Whether audiences like it or not, Disney is not slowing down with the live-action remakes of their beloved animated classics. It has proved to be a hit-and-miss formula, with justified reimaginings like The Jungle Book adding more depth to its predecessor, and then carbon copies like The Lion King failing to capture the magic of the original. And let’s just not ever mention 2022’s Pinocchio again. Moana is next up, and it might be their most controversial remake yet. The highly acclaimed animated musical was only released ten years ago, and it still holds up beautifully, leaving viewers to wonder why it needed to be touched so soon. Can 2026’s Moana justify its existence? The straight answer is no, but it’s also definitely not as bad as you might think.
Essentially, this is a shot-for-shot and beat-for-beat remake, following the same story of the young daughter (Catherine Laga’aia) of a Polynesian village chief (John Tui). Moana is next in line to lead her people, but her heart calls her to adventure out and see what lies beyond the reef. When her island is hit with a terrible curse, she seeks out to find demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and restore the heart of the goddess Te Fitti, which will bring her people to safety.
The skeptics were right, as Moana really doesn’t have anything new to offer that wasn’t already in the cartoon. But, is it still an enjoyable film? Surprisingly, yes. Remakes such as The Lion King were criticised for being ‘soulless’ compared to their original films, but this version of Moana actually succeeds in capturing the heart of the original. There’s a warmth and beauty in the way Polynesian culture is portrayed on Moana’s island and through her family’s traditions. The songs still hit hard, and Moana herself is perfectly cast. Laga’aia shines in her first movie role, bringing incredible vocals and spirit to the titular character. If these Disney remakes offer anything, they are great star-making vehicles for young up and coming actors, with a previous example being Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Now, it’s time to address The Rock in the room. Dwayne Johnson returns in person as the character he voiced ten years ago, and the results are expectedly mixed. He looks like he’s playing dress up in that terrible wig and bodysuit, suggesting that the film could have benefitted from casting someone new as Maui (someone like Jason Momoa comes to mind). However, it also works, as Johnson still proves to have the charm and charisma that initially made him become so well associated with the character. His banter with Laga’aia is one of the highlights of the film and where most of its soul shines through.
What is ultimately the disappointing part about Moana, and a lot of other Disney remakes, is the fact that the viewer knows a better version of this exists and that they could be watching that instead. Despite some impressive imagery, the visuals do lack the vibrance of the animation, with a majority of the film being very obvious greenscreen and VFX (which, ironically, still technically renders this as an animated rather than live-action Moana). Some animated elements also fail to translate between visual mediums, like Hei Hei the chicken (who is still an MVP nonetheless).
Moana is neither one of the better or worse live-action remakes, but sits somewhere in between. It’s a fun time at the movies due to its entertaining leads, but ultimately, because it remains so faithful to its superior source material, which is both its strength and downfall. Perhaps a Moana remake would have fared better if Disney had done the sensible thing and waited another twenty years.
