The following contains spoilers for Moana 2, now playing in theatersMoana 2’svillain twist is a surprisingly subversive approach to a modern Disney animation trend.Moana 2is the latest entry to the Walt Disney Animated canon, expanding the adventures of the titular hero and challenging her with a mission to break a godly curse on the ocean. Standing in her way are two ofMoana 2’s most dangerous characters, the god Nalo and his servant Matangi.
However, the movie features an unexpected twist surrounding Matangi and her actual role in the narrative. This gives the character a subversive aspect compared to other recent animated Disney villains, while also carrying along a trend that’s been consistent across over a decade of the franchise. It also sets the stage for Matangi to play a more interesting role in anypotentialMoana 3.
Moana 2’s Big Matangi Twist Is That She’s Not Really A Villain
Matangi Subverts Expectations And Reveals Her True Intentions In Her Song
One of the big twists ofMoana 2is the revelation that Matangi isn’t actually a villain. Established early in the film as a lieutenant of the deadly deity Nalo, Matangi’s early scenes with a captured Maui tease her as a powerful foe for Moana. The film even keeps her out of clear sight for the first act, only formally introducing herself halfway through the film. However,when Moana encounters Matangi, she turns out to be a far more empathetic character than she initially appeared.
Matangi doesn’t impede Moana’s journey, instead actively helping reunite her with the rest of her crew. Matangi offers advice on trying unexpected paths to reach her goals and sets them on their way to confront Nalo. Matangi turns out to be an unwilling servant of Nalo, and hopes that Moana breaking his curse on the sea could also free herself.Matangi is just the latest Disney villain to have a twist at the center of the character. However, her twist is different in a very important way from other recent Disney antagonists.
Many Modern Disney Villains Have Been Centered Around A Twist
Modern Disney Loves A Good Antagonist Twist
Many Walt Disney Animation films from the last decade and a halfhave featured a villainous twist at the core of their narrative.Tangledwas one of the last movies with an overt villain who the narrative didn’t try to disguise as a more positive character. King Candy fromWreck-It Ralph, Hans inFrozen, Robert Callaghan inBig Hero 6, Bellwether inZootopia, Namaari inRaya and the Last Dragon, and Magnifico inWishwere all set up as more noble characters and even allies to the hero before revealing their villainous nature.
Moana 2 Foreshadowed Its Big Demigod Twist With A Minor Detail That Surprised Maui
Moana 2 subtly foreshadows its demigod twist by having Moana accomplish a feat no human should be able to and beating Maui in the process.
Many other recent Disney films have lacked a primary villain, likeFrozen 2,Encanto, andStrange World.Wreck-It Ralph Breaks the Internetturned Ralph into his own greatest enemy.Moana 2is actually an outlier in the recent Disney canonbecause of its use of a genuine villain. Nalo is ultimately the central threat of the film and actually comes close to depowering Maui and killing Moana in the climax of the film. Matangi’s true motivations allowMoana 2to carry on the villain twist tradition but also introduce a genuine antagonist for Moana to confront.
Moana 2’s Matangi Twist Is Unique In The Disney Canon
Matangi Gets To Be A Twist Villain, AndMoana 2Still Gets An Actual Villain
This twist centering around Matangi is probably closest thematically to the big plot swerve at the end ofMoana, which revealed the monstrous Te Kā was actually a corrupted Te Fiti. Matangi serves as a tragic mirror to Moana, lamenting feeling trapped in the same way Moana did in the first film.Matangi also stands out for her genuine potential and how the film doesn’t resolve her plotline. Matangi is also a fresh tweak on the “villain twist” trend, as it’s an apparent enemy who turns out to be a friendly face instead of the other way around.
This could elevate Matangi in the Disney canon if she gets the chance to actually follow through on that potential.
Moana 2’s post-credits sceneeven sets Matangi up to play an important role in any prospective follow-up, potentially setting the character up for a genuine redemption arc.This could elevate Matangi in the Disney canonif she gets the chance to actually follow through on that potential. Regardless, it’s exciting to see Disney Animation embracing different approaches to villains. The franchise has been missing the kind of overt villainy that Maleficent, Captain Hook, Ursula, and Scar defined in pop culture, and it’s exciting thatMoana 2finds a way to have a villain twist without losing an overt villain.
Moana 2
Cast
Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.
