Here’s how I described Disney’s 2016 blockbuster “Moana” when it came out.

“It is an instant classic, a near masterpiece and the best Disney animated film since its last Golden Age, which produced “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King.”

None of that applies to the sequel, “Moana 2,” a visually dazzling film that’s lean on laughs, charm and originality.

Moana’s back. She’s got a new quest. Yes, it involves the demigod Maui. But there are new characters and new songs. It’s just that none of them and nothing and no character reprised here adds up to anything that anyone will be able to remember by Christmas Eve.

The messaging here is “division” vs. “togetherness,” the connection between all people. Yawn.

If Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) can just sail her new ocean-traversing canoe, following the comet to the place in the ocean the legendary island Motufetu was sunk. If she and her new crew — boat-builder/inventor Loto (Rose Matafeo), old farmer Kele (David Fane) and “fanboy” Moni (Hualalai Chung)– can track down and free the burly goof Maui (Dwayne Johnson) from his latest trap, they might be able to raise the island and reconnect with all the peoples of the Pacific basin.

“Can I get a ‘Chee-hoo?'”

Most of the jokes are sight gags involving the pet pig and deranged pet chicken and these movies’ versions of the Penguins of “Madagascar” and Gru’s “Minions,” the coconut kids called the Kakamora, who blow-dart their piratical way into the plot.

The best one-liners are served up by Maui.

Moana is “Still not a (Disney) princess,” she has to remind him.

“A lot of people would disagree!”

It’s all perfectably passable filler, a nice “escape” with the kids at the movies, with a few stunning animated effects to recommend it.

The singing of a collection of lesser Disney-contracted song is…adequate. The empoweing messaging is watered-down a bit. And even though the admirable representation is still here, the story’s derivative and dull and adding characters and giving coconut-coated minions a bigger role doesn’t change that.

Rating: PG

Cast: The voices of Auli’i Cravalho, Hualalai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane,
Awhimai Fraser, Jemaine Clement, Alan Tudyk, Temuera Morrison and Dwayne Johnson

Credits: Directed by David G. Derrick, Jr. Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, scripted by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. A Walt Disney release.

Running time: 1:40