action remake.
After having heard way back in 2020 that they were making a Disney+ series.
Whoa.
I just can't take it in.
Of course, like everyone, I have thoughts and expectations regarding this unexpected sequel.
First things first.
According to Disney,
"Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced."
So there's the first synopsis. Let's delve in a little deeper.
Moana gets a message from her ancestors. Okay, then. She must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure "unlike anything she's ever faced."
So that means the film will be taking us to the farthest corners of the Pacific Ocean. Does that mean its edges, like continental Asia or North America? Or Australia? Or even the chilly subantarctic waters? I'd love to see Moana and the gang to to China (which, as you may know, I'm obsessed with thanks to Kung Fu Panda), or the Americas (especially the west coast of the Andean region, which actually may have been landed on by Polynesians in the precolumbian era). It fits her peoples' role as explorers and discoverers.
Of course, all of us have been wondering where Moana would go ever since 2016. Then in late 2020, like I mentioned earlier, they announced a Moana series on Disney+, set to release this year. Well, it looks like this movie will be the reworking of that very series.
Now let's talk about some concerns I have.
The original directors and Lin-Manuel Miranda aren't returning.
It's probably a reworking of the series.
Sequels have a habit of not living up to the original.
Disney's recent animated works have failed.
It may have a Woke agenda.
The original directors and Lin-Manuel Miranda aren't returning.
Longtime veteran director pair John Musker and Ron Clements directed the first movie. With the help of a five-year research trip to Polynesia and countless consultants on all things Polynesian, combined with their refined directing skills, Musker and Clements made Moana the (however imperfect) masterpiece it is. Of course, they couldn't have made it a masterpiece music-wise without the help of acclaimed songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. It's when sequels lose their predecessors' original directors-a key guiding star to a movie's success-that they go down the wrong path. Look at Ice Age, for example. The latter sequels of that notoriously apostate franchise weren't directed by the original directors, Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha. That alone wasn't the sole reason for the franchise's apostasy, though.
But enough about Ice Age. Without Lin-Manuel Miranda, I doubt the songs will live up to those of the original. I'm not exactly a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda, but if the success of Moana and Encanto are any indication, I can trust him with a film's music. Without him, the music probably won't feel the same. On the other hand, at least Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina are returning. The former, a Polynesian and patriarch of world-renowned band Te Vaka, helped immensely to give the first movie's music an authentic Polynesian feel, with songs partially or entirely in Samoan or Tokelauan. In other words, I'm thankful for him and his band. I also trust Mark Mancina, who has worked on films like Tarzan and Brother Bear. Still, that being said, I'll try to keep my expectations for the music sub-par.
2. It's probably a reworking of the series.
This isn't the first time a planned series has been reworked into a series. After Atlantis: The Lost Empire's release in 2001, Disney planned to make a series, but cancelled it and reworked it into a suckish sequel, with poor animation and stories literally just grafted together from 3 episodes. When the Moana series was announced in 2020, I felt a part of myself leap for joy. We all know TV series don't give as much hype as movies, but they have strengths that movies lack, one of them being the format in which the story is being told. A movie's story has to be abridged and crammed into a timeframe of about 2 or 3 hours, whereas a series can space the story out and give plenty of room for development of many aspects of the story over several episodes, something that a movie can't do. If Moana 2 does the same thing that Atlantis: Milo's Return did and poorly graft a few episodes' stories together with poor, if any, consistency flowing between the stories, I'm going to puke. We can hope that's not the case, but there's no guarantee of that.
3. Sequels have a habit of not living up to the original.
We've seen this trend all too many times. From Frozen 2, which did a mediocre job at best, to the Ice Age and Land Before Time sequels, which utterly ruined their franchises, sequels prove time and time again that they're not child's play. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Kung Fu Panda 2, but they are few and far in between. With how Frozen 2 turned out, I unfortunately expect this movie, too, to be downgraded from the original that I came to love so much.
4. Disney's recent animated works have failed.
Strange World flopped and Wish was, simply put it, suckish. In other words, looks like Disney is slowly but surely going down the drain. And for a sequel, of anything, to be made in this particular struggle means serious concern. Is Disney truly losing its charm like so many people fear it is? I certainly fear the answer is yes. I'd like to hope that this movie will be untouched by this crisis, but I just can't be sure.
5. It may have a Woke agenda.
I encourage left-wingers to steer clear of this section, lest they get upset and call me a Karen.
Since about 2020, the beginning of the Woke era, Disney has increasingly integrated Woke ideologies such as the LGBT+ movement and radical feminism into its once-family-friendly content, with examples being Onward, Lightyear, and Strange World. That's why I'm very, very thankful that the first movie was made-and finished-when it was. Otherwise, it, too, very likely would've been defiled by Wokeness. We're a few years into the Woke era now and the results on society and culture haven't been pretty. I fear this film will be pushing an unnecessary and unhealthy agenda that the first film was safe from. There's no guarantee that this film will be Woke, but there's no guarantee it won't be, either.
So there you have my main concerns for this film. Being a hardcore Moana fan, I want to be excited. This official confirmation was made literally less than a year away from its release date and the fandom has been waiting close to a decade for this. But, like with any sequels, there are concerns to be addressed, and addressing the concerns is exactly what I've just done.
So, will Moana 2 live up to its predecessor? Or will it meet the same usual fate as countless other sequels before and yet to come? Only time will tell.
Eleven years ago on this day, Dreamworks Animation released its then newest film, Kung Fu Panda, into American movie theaters. The beginning of Po’s epic journey as the Dragon Warrior captivated millions of fans around the world, including China, the amazing place and culture that Po and company call home, on account of all the effort put into making it so respectfully accurate to Chinese culture. Later in the year, it came out on DVD, along with Secrets of the Furious Five.
I, myself, wasn’t quite a KFP fan from the very beginning. I first found out about it during the previews of the Shrek the Third DVD, then saw trailers from time to time on the Internet. Then I finally saw the movie itself one fateful night shortly after its home media release, when my mom rented it from Blockbuster.
I could’ve been a mere casual fan. I could’ve merely had a fleeting love for it then moved on, with it only a mere side interest from time to time.
But I wasn’t.
It consumed my soul, has now for nearly nine years. It is what spawned my immense fascination and knowledge of Chinese culture. It’s changed my life forever.
Anyway, KFP was so successful and popular that a sequel was announced, preceded by a Holiday Special in November 2010, and it came in 2011, continuing Po’s saga for the second time with his fight against Lord Shen. Afterwards, another short sequel, Secrets of the Masters, was released with the DVD.
Then three years ago, the long and intense “weight” for the third chapter of Po’s story finally ended, rewarding us with more beautiful than ever visuals, new characters, a badass new villain, more unlocked secrets about this fascinating world, and a flood of cutie baby pandas! It was released five months later onto DVD, along with the short “Panda Paws,” and the short “Secrets of the Scroll,” which tells the story of how young Tigress brought the furious Five together.
Last year, “ Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest" opened on June 15th at Universal Studios. This epic multi-sensory attraction brings guests along on a journey with Po, Shifu, and Mr. Ping to deliver the Liquid of Ultimate Power to the Emperor. But the task is easier said than done when our heroes face a villain on the way-a wolf bandit named Kang who wields the Ming Hammer, a relic so powerful it can knock a victim into the Spirit Realm!
And I’m pleased to tell you that earlier this year, plans for "Fu Panda Spectacular Live (or just “Kung Fu Panda Spectacular”) were announced. This live show was initially conceived in 2009, but in 2012 the plans were cancelled. But they decided to resurrect the idea and the show, now in production, is expected to debut at the end of this year!
We’ve all grown over the past eleven years, just as Po and his friends have throughout the franchise. I’ve gotten better and better at Chinese cultural knowledge and am even learning the Chinese language.This day marks the eleventh anniversary of not only the first movie, but also the very beginning of the KFP franchise, the beginning of pandamonium-pun intended-the beginning of an exciting journey of adventure, butt-kicking, and awesomeness.
Happy eleventh birthday, Kung Fu Panda!! Eleven years have passed, but my unending love and adoration for KFP hasn’t changed and never, ever will!
It’s been a long time, but our love has never lessened and never, ever will!
HAPPY TEN YEARS, KUNG FU PANDA!!! 🐼🎍🍜🐉🎂🎁🎉