Movie Review: Moana (live action) 2026
“Moana”
By Bob Garver
I am well aware of the case against Disney’s live-action remake of its 2016 animated hit “Moana,” namely that the original film is less than ten years old and doesn’t need a remake, and also that Disney live-action remakes are lazy cash-grabs in general. And I agree with a lot about that argument. I’d rather see Disney put its resources into developing new ideas instead of rehashing old ones, especially when it means trading the magic of Disney animation for the limitations of live-action. At the same time, no amount of discouragement – of which I offer a lot – can stop Disney from making and releasing this movie, and the movie they’ve made and released isn’t terrible.
The story remains the same. Moana (Catherine Laga’aia), teenage daughter of Chief Tui (John Tui) and his wife Sina (Frankie Adams), is destined to one day take over her island home, but is told she must never go out on open water. Her wise grandmother Tala (Rena Owen) encourages her to take her duties seriously, but also to think for herself if strict adherence to tradition isn’t working. The island comes to be in trouble, and only returning the heart of petrified goddess Te Fiti will save it. Fortunately Moana has had the heart since childhood (she earned it as a reward for compassion toward the ocean and its creatures), so she sets out on an unprecedented seafaring expedition to return it.
Moana’s mission requires her to team up with exiled demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson, reprising his role from the original, but now in live-action), who isn’t keen on crossing paths with old enemy Te Fiti. Together they have to keep other parties from stealing the powerful heart for themselves, such as coconut-like pirates the Kakamora and greedy crab Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement, also reprising his role in voice only). Then there’s Te Fiti herself, who is so mistrustful of humans and demigods that she fights our heroes even when they’re trying to do something as helpful as returning her own heart.
It’s when the action kicks into gear that the movie doesn’t fare well. For most movies I’d say the opposite, that I prefer it when the first act stops plodding along and we get to the action. But the second and third acts in this film differ so little from the original that it’s just a matter of waiting for the same beats from 2016. I know “I’ve seen this all before” is a cliché for critics, but in this case it’s especially accurate and appropriate.
While I’m talking about the movie’s lesser points, I need to bring up Dwayne Johnson. In 2016, I was thrilled that the pro wrestler known as The Rock had a juicy part (and even a song!) in the Disney canon. But he’s really lost a step since then. His jokes sound forced (not helped by, again, being carbon copies of jokes from ten years ago) and his body is unnaturally puffy, a result of the effects team going overboard in giving him sentient tattoos. Speaking of unnatural special effects, animal sidekicks Pua the pig and Heihei the chicken also look terrible, and even the water isn’t as… fluid as it should be.
With all of these problems that I can completely understand being deal-breakers for other critics, why am I recommending this version of “Moana”? The answer is simple: Moana. Or, less simply, Moana and her family dynamic back on the island. The first act of the movie gives us four good characters with passion and motivation. The remake really steps up its game in fleshing out these characters now that they have actual flesh. Of course, the standout is Laga’aia, matching the charm of original Moana Auli’i Cravalho every step of the way. Laga’aia and Cravalho combine their spirited voices for a song that plays over the credits, which is just enough to earn this film a recommendation by the hair of a coconut.
Grade: B-
“Moana” is rated PG for action/peril, some scary images, rude humor and brief thematic elements. Its running time is 115 minutes.
Contact Bob Garver at [email protected].
