Moana 2 reviews are in: What is the UK release date and what is the run time?

Fans are now enjoying Moana 2 - the long awaited sequel to the Hawaiian Disney fantasy musical, which once more stars Auliʻi Cravalho as the Dwayne Johnson.

Reviews are now in for the film after weeks of promotion which has seen The Rock already call on fans to sing inside cinemas.

“Especially if you love music, that’s the fun part,” he told BBC News on the red carpet at the UK premiere.

“Sing! You’ve paid your hard-earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical — and you’re into it. Sing,” he added.

Here are all the key details ahead of the release.

Are you allowed to sing in the cinema?

Singing along to films is generally discouraged in the UK because it’s been viewed negatively for a long time. However, there are no laws explicitly banning singing in cinemas.

That said, some cinemas enforce a “no singing” policy during specific screenings, particularly for mainstream releases or during more serious films.

In contrast, certain special screenings, such as sing-alongs, encourage audience participation.

What is the story of Moana 1?

Moana is an animated Disney film that tells the story of a young Polynesian girl named Moana Waialiki - played by Cravalho.

Set in the ancient South Pacific, Moana is the daughter of the chief of the island village of Motunui. She is adventurous, independent, and is deeply connected to the ocean, though her people have long been forbidden from venturing beyond the reef.

The story begins when a curse is placed on the island and the crops start dying. Moana learns that the curse stems from the theft of the heart of Te Fiti, a goddess who created all life in the ocean.

The demigod Maui stole the heart, causing the curse and nature’s imbalance. To save her people and restore balance, Moana embarks on a daring journey across the ocean to find Maui and return the heart of Te Fiti.

Moana faces many challenges throughout her adventure, including navigating the open sea, battling stormy weather, and convincing the reluctant Maui to help her. Along the way, she learns valuable lessons about leadership, self-discovery, and her destiny as a navigator and protector of her people.

Spoiler alert....

In the end, Moana returns the heart to Te Fiti, breaking the curse and bringing prosperity back to her island. She also embraces her role as a leader, carrying on the legacy of her ancestors, and her people's voyaging traditions are restored. The film is a celebration of courage, identity, and the power of the ocean.

Released in November 2016, the first film was a huge success, grossing $643 million (£511m) worldwide and was nominated for two Academy Awards.

What is Moana 2 about?

Moana 2 takes place three years after the first film’s events, with Moana now embarking on a new adventure following a "call" from her navigational ancestors.

In the trailer, Moana tells her younger sister about the story of Te Fiti's heart before setting off on a journey to the "far seas of Oceania" and into dangerous, long-lost waters. This quest is described as an adventure unlike anything she’s faced before​.

Additionally, Moana 2 will feature 16 new songs, including two introduced early —We're Back and Beyond — and a new song for Maui.

Disney said: “Moana 2 reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers.”

The film’s writer, Jared Bush, previously said: “This movie is way bigger than the first film. There’s so much more to tell in Moana’s and Maui’s story, along with this whole new crew that comes along. We have an incredible new tapestry of songs that tell the story — emotion, funny songs, a new Maui song, which is absolutely bonkers incredible.

“And then we have this incredible antagonist that is this incredible storm that you saw hinted at in our trailer…it’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.

“Our team is just blowing the doors off for everybody here and we’re having a blast doing it.”

Who is in Moana 2?

As well as The Rock reprising his role as Maui, Auli’i Cravalho will play Moana again.

Dave Derrick Jr, who worked on the original film as a storyboard artist, will direct Moana 2, while Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina have written the songs.

When is Moana 2 out in the UK?

It is already out! It came out in UK cinemas on Friday, November 29.

Has Moana 2 had good reviews?

The Disney film has largely had a thumbs up from fans and reviewers alike.

Our reviewer labelled it a “delightful sequel that makes a real splash”, giving it five stars out of five. The Standard critic India Block said she enjoyed it because “Disney knows what its audience wants and delivers in spades”.

She wrote: “The animation is even more beautiful, allowing you to see every grain of sand and drop of ocean spray. With artistry this good, it begs the question for why a live-action remake (billed for a 2026 release) is needed at all.”

And others have been equally pleased with the animated result.

On rating site Rotten Tomatoes, an audience member left a heartwarming review of five out of five, saying: “As a Samoan man, watching Moana 2 was more than just entertainment - it felt like coming home. This movie is a love letter to Polynesian culture, and I couldn’t be prouder of how beautifully it represented my people and our stories.”

The Guardian also gave it four out of five stars, calling it a “lush, handsomely animated sequel” but not all were quite so generous.

Kevin Maher of The Times said it was clear that the film was originally intended to be a series rather than a Moana 2, giving it a paltry two stars.

He wrote: “The narrative stumbles forward in episodic fits and starts through self-contained story bites that have little impact on the wider, regrettably flabby, arc. An adventure with Matangi plays like a filler episode that would have been axed long before any series got to streaming.”

What is the Moana 2 run time?

The film lasts for one hour and 40 minutes.