Nate At The Movies

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

At this point, it seems like Disney is going to release a live-action remake every year until I die, so I’ve done my best to accept that and develop what I think is a nuanced view of Disney’s business model. We’re definitely trapped in a vicious cycle here, where the live-action remakes fund the original movies—precisely why we need the remakes—and though I’d like Disney to go in another direction, I also know I’m part of the problem, going to see these every time they come out. I can’t help it; I love the movies they base them on, and I don’t want to miss anything new they might add. Enter Moana.

This IP in particular seems to be in crisis right now. Disney has accurately identified it as a big money-maker, but the sequel and live-action remake coming out not only within two years of each other, but both before the original film had even turned 10, is problematic. Predictably, the live-action Moana had nothing new to say or add to this story, because it’s still being presented by the same people to the same generation. Like every other remake, though, it was able to skate by because of how great the original is, and similar to most of its peers, it was heavily buoyed by its music. I’ve come to really love the music of Moana in the last few years—my choir sang “We Know the Way” in their concert in April, and I actually got to see this movie with one of my choir students!—and it carried here. “We Know the Way” was awesome, and the classics remained excellent, but “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” has become a favorite, and it rocked.

The story remained the exact same, shots were recreated almost exactly, and a lot of the dialogue and even the cast remained, which was both reassuring and frustrating. I wouldn’t want anyone else voicing Tamatoa, but some new lines or jokes or set pieces would’ve been cool. I was a bit worried about The Rock in live-action, and while that wig was pretty rough, I actually enjoyed his performance a good bit. He played Maui a bit more campy, and I think I didn’t take his character as seriously because of how he looked, which helped his case. Catherine Laga’aia was a decent fill-in for Auli’i Cravalho, though she started a bit stiff in her acting and singing. The dramatic edge was a work in progress throughout, but her singing skyrocketed in quality as the film went on. She nailed everything after the first verse of “How Far I’ll Go”, and she sounded pretty similar to Cravalho, too, for what that’s worth.

As most of the live-action remakes have possessed, the visuals were unfortunate. The animated world of Moana is shiny and vibrant and bright, but in live-action, it lost so much of its color. The direction was uninspired, and some character designs left a bit to be desired. I mentioned the wigs, but Tamatoa looked a little funky in the face, and Te Fiti wasn’t nearly colorful enough. The live-action Moana stayed the course as far as Disney’s live-action remakes are concerned—visually underwhelming and carried by the music—which leaves little to the imagination as to why Disney is making these. I know I’m in the minority that liked the live-action Snow White, but at least that one tried some new story beats and had a ton of new music! Moana (2026) will be added to the long line of live-action remakes that I likely won’t watch again until my kids find them on Disney+. Why would I? The original is way better.