In John Musker’s and Ron Clements’ 2016 animated feature “Moana,” the title character (AuliÊ»i Cravalho) takes to the ancient oceans to settle an old dispute, begun a millennium ago, by the local Polynesian deities. Moana, like many Disney characters, longs for “more,” and becomes adept at ocean navigation. She also has secret superpowers: she can communicate with the waters of the sea, and it will occasionally become a helpful water tentacle, like in “The Abyss.” Moana eventually finds an imprisoned demigod named Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who is something of a trickster, but who ultimately becomes her traveling companion. The pair is only accompanied by a walleyed chicken named Heihei voiced by Alan Tudyk.
The bulk of “Moana” is just Moana and Maui (and Heihei) on a small boat, discussing her mission and the differences between humans and demigods. Occasionally throughout the film, audiences see scenes back on Moana’s home island of Motunui to see the comings and goings of the people who live there, but they are all asides. The supporting cast is, as one might predict, full of amusing children, whimsical friends, and stalwart kings and queens. Also back on Motunui is Pua, Moana’s pet pig, a “cute animal sidekick” character that seems to come standard with all Disney’s animated features. Pua is left back on Motunui while Moana goes adventuring.Â
Buy why was Pua left behind? A walk through any Disney-themed gift shop would reveal that cute animal sidekicks are Disney’s bread and butter. One can be sure the company makes mad bank on stuffed versions of Abu, Sebastian, Mushu, Timon and Pumbaa, Gus and Jaq, Sven, or that chameleon Pascal from “Tangled.” There are toys of Pua, of course, but the fluffy piglet plays such a small role in the film.Â
Luckily, the new sequel “Moana 2,” directed by David Derrick, Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller rectifies that nonsense. Pua is a continuous player throughout “Moana 2.”Â