This might be a new low for Disney. It’s hardly been ten years since the titular Polynesian voyager sailed onto our screens in the animated Moana (2016), but the powers that be at Disney have decided it’s now high time for a live action remake. The purpose is as clear as the azure waters surrounding Moana’s home island of Motunui: money. But whether audiences are nostalgic enough yet for a remake of a film released in relatively recent memory and still going strong as one of Disney+’s most streamed titles, remains to be seen.
At least with some of Disney’s other live action output, like 2016’s The Jungle Book or 2023’s The Little Mermaid, there was the argument that outdated elements could be modernised somewhat and that groundbreaking computer technology offered a totally new experience of older stories. The original Moana, however, was already a very inclusive, progressive film and used the modern, CGI animation style we’ve got used to in recent years, rather than the simplistic, hand-drawn style of the past. There isn’t the same leap, then, from traditional drawings to hyper-realistic CGI, and to make matters worse, zero effort or creativity has been put into the execution of this new Moana. Scenes play out exactly as they do in the original – it is essentially a shot-for-shot remake.
The story is exactly the same, told in exactly the same way
The story is exactly the same, told in exactly the same way: we begin with the introduction to the shape-shifting demigod, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who stole the heart of Te Fiti, the goddess of nature worshipped by the inhabitants of Motunui. Then, the introduction to Moana (Catherine Laga’aia), who even as a toddler feels a strong connection to the ocean, before embarking on a journey across it as a teenager, determined to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her people from an ecological catastrophe. Along the way, she meets the vain but endearing Maui, who eventually agrees to help her on her quest. Together, they encounter the likes of Tamatoa, a giant, David Bowie-inspired crab who collects shiny things from the bottom of the ocean, a band of little hairy coconut pirates who resemble the War Boys from Mad Max: Fury Road and a giant, magma-hurling volcanic demon called Te Kā.
With Johnson reprising his role from the animated original and this time sporting a flowing wig seemingly stolen from the SNL hair and makeup department, it’s tiresome to hear the exact same lines being delivered verbatim. The ancient Polynesian world somehow doesn’t feel as fully rounded or culturally rich, and the green screen-heavy visuals are lifeless and dull in comparison to the sunny pastel colour palette of the 2016 film or indeed its 2024 sequel, Moana 2. The decision to make this film instead of the third animated instalment which has, according to Johnson, already been greenlit, is yet further evidence of Disney simply trying to cash in on the Moana name while it’s still relevant.
Catherine Laga’aia does, however, make the character her own with powerful renditions of the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned songs (which are enjoyable to listen to again), but this is perhaps the only positive. This Moana remake does nothing new or interesting to justify its existence or its $200+ million budget. The story might be the same, but there’s none of the original’s vibrancy or charm. It’s pointless, a cashgrab as conspicuous as a giant, singing, treasure-hoarding crab.
