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Nearly a decade ago, the first Moana The animated film hit theaters and showed the world what professional wrestling fans already knew: Dwayne Johnson He can sing.
But more importantly, the film changed the rules of the game Walt Disney And it opened the door to broader casting in stories like this — focusing on an entirely Polynesian cast, with the exception of Jemaine Clement, who plays a giant, gem-loving crab. In its first two animated sequels, Moana continued the refreshing trend started by Frozen and Brave, subverting the romantic princess trope long established as a Disney mainstay.
All of this is to say that, as the father of a 7-year-old girl, these films were on regular rotation in my house and have since arrived in my memory bank. So, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that, when I first heard that Disney was making a live-action Moana movie, I couldn’t help but feel like this was all to cash in on the intellectual property and nothing else.
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Catherine Lagaia stars in Moana.
To be clear, Disney’s live-action Moana movie (which hits theaters Friday) is a completely unnecessary addition to the franchise. But despite that, it’s fun. In fact, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had in a theater while watching one of these live shows. Which was a relief, because I didn’t want to see anyone else Will Smith as the Genie from Aladdin The mode plays on the big screen.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have my reservations. During the opening moments of the film, which tells the story of Moana’s family and the village of Motunui, I found myself exhausted as things started slow. The same musical numbers and plot points from the 2016 film inform the story’s beats.
I’d already seen these moments in animated form, and although the musical and dance numbers connected (thanks to them being real, living humans doing the singing and dancing), I felt like I was seeing another example of a live-action adaptation that fell into the trap of reworking its predecessors without adding anything new or noteworthy to the mix.
But these concerns were short-lived, thanks to the introduction of Katherine Lagaia as the titular hero. Her performance, along with Rena Owen, who warms up the screen as her grandmother Tala, is an absolute delight and sets the stage for adventure.
The stakes of the story are the same: Moana ventures beyond the reef, after her father Chief Tui’s warning, to find the demigod Maui, who has stolen the green stone heart of the earth goddess Te Fiti, in order to save her village from the spreading decay that follows said theft.
Once Moana reaches the high seas, the film opens itself up to the possibility of existing as an enhancement to the original animated version, rather than a replacement. Instead of performing songs from the classic film as they were a decade ago, each song is re-recorded and presented in an organic way that feels right for this film.
Dwayne Johnson stars in Moana.
Maybe it seems that way because director Thomas Kail, best known for directing Hamilton, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man who brought the Broadway juggernaut to life, are bringing their creative energies together again here.
It’s worth noting that this is Laga’aia’s first appearance on the big screen, and her talent is contagious. Cheerful and determined, every song she sings lights up the screen. Her acting skills make her a great scene partner for Dwayne Johnson, who does his best as the demigod Maui.
I am happy to write those words. When the film’s trailer was first released, I, like many others, couldn’t get past the distracting nature of that wig he’s wearing. He took me back to his 2014 attempt Bring the demigod Hercules to life On the big screen.
Fortunately, those gorgeous locks weren’t the distraction she expected. Johnson’s third outing as Maui was great. If you’ve watched the actor’s social media feed, you’ve seen him deliver the rap lyrics from his hit song “You’re Welcome” countless times to young fans. Seeing him do it here, fully groomed, with Fabio hair and tattoos, comes as an exclamation point at the end of a rather satisfying sentence.
Disney’s live-action movie Moana hits theaters on Friday.
Johnson is in on the joke. He knows what makes Maui special, however, for a live-action film, he adds new layers to the role. He’s angry, cocky, and completely entertaining. He brings some Big Daddy energy to the screen here, and with Laga’aia by his side, his demigod is more flawed, more human and more charismatic than his animated counterpart.
Despite being live-action like Moana, there is still plenty of CGI animation featured throughout. The ocean is magical, there are strange coconut pirates lurking in the mist, and the giant lava monster, Te Ka, is just as terrifying here as he was in the original film. However, none of these examples are out of place in the film. These visual sequences don’t overshadow the story – they add to it, successfully expanding the world of Moana’s story in surprising and beautiful ways.
An example of this is Moana and Maui’s encounter with the coconut crab Tamatoa (again voiced by Clement). The combination of colors, the pile of sparkling crab gems, and the spectacle that comes from his musical performance of “Shiny” was a sight to behold.
It is truly a sight to behold. Disney’s live-action Moana is a win. Its themes of legacy, self-determination, and destiny remain as resounding as ever. The film doesn’t replace what came before, but it’s not supposed to. I suppose you could view it as a worthwhile companion piece to the original. This is what I do, and I can’t wait to show it to my daughter. Chi hoo!
