Reactions are in for Moana, Disney's latest live-action remake, and they are not kind.
The film stars Dwayne Johnson as Maui, reprising his role from the original animated film, with Catherine Laga'aia stepping up as Moana herself.
"A shot-for-shot, line-by-line remake without a single original idea. A creatively bankrupt cash grab with ZERO interesting direction. They don't innovate; they imitate," says entertainment journalist Jonathan Sim. "Why watch this when Moana (2016) is on Disney+?! A soulless, miserable financial decision. SKIP!"
"MOANA (2026) shows just how far Disney will go for a quick and easy buck, producing another unnecessary, nearly shot-for-shot, beat-for-beat live-action remake that doesn't offer anything new that wasn't already done better just ten years ago," says Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia. "The visuals are so flat, with a heavy reliance on green-screen use and CGI for so many of its locations, water effects, creatures, and even the musical numbers, that it all comes across as soulless and inauthentic. Dwayne Johnson's inherent charm is weakened by his distracting fake body suit, and Catherine Laga'aia holds her own despite Johnson's outsized presence, but isn't able to leave much of an impression beyond showcasing her lovely singing voice, as the film is too derivative of the original to allow her to distinguish herself. The songs are still catchy and enjoyable to listen to, but I already have an excellent 2016 animated film that I can watch for that instead of this hollow retread."
"MOANA (2026) takes one Disney's most vibrant films of the revival era and turns it into one of the ugliest movies of the year," says Discussing Film's Tyler Llewyn Taing. "The photorealistic style takes more than it gives. Worse, it just doesn't even pretend to have any new ideas."
"The live-action Moana remake is very much just that, a remake, that adds very little to the story aside from a change in medium," says Bleeding Cool's Kaitlyn Booth. "How they managed to make one of the most beautiful locations on Earth ugly, I will never know, but here we are. Catherine is great."
"If you're curious what Moana would be like slower, darker & less whimsical, boy, have I got a movie for you," says Gizmodo's Germain Lussier. "The live-action remake captures some of what made the original so magical with its song scenes, but the rest of it never finds the right tone. Laga'aia innocent."
"Disney's Moana remake is, at best, a cheap imitation and, at worst, weaker in every conceivable way," says FandomWire's Cole Groth. "Two decent performances from Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson allow the film to ride on the success of its original, but as with every Disney remake, I ask: what's the point?"
However, it's not all doom and gloom, with some mixed to positive reactions, too. "The LA #Moana is unnecessary, but they do enough great things visually in the first and third act to justify its existence (the second act, not so much)," says The Nerds of Color. "As such, it's definitely one of the better Disney LA remakes (not saying much but it's true)."
"Moana is ok at best. It isn't a disaster like other Disney adaptations but it isn't a great adaptation either," says journalist Fabrício Girão. "It is the most copy and paste Disney remake yet, repeating exact lines and shots from the original, but never reaches the brilliance and excellence of the animated movie."
"Honestly a little surprised to admit how much I enjoyed the live-action Moana," says Mama's Geeky's Tessa Smith. "Catherine Laga'aia does a great job continuing the legacy (& has incredible comedic chemistry with Dwayne Johnson). There are some truly stunning shots. Gosh I love this story."
Moana is in theaters this July 10. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Disney movies or the most exciting upcoming movies of the year to fill out your watchlist.
