Moana (Live-Action) Review: Surprisingly Entertaining

The live-action Moana is a very faithful adaptation with a few new jokes thrown in. Catherine Laga’aia and Dwayne Johnson have great chemistry.

I have to admit, I have never felt the need for the Disney live-action remakes. There is something special about the animated films, and so changing the medium to live-action never felt right to me. Then, Lilo & Stitch came along and changed my mind. However, the animated Moana movie is one of my all-time favorites. From the incredible music to the beautiful way it celebrates Polynesian culture, there is just no way that the live-action version could capture that same magic, right? Even with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui.

While it is not as amazing as the animated version (which no one expected), it is still a really fun watch. Did we need a live-action remake? Not really. But I can’t say I am all that mad at it. 

Catherine Laga’aia is a worthy successor to Auliʻi Cravalho. While her voice is not as powerful, she still handles these incredible songs like a champ. The music and the story of Moana is what makes it one of my favorite films, so I am protective of it.

And honestly am surprised by how much I enjoyed this version. Catherine Laga’aia and Dwayne Johnson have great comedic chemistry as well, especially during the scene where they first meet. I found myself laughing out loud as new jokes were introduced, but the vibes remained the same. 

Of course we have to talk about the wig. We are all so used to seeing Dwayne Johnson bald that at first it comes as a bit of a shock to see him with that long, luxurious hair. However, by the time the second act hit, I had kind of forgotten all about it, and it didn’t bother me much anymore. The muscle suit is the real distraction here and mostly because he really didn’t need it. Still, I didn’t find myself annoyed about his look for very long because he is Maui, and he is just as entertaining in live action – especially during the ‘You’re Welcome’ sequence. 

When seeing the trailer I felt a lot of the colors were muted, but it actually makes sense story wise. As soon as the heart is returned, everything brightens up. I wish we had that the entire movie however, I can respect the decision. 

Besides the muted colors though, so much of this movie is gorgeous. That might sound strange but the effects, particularly the water movement, are done with incredible detail. Te Kā and the Kakamora look amazing on screen, and Maui’s shapeshifting actually really worked for me (although Hei Hei is nightmare fuel even though he is hilarious). I loved Jermaine Clement reprising his role as Tomatoa.it could have been no one else. 

Of course, the songs are amazing. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius. The songs are powerful and meaningful and easily one of my favorite parts of the film. It really cool to see them adapted into live-action sequences. Is this the soundtrack I will listen to over and over? No, that honor belongs to the animated film. But, it does work for the film.

This all comes down to story and while it is not exactly a shot for shot remake, it is pretty similar. Some of the lines are changed up to introduce fresh jokes, but the incredible story remains the same. This is easily one of Disney’s best live-action remakes.

With Lilo & Stitch and now Moana, I am less concerned about the upcoming Tangled. Milo Manheim seems like the perfect Flynn Rider, and now my expectations are higher. Fingers crossed Disney pulls that one off too. 

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

About Moana

In Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar®-nominated animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.

Moana comes to theaters everywhere on July 10th.

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