By June Ramli
Sydney, Dec 4: Disney’s Moana 2 takes the beloved story to new heights, but not without losing some of the magic that made the original so special.
While the first Moana (2016) was an enchanting and heartfelt adventure, this sequel feels more like a Broadway musical brought to the big screen—with way too much singing.
The animation also blurs the line between cartoon and live-action, making the characters feel so real that it’s almost unsettling.
Honestly, if Disney is considering another sequel, they might as well go fully live-action, because Moana 2 is practically there already.
On a brighter note, the voice cast delivered stellar performances, and I couldn’t help but love the thick Kiwi accents of two supporting characters, which added an extra layer of charm.
However, the overall experience left me missing the simplicity and magic of the original.
Box Office Soars 50 Per Cent
The national box office surged by an impressive 50 per cent this weekend, thanks to Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator II.
Moana 2 topped the charts, raking in a record-breaking $12.3M on its opening weekend in Australia, the highest-grossing debut for Walt Disney Animation in the country’s history.
Globally, the sequel has already amassed $593.3M AUD.
Wicked secured second place with $6.6M this weekend, bringing its total to $19.91M, while Gladiator II rounded out the top three with $2.68M, pushing its cumulative total to $17.75M.
Hugh Grant’s horror debut, Heretic, claimed fourth place with $849K, while festive family flick Red One completed the top five with $485K, bringing its total to $5.74M.
Other top 10 highlights include Venom: The Last Dance ($165K), Her Story ($158K), and Lee ($108K). In New Zealand, Moana 2 dominated as well, earning $2.85M AUD.
Looking ahead, HOYTS is gearing up for a festive season with releases like The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the highly anticipated Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2, and RM: Right People, Wrong Place. Special screenings, including Andre Rieu’s Christmas Concert and NCT Dream Mystery Lab, are also set to delight audiences.
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