Disney recently released “Moana 2” in theaters on Nov. 22 setting the Thanksgiving holiday off on a fun note.

Like the first movie, “Moana 2” takes place in the Polynesian Islands. The main character Moana goes out to explore new islands in hopes of finding connections to her people and the ocean. In the first movie, it is only her and Maui; a demigod she meets who helps her during her travels to restore the heart of Te Fiti.

This time after some mishaps and triumphs, she is now accompanied by a few friends from the island to help her in her voyage to find a cursed island named Motufetū.

There are many aspects of “Moana 2” that make this movie different from the first one. For example, the visuals, the music, and how they captured the Polynesian culture.

With more higher end technology rising throughout the years, it creates a wide spectrum for movie making and it is definitely shown in this one.

There is so much attention to detail; that in a positive way, is overwhelming. Disney adds more Polynesian features to the characters that weren’t really shown in the first movie. It sheds light to the fact that not all Disney characters are the same and that they shouldn’t have to be.

Unfortunately, most fans of “Moana” were disappointed in the music aspect of the second one. Lin Manual Miranda, who wrote and produced the music in the first movie, was sadly not part of the production of “Moana 2.”

While this fact was quite evident, new music producers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear went a different approach, and one could say the approach was needed. Disney music kind of all sounds the same nowadays and maybe that is the reason newer Disney movies are going downhill, but with Barlow and Bear, it gives a fresh start in the music making of Disney movies.

Disney captures Polynesian culture beautifully this time around, and with research, it is almost difficult to find anything they’ve missed. The culture being represented in such a way that it was made up for the lack of emotional connection within the movie.

Ultimately “Moana” was a great standalone movie, but did a second one need to be made? No, but it was fun and enjoyable to watch, and it is a good film to experience with family and/or friends.