Moana (2026) Review

Moana is the latest Disney animated classic to get the live-action remake treatment. This version gets Dwayne Johnson as the egotistical demigod Maui.

Long ago, the demigod Maui stole the Heart of Te Fiti, resulting in a blight that spread across the world. This blight finally reaches Motunui, leading their crops to fail and fish to disappear. Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) is a teenage girl who is heir to the throne, but longs to explore the ocean. With the encouragement of her grandmother (Rena Owen), she goes on a quest to find Maui and return the Heart of Te Fiti.

Disney has had great success with the live-action remakes of their animated properties. Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King were all in the billion-dollar club, and the remakes of Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon (I know, not a Disney film) show that there is still an appetite for live-action remakes. Moana is a successful property. The original film is one of my favourite Disney animated films; it has become one of the most popular films on Disney+, and the sequel was one of the highest-grossing films of 2024. When the first film was released, I joked on Twitter that Disney could make a live-action version and get most of the cast to reprise their roles. Sadly, I didn’t get that wish.

Remaking Moana was a cynical business decision. Disney wanted to cash in on the popularity of the original film even though it was less than 10 years old when it was released, and Johnson needed a hit after a string of flops. Johnson has developed a reputation for developing an ego after his behaviour while working on Black Adam and Red One. When promoting Moana (2026), Johnson surprised 50 primary school kids with a trip to the premiere in London, so he could show he is a wholesome entertainer.

Moana (2026) was a shot-for-shot remake of the original film, which leads to the question: why does it exist? It’s on the same level as The Lion King (2019), a film that didn’t dare take any risks. Moana (2026) can be summed up as the same film but worse. Even my nephew said he has seen it before. The remake showed the limitations of live-action filmmaking since it was a slower, less lively version of the same story. Moana wasn’t as acrobatic in this version: she didn’t zipline down a mountain, and the action scene with the Kakamora was stiffer. Hei Hei as a CGI creature interacting with people was nightmare-inducing.

Moana (2026) served as Thomas Kail’s feature film debut. It’s a risk for a first-time filmmaker to be given a film with a $250 million budget, but he does have an extensive career on Broadway. He’s best known as the director of Hamilton and has a working relationship with Lin-Manuel Miranda. So, it was disappointing when the song-and-dance also suffered from being stiff, which was a real shame considering Moana was meant to be a celebration of Polynesian culture.

Moana (2026) was working with great source material, so it was hard to stuff up completely. The remake still had a strong story and great songs, but the animated version did it better. The person who deserved the most praise was Laga’aia. Moana was the Australian actor’s first role, and she stepped up to the challenge of playing such an iconic Disney role. Laga’aia had great singing ability and excellent comedic timing when dealing with Hei Hei’s stupidity and Maui’s ego. One of my favourite moments in the film was Moana and Maui bickering when Moana had to be ‘bait.’ It was one of the few moments that felt different to the original because of the extra dialogue and Laga’aia’s passive-aggressive delivery. She did a great job honouring Auliʻi Cravalho’s performance.

Moana (2026) was a pointless remake. It didn’t dare to make anything new or take any risks. It was made so that Disney could milk a little more money from a beloved character.