If you're asking why a Moana live-action remake is sailing into cinemas this week, then you haven't been paying attention. The first movie remains one of the most-watched movies on Disney+, while the sequel – despite mixed reviews – made over $1 billion worldwide following its release in 2024.
Disney's production line of live-action remakes had a big flop in the shape of Snow White, but Aladdin, The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch and Beauty and the Beast all made over $1 billion at the box office in recent years. Moana, however, is notable for arriving within a decade of the original animation, marking the quickest turnaround yet.
So it's easy to see why Disney decided Moana was an easy win, especially by bringing Dwayne Johnson along for the ride too. Yet, even if you can see the cynical mechanics behind the decision, that doesn't change the fact that the Moana live-action remake is the most pointless one yet.
The House of Mouse's previous live-action remakes have largely tried to bring something new to the table, perhaps in order to justify their own existence. It might not have always been for the better because, after all, they were remaking movies known as classics for a reason - but at least they tried.
Moana doesn't even do this. It is, almost from first frame to last, an exact replica of the original movie. We get that the story has to be the same and, of course, the songs need to be there, but some innovation would be welcomed. Sequences play out as they originally did, from the staging of the musical numbers to the dialogue and gags, and they feel like cheap re-runs - because that's exactly what they are.
Perhaps we're being too harsh, because the live-action remake does at least have the sense to remove the dreadful "tweeting" gag from the animation. That's maybe worth a star in itself, as we didn't have to cringe through it again.
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It's also possible that you'll be glad that the remake left things as they are. The times when there are changes, they're for the worse, most notably in the 'You're Welcome' sequence which turns into an eyesore compared to the clean, vibrant animation of the original. Even when sequences stay the same – such as the Kakamora attack or the 'Shiny' song – they don't look as good.
Had there been fresh sequences, such as giving catchy new song 'Along the Way' a space in the movie and not just the credits, then it wouldn't be so easy to realise what a downgrade this is. Even though it's a live-action movie, there are still plenty of digital effects being utilised, but they can't live up to the animation.
That brings us nicely to the decision to bring back Johnson as Maui, which just does not work. There's no point where you stop thinking that you're just watching The Rock in a wig, and – whether by personal choice or direction – his performance is constantly trying to ape the animation, falling flat as a result.
Like they did with casting newcomer Catherine Laga'aia as Moana, recasting the role of Maui could have brought a freshness to the remake. Laga'aia might be singing the same songs and performing the same scenes, but she brings her own touches to distinguish them from Auli'i Cravalho's take on the character, something a different actor to Johnson could have done with Maui.
As it is though, it's just another aspect of the remake that leaves you wishing you were watching the animation instead. It's all competently done and the songs still hit the mark, so it'll likely still make enough money at the box office to justify Disney's decision, meaning any negative review is almost as pointless as the movie itself.
With a Tangled remake on the way (save us Kathryn Hahn) and a sequel to Lilo & Stitch, we're sure Disney will continue to make live-action remakes. We can only hope they have more ambition than Moana ever shows.
Moana is released in cinemas on 10 July.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
