Dive deeper into the ocean of details you might have missed in the latest adventure of our favorite Polynesian heroine! From clever callbacks to hidden meanings, we're exploring the subtle nuances that make this sequel shine. Get ready to see Moana's world in a whole new light!
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at in-jokes, easter eggs, and other small
00:07observations you might have missed in Moana 2.
00:10There will be a few spoilers.
00:12You look like a kidney stone.
00:14And you look like someone who would know what that is.
00:18Number 10.
00:19Callbacks
00:20Moana 2 establishes early on that we're back, submerging us in references to the previous
00:25film.
00:26Finally, we're back to who we're meant to be.
00:30As Moana sings another I Want song, the sequel revisits many familiar spots, including the
00:36sacred place where the island chiefs place their stones.
00:39Moana also introduces her little sis Semea to the ocean in a moment echoing the first
00:44film's opening.
00:45There you are, Moana.
00:46What are you doing?
00:47You scared me.
00:48What?
00:49I want us to go back.
00:50I know, I know.
00:51Maui works in plenty of callbacks as well.
00:53The demigod brings levity to a serious scene with the return of his half-shark, half-man
00:57hybrid.
00:58Maui later takes on the form of a small fish, pretending to have performance issues again.
01:03Giant hawk!
01:05So serious.
01:07While we don't get a You're Welcome reprise, Maui name-drops his song upon arriving at
01:13Motunui.
01:14Tamatoa even resurfaces in the post-credits, although he's seen shinier days.
01:19Now I know I can be happy as a crayon, because I'm beautiful, baby.
01:25Number 9.
01:27Is Heihei Lucky?
01:28Moana already survived one dangerous voyage.
01:31Considering that Heihei made it back in one piece, though, some may question just how
01:35treacherous Moana's last adventure truly was.
01:38Our people will rise if you let them.
01:43Last time the chicken made it.
01:47And by chicken standards, Heihei's intelligence isn't high in the pecking order.
01:51Yet he walks away from numerous life-threatening scenarios unscathed.
01:55Some might call this dumb luck, but perhaps Heihei himself is lucky.
01:59Case in point, when Moana's crew encounters the Kakamora, they manage to blowdart everybody
02:04other than Heihei.
02:06Somehow they miss the chicken, who aids his crew in a brief moment reminiscent of the
02:10first film.
02:11Nice work!
02:13Considering that voice actor Alan Tudyk has been described as Disney's good luck charm,
02:17it'd be appropriate if that luck rubbed off on Heihei.
02:21Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
02:22Yeah!
02:24Number 8.
02:25Maui on the Hook
02:27After clashing with Matangi, Maui is hung out to dry.
02:30If you try to reconnect the people of the ocean, you will be destroyed!
02:37Well, now I kind of miss the lava monster.
02:39We mean that literally, as Matangi hangs the demigod from his own weapon, waiting for the
02:44prey to come along and take a bite.
02:46Maui has transformed into fish before, yet it's easy to miss the irony that he's dangling
02:51from an actual fish hook.
02:53We guess Matangi did what Ursula never could, make a hero wriggle like a worm on a hook.
03:01Adding to the irony, if Maui could just reach his hook, he could transform into a worm and
03:06get out of this predicament.
03:08Can I get a chee-hoo?
03:10Number 7.
03:11Maui pulls a Merlin
03:12There's a moment in the first film where Maui references tweeting, writing with a bird,
03:17that is.
03:18When you use a bird to write with, it's called tweeting.
03:22The joke's a little dated since Twitter has since become X, but it hinted that Maui might
03:26know a thing or two about the future.
03:29Moana 2 enforces this theory when Maui mentions butt dialing.
03:33Everyone else looks at him with confusion, having never heard of a phone, let alone a
03:37dial.
03:38Okay, I feel like there's some backstory that I need to get caught up on.
03:42Maui assures them that it'll make sense in another 2,000 years.
03:46It's similar to Merlin's references to modern-day technology in The Sword and the Stone.
03:51What's that thing up there?
03:52Hmm?
03:53Oh, oh, yes, of course, here we are.
03:56It's still unclear if Maui can see the future or if he's been there.
04:00If he's ever visited Bermuda, though, maybe he ran into Merlin blowing off some steam.
04:04Oh, Merlin, you're back from Berm-Berm-Bermuda?
04:07Yes, back from Bermuda and the 20th century.
04:13And believe me, you can have it.
04:16Number six, new outfit.
04:19It's customary for animated characters to own only one outfit they inexplicably wear
04:23every day.
04:24Dad, we're running out of clean clothes.
04:26It seems like I've been wearing the same red dress forever.
04:30Although a few years have passed since the first film, Moana is still sporting her iconic
04:35red and white ensemble.
04:36It's my job as a leaf finder to finish what they started.
04:42Once Moana sets out on another perilous journey, she decides that new garments are long overdue.
04:48Upon reuniting with Maui, the demigod can't help but notice that Moana has a change of
04:52clothes.
04:53Moana, together again.
04:55Had Maui known Moana was adopting a fresh look, he likely would have switched up the
05:00leaves he's been wearing for who knows how long.
05:02It's a sly jab at how weird it is that animated characters have such limited wardrobes.
05:07When you're making a sequel, though, a new outfit is one way to sell new toys.
05:12Number five, Matangi's voice actress.
05:15Matangi is among the sequel's most memorable new characters.
05:19This can be partially attributed to her batty design, complete with vampire-like fangs,
05:23a Dracula-esque cape, and a tendency to hang upside down.
05:28If you try to reconnect the people of the ocean, you will be destroyed!
05:33Matangi isn't as bad as she seems.
05:35Her voice actress is also more than meets the eye.
05:54Afemai Fraser is a name that most North American audiences probably aren't familiar with, yet
05:59she previously voiced two major Disney characters, albeit not in the English language.
06:05For the Maori dub of Frozen, Fraser lent her voice to Elsa.
06:16Disney kept Fraser in mind while casting the Maori dub for Encanto, enlisting her to voice
06:21Dolores.
06:22Matangi is her first English-speaking Disney role, although Fraser also voices the character
06:26for the Maori version.
06:28Number four, bringing the pig.
06:31When the original Moana came out, the titular character's pet pig Pua was heavily featured
06:35in everything from the posters to the trailers.
06:41Some were surprised when Pua barely appeared in the film, getting left behind as Moana
06:45embarks on her adventure.
06:47The filmmakers considered having Pua accompany Moana, but writer Jared Bush felt it would
06:52be more powerful if the heroine left everyone she loved behind.
06:56While it made sense in terms of character development, many felt Pua's prominence in
06:59the ads was false advertising.
07:02Moana 2 establishes from its opening scene that Pua is coming along this time.
07:09There was even a moment from the teaser that didn't make it into the finished film, where
07:13Maui asks Moana what we were all thinking.
07:24Number three, Moana bees.
07:26Simea isn't the only one obsessed with her big sister.
07:32Moana has something of a fan club back on her island.
07:35They even have their own Pua, although this pig has been more well-fed.
07:39When Maui arrives on Motunui, he gives the girls a clever name, the Moana bees.
07:45This joke is even wittier knowing who voiced two of the young fans.
07:52They're Dwayne Johnson's daughters, Jasmine and Tiana, who fittingly share the same names
07:57as two Disney princesses.
07:59While their screen time is brief, Jasmine and Tiana show they've inherited their father's
08:03sass, telling Maui that he isn't as big as they imagined.
08:10Maybe Maui is just jealous that Moana's a bigger deal on this island than him.
08:15Number two, Princess Moana.
08:17One of the best in-jokes from the first film saw Maui lay out all the reasons why Moana
08:22is a princess, despite technically being a chief's daughter.
08:35Maui brings up the argument again in the sequel, with Moana continuing to insist that she's
08:40not a princess.
08:42In possibly the most meta moment, Maui responds,
08:44"'A lot of people think you are.'"
08:46It's true, as viewers generally regard Moana as a princess even if she's not royalty.
08:52"'Our people will rise if you let them.'"
08:56Can you blame us?
08:57She appeared alongside the Disney princesses in 2018's Ralph Breaks the Internet.
09:02The following year, Disney officially made Moana part of their princess lineup.
09:06You can deny it all you want, Moana, but we don't think you're a princess, we know you
09:11are.
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09:28Number 1.
09:29The Significance of Moana's Tattoos
09:32During the climax, it appears Moana might have met her end.
09:35As her ancestors appear, Moana is not only revived, but she comes back stronger than
09:40ever.
09:44This is signified through the tattoos that now run up her arm.
09:48Moana's new tattoos are similar to Maui's, but tailored specifically to her.
09:52Maui mentioned in the first film that each of his tattoos is a tribute to his victories.
09:56Likewise, Moana's tattoos represent everything she's accomplished over the past two movies.
10:05With even more adventures on the horizon and newfound demigod powers, Moana's entire body
10:10could one day be covered with tattoos.
10:13Until we inevitably get Moana 3, the character's arm of achievements is a testament to how
10:18far she's come and will continue to go.
10:33Are there any other details we missed?
10:35Show us the way in the comments.
10:43Do you agree with our picks?
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