This visually stunning and fun sequel needs to go a little farther.

The original Disney film “Moana” was a delightful and magical film that gave people a Polynesian princess who shares the same courage and spirits as Ariel, and the costumes to wear for Halloween. The fact that it was oceanic and made by John Musker and Ron Clements makes me consider that film to be, in a way, a love letter to “The Little Mermaid.”

According to the facts, were given the impression that a live action remake of the film was going to have Dwayne Johnson reprise his role as the demigod Maui, and that it was going to be released soon. However, last February, we found out that instead the sequel “Moana 2” would be released this week and the live action remake would come out in 2026.

The plot is basically the same as the original as Moana (spoken and sung once again by Auli’i Cravalho) must save her people from another curse and answer the call of the ancestors. In order to break this new curse, she and a team of misfits must reunite with Maui to raise an island to connect all the people of the ocean together. The one difference is Moana’s little sister Simea (voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), who doesn’t want her to leave. But she assures the little one that she’s connected to the ocean.

This new team consists of he boat designer Toto (voiced by Rose Matafeo), who might cause trouble on Moana’s sailboat; the storyteller Moni (Hualālai Chung), who is a die hard Maui fan; and the grumpy farmer Kele (David Kane), whose biggest embarrassment would be “a farmer murdered by coconuts.” Of course, you know they would be Kakamora. And Moana’s animal friends-the chicken Heihei (voiced by Alan Tudyk) and the pig Pua-are both along for the ride.

I think the reason for the quality of the story is because “Moana 2” was originally going to be a made-for-Disney+ series, but got reworked into a film. And according to how it presents itself, it feels that way. I know because “Monsters at Work” is a series sequel to “Monsters Inc.” I feel that this sequel, as gorgeous looking and exuberant as it is, is rushed, especially when we get a mid-credit scene that feels MCU-inspired. And I knew that evil singing crab (voiced by Jemaine Clement) would return.

Cravahlo and Johnson are both irreplaceable as Moana and Maui, and they reprise their characters with a lot of energy and commitment. And the best song, in my opinion, is Moana’s “Beyond,” which tries to live up to “How Far I’ll Go’s” expectations. But the rest didn’t really had me humming anything like “You’re Welcome.” Instead of Lin Manuel Miranda writing them, they’re now by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear (better known as Barlow & Bear).

We’ve gotten sequels like “Frozen II,” “Toy Story 4,” and “Inside Out 2,” which all wish to push their characters to new limits. “Moana 2” wants to broaden our favorite Polynesian princess and demigod to new places, and they can be exciting and flexible. But as much as I admire these characters, I felt they deserved a more complex and patient story. There’s a whole big ocean to explore, and there’s no need to rush through it.

There’s no doubt kids and parents will be seeing this sequel, and they should. I feel bad that I wasn’t a big fan of it as much as I was with the original, but I do have confidence in this franchise. And the fact that this was a series transformed into a movie makes me acknowledge that it’s oceans and oceans ahead of that “Ice Age” misfire called “The Adventures of Buck Wild.” It’s not saying much, but You’re Welcome.