Disney, 2026
Starring Catherine Laga'aia, Dwayne Johnson, Rena Owen, and John Tui
Directed by Thomas Kail
Music and Lyrics by Opetaia Foa'i, Mark Mancina, and Lin-Manuel Miranda
Unlike Snow White, there was no hostility or controversy when Disney announced they were remaking this in April 2023. It was based on one of Disney's most beloved animated films of the last decade, one that continued to be popular on Disney Plus and in the theme parks and had a sequel that debuted just two years ago. After the relatively recent Lilo & Stitch was a smash hit last summer, Disney must have thought they had another blockbuster on their hands. Considering it currently stands to be one of the biggest flops of the year so far...what happened? To figure that out, we begin in much the same way as the original, as young Moana's (Amasa Masoli) grandmother Tala (Owen) tells the story of how Maui (Johnson) stole the stone heart of the goddess island Te Fiti and how that began to destroy the life on every island...
The Story: Moana (Laga'aia) has heard the call of the sea all her life. Her parents, especially her father Chief Tui (Tui), want her to stay on the island and focus on becoming Chief. No one's ventured past the island for three thousand years. Only her eccentric grandmother Tala (House) encourages her love of the ocean and desire to explore. It's her grandmother who reveals ancient boats hidden in a cave. Her people were once explorers, searching for new islands across the Pacific.
When the villagers discover that the foliage of the island is dying and fish are disappearing, Moana finally takes off in one of the camacaus from the cave. She's determined to find Maui and restore the goddess island, but it's not easy. Not only does Maui refuse to help at first, but she has to deal with rough seas, wild little coconut-like scavengers, treasure-loving giant crabs, and her own lack of sailing abilities. Nothing, however, will stop Moana from saving her people and proving that being a leader sometimes means going outside the box and what others deem "safe."
The Song and Dance: For all the problems, some things do work. The songs have always been a delight, and the end credits number "Along the Way" is a lovely addition. Johnson is still having a lot of fun as Maui, and his hand-animated tattoos retelling his adventures are still hilarious. Laga'aia makes a lovely, determined, and very funny Moana, especially when dealing with Maui and his ego that dwarfs the entire Pacific Ocean, and Owen is a wonderfully wise and eccentric grandmother. (And I still appreciate that Moana and Maui are more pupil and mentor than romantic.)
The Numbers: Our first flat-out number is the chorus routine "Where You Are." Chief Tui introduces us to the culture and people of Motunui as Moana grows up...and still hears the call of the sea. Moana's first attempt to leave the island is underscored by her big "I want" song and the hit from the original film, "How Far I'll Go." "We Know the Way" is the second chorus number as we see Moana's ancestors charting the Pacific. Moana reprises "How Far" when she finally makes it out to the ocean on one of the ancestors' boats. "You're Welcome" says Maui when Moana washes up on an island where he too is stranded. After all, he created (or claims her created) everything.
Moana has to dodge the enormous coconut crab Tamatoa (Jermaine Clement), who loves all things "Shiny," and grab the stone heart and Maui's magical fish hook. Moana performs the brief "I am Moana" with her grandmother when she thinks she'll never be able to restore Te Fiti. The chorus reminds her to "Know Who You Are." We end back at Motunni with a reprise of "We Know the Way" as Moana, Maui, and everyone on the island are now wayfarers searching the seas. Lin-Manuel Miranda is joined by Laga'aia and original Moana Auli'i Cravaho for the end credits song "Along the Way."
What I Don't Like: This has the opposite problem from Snow White. They tried to change and update too much there, but this...has no reason to exist. They changed and updated almost nothing. It's pretty much exactly the same as the animated film people can buy on disc or watch on Disney Plus except for a few additional gags and the one new end credits song. Not to mention, this movie was overlong when it was fully animated, and it's not any less in live-action. Some of Moana and Maui's antics in the middle of the film could still be trimmed. There's also the complaints of all the CGI and AI used. There's so much animation used, it practically still is an animated film, and it looks horrendously fake compared to the big action and horror films in theaters right now.
The Big Finale: If your kids are huge Moana fans who can't get enough of the character, they'll probably want to see it. Everyone else is fine looking up "Along the Way" and taking their money elsewhere.
Home Media: It's home release date hasn't been announced yet, but the vinyl soundtrack is available at Target and elsewhere
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