Movie review: 'Moana 2' puts characters through familiar wringer

Instead of telling new stories, it rewashes the first film’s plot.

Its songs, meanwhile, sound like something you’d get from a “write like Lin-Manuel Miranda” online course.

Moana, the plucky teenager, is considered a wayfinder now, and must find groups of islanders who were separated by angry gods.

Friends (and sidekicks Pua and Hei Hei) agree to go along but don’t get in the way of their captain. She depends on the shapeshifting demi-god Maui to see her through and finds new creatures and old haunts. Their boat is more impressive this time out; the water effects are state-of-the-art. There's where the money was spent.

Dwayne Johnson, as the voice of Maui, gets in a few good one-liners but a “You’re Welcome” isn’t lurking. Auli’I Cravalho stills sings beautifully but has to trumpet a number that actually includes her character’s name. Opetala Foa’l and Mark Mancina are among those responsible for the songs. They worked with Miranda on the first film but didn’t capture his adventuring spirit. As a result, “Moana 2” has a start/stop quality when it comes time to cue the orchestra. The songs drift over the story; they don’t advance it.

Moana’s friends could have been mined for more humor. Her history-loving friend Moni could also be a potential Tinder match and Loto, the shipbuilder, and Kele, the farmer, could be as vital as the pig and the chicken (or, as Maui calls them, “bacon and eggs”).

Directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, however, take the safe route and make a nebulous storm god their villain. He’s not enough, particularly since the battle comes without much conflict. Moana’s success is never in doubt – which could be because the sequel was originally envisioned as a TV series. When it was bumped up to feature, peaks and valleys weren’t added.

If you stick around after the credits, you’ll see hints of a story that could fill “Moana 3.” It has different antagonists and the threat of a real crisis.

Leave before they roll and you’ll think Moana has settled into a place where she can do no wrong, thus the desire for cruising.

Cravalho is still charming as Moana and Johnson gets in more conversations with his tattoos than a demi-god should. They’re game but the movie is hardly “The Godfather Part II.”

“Moana 2” is simply another visit with a character many have come to love. Even "Inside/Out's" Riley realized adulation comes with strings.