Live-action adaptation of the 2016 Disney animated film 'Moana': In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the demigod Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right. (from IMDb)

Oh, Disney... I suppose Hollywood may never learn. Did we need a live action Moana? And just 2 years after its animated sequel (that was stitched together from a scrapped Disney+ TV series)? The answer is probably an obvious "No," but I suppose that depends on who you'd ask.

2016's animated feature, Moana, was a surprise hit. It's a charming film that's a lot of fun and with decent songs, so the fact it earned an eventual sequel made some sense. However, with the current craze of animated films being given the live action treatment... for whatever reason... Moana is a surprising choice to get a live action adaptation only 10 years after its animated release. This, however, allows for box office superstar Dwayne Johnson to play the bulky demigod hero, Maui, before he gets too much older (and, let's be honest, leaves a little bit of room in case they want to make a live action sequel). The end result? A needless remake that is still rather fun and charming.

Before I go too much further, I do want to say that my wife is a big fan of both animated movies, so she was really excited about seeing this live action take. When I commented to her that this version seemed so unnecessary, she defended it by saying she loved it and it'll be a nice option for those who just don't watch animated movies. Fair. This live action remake is almost dizzyingly faithful to the original film - much like last year's equally unnecessary live action remake of How to Train Your Dragon was. But this one feels... especially gratuitous. Maybe because it doesn't feel all that much bigger or better or more fleshed-out than the original. It's still enjoyable, and I'm not sorry I saw it, but again... why??

All that aside, let's just look at the movie by itself. Catherine Laga'aia steps in as the live action Moana. She's good in the role - maybe a little better than fine - but she doesn't seem to really capture what is so likeable about the original film's title character. Dwayne Johnson inhabits Maui pretty perfectly. Once you get past the ridiculous wig (we ALL know he's bald), and the fact he wore a muscle suit to resemble the larger-framed animated version of Maui - yes, folks, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wore a muscle suit to look bigger - he does prove to inhabit the live action role quite well. The man has come a long way since his wrestling days. And Johnson and Laga'aia have good chemistry together. It's also fun to see "live action" Hei Hei (the chicken - one of my favorite parts of the original film), even if "live action," in this case, just means "realistically computer animated."

The music is good, too, especially arguably the most popular song, "You're Welcome." My wife didn't love that some lyrics were changed for this film, but overall, as a fan, she did enjoy the music, too. The special effects are quite good, and the living island scene at the end is absolutely incredible to watch; I think it blew my mind a little. I applaud the animation there. The islander actors are all good, too, especially John Tui as Moana's father. Rena Owen as Gramma Tala is usually excellent as the live action grandmother, but she does overdo it a smidge in a few scenes. The only character that seems almost as wooden as Moana's raft is Frankie Adams as Moana's mother, who isn't really given much to do in the film.

The content of Moana (2026) is totally on par with the animated film. Maui does say "sucks" in one scene and then, when he traps Moana in a cave, she calls him a "slimy son of a--," to which Maui shouts "beach!" to finish the phrase. It seems a little extra salty for a family film like this, though. The lava monster in the finale will certainly scare some younger viewers, and Moana's nightmare about her island being consumed by darkness and destroyed - consuming her parents at the same time - feels a hair too drawn-out and intense in live action form. Again, this is just keeping the younger audience members in mind. Overall, though, if you've seen the 2016 movie, you've basically seen this one and know what to expect.

Moana (2026) is a rather unnecessary remake. Still, if you can get past the fact it feels like an easy big budget cashgrab, it's done surprisingly well, and is still entertaining for what it is. If you're interested in the story but have ignored the animated version because, well, it's animated and animation isn't your thing, then this movie is definitely for you (and it has my wife's stamp of approval). For everyone else, I suppose it depends how you feel about live action remakes and the original for which it is a remake of. (And it was definitely fun to watch on a big IMAX screen.)

Side note: While the 2016 animated film had a post-credits scene involving the giant crab, there are absolutely no extra scenes after the end credits of this Moana. So feel free to depart the theater (or end it streaming) as soon as the credits roll.

- John DiBiase (reviewed: 7/12/26)