How many motivational songs can a movie contain?

How many songs can a single musical film contain? It makes you wonder, amazed and perplexed, while watching “Oceania 2”. In fact, the Disney film currently in theaters seems to be a hymn to being able to make it in any situation, only to then do little or nothing.

Eight years ago Moana – renamed by us Vaiana for an unfortunate homonym for a virginal Disney princess – arrived in theaters with her first animated film. She was a little girl whose instinct for exploration burned. Pocahontas wanted to see what was beyond the river, Moana ended up disobeying her father to go beyond the Reef and meet the demigod Maui, with which to defeat the bad guy on duty.

Moana’s status as a Disney princess is so ambiguous that it is made ironic in the sequel now in theaters, “Oceania 2.” In fact, Vaiana is the daughter of the leader of her people (like Pocahontas) but has no princely status nor a suitor. As every real contemporary Disney princess is defined by her independence, which coincides with the total absence of a love interest.

An absence that is even more noticeable in the sequel, which finds her no longer a young girl, but a leader, an explorer, dedicated to the mission of connecting her people with the people she knows are somewhere in the Ocean. A vision warned her of the dangers her family and friends will face if the people of Oceania do not reunite.

Moana is a heroine therefore, despite having a set of undoubtedly princely features, and of the old school: shiny and thick hair always perfect (Maui calls her “curls”), big sparkling eyes, not one but two little animals that act as her mascots. In addition to the vice or attitude of making things coincide every reasoning and reflection with a song.

Being a Disney animated film, “Oceania 2” is full of songs sung by its cast and in particular by the protagonist. The Italian voice of Vaiana, Emanuela Ionica, gives way to Chiara Grispo in the singing parts. Which are many, in fact, and largely expressed in what could be defined as a musical subgenre of musical films: the motivational song. The protagonist faces adversity, loses heart and someone – a friend, a relative or an animal mascot – sings her a song to help her regain motivation.

Some Disney motivational songs are so successful, so effective, so motivating that they are played in the gym, in nightclubs, at concerts. For example, the reference song of this subgenre for those under 40 is “I’ll make a man out of you” (Italian version of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”) from the soundtrack of “Mulan”, a 1998 Disney animated film. The song is sung by Mulan’s future love interest, who must prepare a group of clumsy soldiers and weak to face the cruel army of the Huns.

Throughout the song and its irresistible crescendo, the brave Li Shang transforms his subordinates into “real men”, but his challenge of virility that he launches at the beginning of the piece is obviously won by Mulan, who is a girl in disguise.

Over the years the motivational songif not essential, has become almost inevitable in Disney animated filmsespecially since princesses have as their goal not marriage, but self-affirmation. It’s also a great way to give the story an edge. By its nature, in fact, it is a catchy, captivating piece, it gives a burst of rhythm to the film, as well as obviously being a candidate as a possible song capable of being listened to even outside the confines of the film. If it’s a successful song, it easily ends up in playlists dedicated to physical activity or created to energize yourself before a tough commitment.

“Oceania 2” however is the perfect example of how not to use a motivational song, because he really gets carried away. Too much is lame, says the adage, and halfway through the film we have already witnessed three musical moments of motivation for the protagonist, discouraged by the adversities she finds herself facing…or by the lack of something concrete to do.

Like the Three Wise Men, it follows a comet in search of a villain we don’t even really see: Oceania in fact suffers from the first chapter syndrome. With a confidence in its success that is not so sharable, Disney has in fact promoted the film from a streaming project to a theatrical film, later making it a prestigious release during the American Thanksgiving period, giving it the task of starting a real franchise.

The choice, however, cuts off the legs of the plot and slows down Vaiana’s sail, forced to navigate by sight to build what comes next. Maybe she really has something to be discouraged about and the film, to fill her running time, surrounds her with characters who try to motivate her.

First she does it alone with “Beyond that reef”, with the intervention of the spirit of the deceased grandmother (voiced by Angela Finocchiaro). Further ahead is Maui to cheer her up and train her ahead of the clash with the villain of the film with the song “Can I have a Chee-Hoo?”, interpreted in Italian by Fabrizio Vidale. Here the guiding star of both the animation and the musical track is the iconic song from “Mulan”, but we don’t even come close to reaching that level of… motivation.

The movie it really works musically only in the song “Perditi”, in the Italian version played by Giorgia. It is the strongest song of the film, which invites the protagonist to let go, to lose herself in order to find herself, to open herself up to risk. In the dubbed version it obviously plays a fundamental role Giorgia’s vocal power, the ability to put emotion into the lyrics of the song. On the spoken part of the dubbing, the singer has some impasses, a fact that will not fail to fuel the debate and controversy of these hours relating to the musical talents called as exceptional guests in the dubbing booth. On the musical front, however, it makes a difference.

“Lose yourself” also marks the condemnation of the film, because after a really successful motivational song you need a change of pace, proof that the song worked. Instead, Moana will face two more pieces aimed at winding her up before the most anticlimactic and tension-free final battle a (warrior) princess has faced in a Disney film.

“Oceania 2” itself takes a really long time to get out of its initial impassefrom the approach to the culture of the populations that inhabit the islands of Oceania which almost makes it seem like an ethnographic documentary for the little ones. However, the film manages not to be a complete failure, partly thanks to some well-chosen musical parts, partly due to the return of characters who worked in the first chapter and who lend support here.

However, it is an uninspiring vision, or worse, demotivating, because tries and tries to get the audience pumped up, but then gives them nothing to really get excited about.