Review of Disney’s Live-action “Moana”

Typically, I do not recommend films that are essentially forgettable: movies that break little or no new ground, that I do not think about as I leave the theater, that I have no compelling desire to discuss with other people and for which I wonder why I just wasted my time watching them. Such is the case with Disney’s new, live-action remake of “Moana.”

“Moana” is a live-action remake of the beloved, animated Disney motion picture that premiered in U.S. theaters in 2016 and went on to become Oscar®-nominated. In this remake, once again Moana (portrayed by Catherine Laga’aia) seeks to restore her people’s deteriorating ecosystem, which is being ruined by bad magic. Towards that worthy goal, she seeks the help of the magical, shape-shifting demigod Maui (portrayed by Dwayne Johnson).

This version of “Moana” was shot on location in Hawai’i. The ensemble cast for the live-action “Moana” is composed of over 200 actors from the Pacific, including principals Catherine Lagaʻaia (Moana), Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Rena Owen (Gramma Tala), John Tui (Moana’s father, Chief Tui), Franki Adams (Moana’s mother, Sina) and Jemaine Clement (the voice of the giant singing crab Tamatoa).  

The press and promo preview for “Moana” that I attended got off to a bad start — an unfortunate omen. The colors of the movie, as projected on the screen in the theater, were way over-saturated to the extent that they were glowing. At first, I thought it was some sort of special effect, intended to make audiences think that the scenes that we were watching were flashbacks, visually representing events that had occurred in the past — sort of like early ‘black & white’ or sepia-toned scenes in a movie that was predominantly in color. Patiently, I endured this ugly color effect, waiting for it to go away.

Eventually it did go away — after a few seconds during which the screen was completely black, but at a point in the movie where such a dramatic transition made absolutely no creative sense. When the video of the movie resumed, the weird, overall color effect was completely gone, and it did not return.

What we had just endured a was, in retrospect, an extended technical malfunction that likely originated in the theater’s projection room. Usually when there is a serious technical malfunction, the screening of the movie is stopped long before this, the house lights come on dimly, someone from the theater walks into the auditorium and apologizes, and then the movie is restarted from the beginning, so that the audience can watch it the way that it was intended to be seen. However, this time no one told us anything, and the movie continued.

This retelling of “Moana,” while visually different from the original thanks to its blend of live-action and extensive use of high-tech digital effects, fails to deliver a story with surprises and unexpected plot twists. Instead, unlike the original animated movie (with emphasis on the word “original”), this remake of “Moana” is an uninspired, only mildly entertaining snoozer with familiar music and themes. Little kids will probably enjoy it.

For the most part, the performances of the actors lack depth, complexity and nuance. Thankfully, notable exceptions are the performances by Catherine Laga’aia, who plays the 16-year-old Moana, in her first starring role in a feature film; and her interactions with Gramma Tala (warmly portrayed by Rema Owen).

Dwayne Johnson, on the other hand, should feel embarrassed by his silly, self-serving, arrogant and utterly unbelievable portrayal of Maui, with his animated tattoos; his shameful, contemptuous disregard for Moana and her people; and his ridiculous, over-the-top muscle suit.

In a style reminiscent of the movie musicals that were popular decades ago, the characters in “Moana” repeatedly broke out in awkward, distracting, uncomfortable singing while they went about the routines of their daily lives as coconut farmers and fishermen. Unfortunately, much like the plot of this new retelling of the story of “Moana,” the music consists mostly of new renditions of songs from the older, original, animated “Moana.” An exception is “Along The Way” — a new song, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“Moana” is in theaters now. To see a trailer, visit the official Disney website at: https://movies.disney.com/moana-2026.

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