Moana Live-Action Remake Lacks the Magic of the Original

I just got back from an out-of-theater event for the Moana remake, with Catherine Laga'aia stepping into the title role and Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui, and now that the review embargo has lifted I can give my honest thoughts. My overall take is that this is basically a shot-for-shot remake with no spark to it. It does not have the magic that the animated one has.

Moana Remake Feels Like a Shot-for-Shot Copy With No New Spark

I took my 14-year-old, who grew up on the animated Moana and loved it, and my 8-year-old, who still watches the animated version regularly. Shockingly, the 14-year-old and I ended up on the exact same page. As I put it, "It's just kind of like a shot-for-shot remake with no spark to it. There's no... it doesn't have the magic that the animated one has." It is fine if you have already seen the original, but if you are hoping to see those emotional moments come alive in a new way, this does not deliver that.

I do not think this is one of those remakes where it is worth saying the whole thing is terrible or purely a cash grab, though I did say "it very well might be just a cash grab." It still takes the animated film and turns it into live action, and for my 8-year-old that alone was enough to enjoy it. I think that is exactly where this movie is going to find its audience, the kids currently watching the animated version who just want to see those characters come to life on screen.

Older Fans Who Grew Up on the Original Are Not Going to Feel It

For the 14, 15, and 16-year-olds who grew up with the animated film about ten years ago, I do not think it is going to hit the same way. My sense is they will watch it and think, I had that when I was a kid and I did not necessarily need to see it again, since they have grown past it but still hold onto the nostalgia for that original movie. Because I already knew the story beat for beat, I was never really wondering what was coming next.

I brought up that a lot of Disney remakes run into this exact problem, including Lion King and Little Mermaid. When these remakes change up the lore a bit, like Cinderella did, they add something new to the experience. This one does not do that. It really is just the animated movie brought to life rather than reimagined, and I went in expecting pretty much that.

My Score Lands Around a 2 Out of 5

The event itself was a fun atmosphere, with Johnson coming out to sing alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the crowd was having a genuinely good time. But when asked what I would score it walking out, I said, "Probably two, two and a half out of five, but probably closer to like a 2.0, say 2.2 for Moana."

The original was special, and doing a remake only ten years later just did not feel necessary to me right now. As I said, "Maybe in 20 years, maybe in 30 years, sure. Try it. But 10 years, I don't know." Johnson is still fun to watch as Maui, and Laga'aia is solid as Moana. The songs are amazing, but they are simply the same songs from the original film.

Are you planning to see it?