There was a time when a new Disney live-action remake felt like an event, but lately, they’ve felt more like a gamble. And nobody should be surprised. I mean, the string of divisive adaptations have left audiences questioning whether every animated classic really needed a live-action counterpart.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Disney held the world premiere of its live-action Moana remake at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. And the moment the screening ended the social media reactions started pouring in. Now let’s just say that the response is about as mixed as you’d expect from a film nobody asked for but Disney made anyway.
Just for the heck of it, here’s a quick refresher on what we’re dealing with here. The 2016 animated Moana was absolutely superb in every way. It sat at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, made $687 million at the global box office, and became a massive streaming hit on Disney+. Then came Moana 2 in 2024, which made over a billion dollars worldwide, critics be damned. And now, just two years after that, we have a live-action remake of the original. Directed by Thomas Kail, starring Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui and Catherine Laga’aia making her film debut as Moana. She takes over from Auli’i Cravalho who voiced the character in both animated films. Jemaine Clement is also back voicing the CGI giant crab Tamatoa, and Lin-Manuel Miranda returns with the original songs, all of them, including “You’re Welcome,” “Shiny,” and “Where You Are.”
So what did people think? Well, that depends entirely on who you ask.
Those who came in hoping for something fresh came out disappointed. Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture called it an unnecessary, nearly shot-for-shot, beat-for-beat remake that doesn’t offer anything new that wasn’t already done better ten years ago. Jonathan Sim was considerably less diplomatic, calling it pathetic and creatively bankrupt. Tyler Taing of Discussing Film said Disney took one of its most vibrant films and turned it into one of the ugliest movies of the year, arguing that the photorealistic style takes more than it gives. And more than a few critics landed on the same uncomfortable question: why watch this when the 2016 original is sitting right there on Disney+?
But it’s not all bad. On the other side of the fence, there were people who walked out genuinely surprised by how much they enjoyed it. Tessa Smith admitted she didn’t expect to like it as much as she did. She specifically singled out Catherine Laga’aia’s comedic chemistry with Johnson as the heart of the film. Richard Nebens called it a near perfect retelling with incredible visuals. Wendy Lee Szany said the chemistry between Laga’aia and Johnson felt natural and heartfelt. And Rama’s Screen landed on what might be the most honest take of all. According to him, if you liked the animated version, you’d probably like this one equally as much, even if it arrived far too soon after the last film.
The one point of genuine consensus across almost every reaction, positive or negative, is Catherine Laga’aia herself. Even the harshest critics found something good to say about her. She is charming and knows how to hold her own ground. She shines. Dwayne Johnson, on the other hand, is getting a more complicated reception. Some felt he was outshone by Laga’aia at every turn. Others noted he simply feels uncomfortable in the role in a way he didn’t in the animation. At least one review made the very specific observation. It seems that “Dwayne Johnson’s luscious locks constantly made me wonder why I wasn’t just watching the animated version”. Now here’s a sentence I genuinely was not expecting to read today but here we are.
The elephant in the room however, questions every single Disney live-action remake. I mean really, what is the necessity of it? The original Moana is perfect as it is. And moreover it’s not old enough to feel like a distant memory that needs revisiting. Moana 2 only came out two years ago. And if the film is essentially a shot-for-shot recreation of something that already exists and is already available to stream, what exactly is the live-action version adding?
Disney’s live-action remake track record is genuinely all over the place. The Jungle Book, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and most recently Lilo & Stitch have all made serious money. Dumbo, Mulan, and Snow White have been disasters of varying degrees. Where Moana lands on that spectrum we’ll find out when full reviews drop on July 8 and it opens in cinemas on July 10.
For now though, the early signs are pointing toward something that’s fine. Not great. Its competently made, occasionally charming, anchored by a genuinely impressive debut from its lead, and completely unnecessary.
Which, at this point, is basically Disney’s live-action remake brand.
