Disney’s latest live-action remake arrives in theaters just ten years after the original Moana, making it one of the studio’s most baffling reduxes yet. With countless animated classics still waiting for the live-action treatment—including Hercules and Tangled—why was Moana deemed worthy? Where is Aladdin 2? The original isn’t old enough to inspire much nostalgia. To make matters worse, neither of the leads appear to be acting in the same film. The chemistry, an essential part of selling the relationship between Moana and Maui, is utterly nonexistent. Hollow and overly greenscreened, Moana gives little reason to exist beyond selling more toys and soundtracks.
For anyone unfamiliar with the story, Moana follows an angsty island teenager who dreams of venturing beyond the reef. Chosen by the ocean itself, she embarks on a journey to restore the Heart of Te Fiti and save her people from a growing darkness threatening the islands. If you’ve seen the animated film, you’ve essentially seen this one. Nearly every major story beat, set piece, costume, boat, and visual design has been painstakingly recreated with little effort to reinterpret the material. Rather than expanding the mythology, deepening the characters, or offering a fresh perspective, the creatives are content to simply use tracing paper. The script doesn’t address any flaws already present in the original Moana, nor does it introduce meaningful additions of its own.
The energy level is all wrong, evident in how many sequences and lines have been adapted into live action. Every medium is an entirely different beast, so what may have been fun and cartoony now feels silly and insipid in live action. The animated Moana exploded with color and personality, while this version often feels oddly restrained. Even the musical numbers—which should be the biggest selling point given the Grammy-winning music and lyrics from Lin Manuel Miranda—lack the excitement that made them memorable. Why is it so afraid to openly embrace the musicality? “You’re Welcome,” in particular, should be an undeniable showstopper, but this interpretation feels surprisingly flat. There’s nothing tangible in its retelling: we get two performers standing in front of an obvious greenscreen as CGI-objects converge all around them. The lack of immersion in the fantasy world is a real disappointment given the endless possibilities.
The cast never quite captures the chemistry that made the animated characters so lovable. Catherine Laga’aia delivers the songs beautifully, but her portrayal of Moana often feels muted and flat. Likewise, Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui, yet much of the larger-than-life charisma that defined the character has been lost in translation. Whoever approved the nipple-less body suit and the tragic wig let down the character enough; Johnson does not deliver a believable performance though, either. Moana and Maui’s interactions rarely generate the spark needed to carry the film through its lengthy stretches at sea.
Ironically, the character that consistently earned the biggest laughs was Hei Hei, whose antics are lifted almost beat-for-beat from the original. On the flip side, major credit goes to every scene involving Moana’s grandmother. Gramma Tala remains genuinely heartfelt, portrayed this time by Rena Owen. Her warmth and emotional connection with Moana translates beautifully into live action, and those scenes carry far more emotional weight than anything else found within. The film had an opportunity to spend even more time developing and expanding that relationship.
Disney has proven that live-action remakes can work when filmmakers bring a fresh perspective to familiar stories. Films like Cinderella, Aladdin, Cruella, and even Christopher Robin managed to justify their existence by offering something new alongside the nostalgia. Moana never discovers that identity. Instead, it settles for becoming an expensive imitation of an animated movie that still does nearly everything better. Where those other titles could be perfect companion pieces alongside their originals, imagining anyone doing a Moana double feature amuses given that it’s a practically shot-for-shot remake. Recommending this version instead to any new viewer seems silly. Even the middling partially-made-for-TV Moana 2 was a stronger creative venue. What can I say except, “no thank you?”
Escape to the island of Motunui with Moana, now in theaters worldwide.
