Moana (2026)

Disney, please stop with those live-action remakes...

The animated version is 10 years old, so this remake is not needed at all yet.

If you make something successful, just leave it alone.

This version evokes absolutely no emotion either, even though it all looked quite good.

I like watching Disney, but not this way anymore.

Translated from Dutch · View original

The film draws from a cheerful original with fun songs. That is why it will always be a great watch. However, it falls short on all fronts. The major problem is that a modern film is being translated into live action. An animation that already has plenty of substance and doesn't feel dated in any way. This also means that the live-action adaptation adds little to be better than the animation. No extra depth: older animated films have a short running time and sometimes lack the depth needed to keep the pace going and keep the film under or around 90 minutes. The live-action adaptations then add 20 to 30 minutes of runtime to make the film feel a bit more organic. Moana simply lacks this, and everything about the film is an exact copy. The extra 5 to 10 minutes of runtime therefore seems to be mainly in the credits, as the film finished fifteen minutes earlier than the indicated end time. Normally, that is a lot less.

Furthermore, the songs don't work as well, The Rock's wig is hideous, and the film just feels more forced.

Totally unnecessary, but if you watch it without having seen the animation, you can watch this live-action (with a lot of CGI) just fine. But why would you do that? Why would you watch the hideous Lion King remake compared to the original? And so on.

Just watch the original. 3 stars for the movie. Half a point deduction because it is too shameless.

2.5*

Translated from Dutch · View original

I just reread my review from 2016 and it's funny how I experienced some things exactly the same way now (I didn't remember much about how I experienced the film back then or had written it down).

Anyway, so a remake. While there is quite a bit to complain about on the one hand, on the other hand, the film is very charming at times. That is partly due to the delightful performance of the young Laga'aia. It is certainly nice that an 18-year-old character looks like that in a film. I deliberately say 'delightful' and not 'good,' because the performance lacks depth for that, but I also feel that her facial expressions don't always fit well. An example? Her chemistry with The Rock is excellent. And that makes that part of the film quite enjoyable. But actually, that chemistry is sometimes a little too good, because she is clearly fangirling Dwayne Johnson (I think The Rock was from before her birth?). She always looks way too happy and admiring, even at moments when the script calls for something else. Quite odd. Johnson is now playing his role from the animation himself, but that is less successful; his facial expressions, too, and his entire demeanor and presentation don't really fit. And that Puyol wig doesn't improve things either. There is only one person on this planet who is allowed to wear that hairstyle, and that someone once played central defense for Barcelona.

And yet, this was not a boring thing to watch. Far from it, even. The songs are fine (although a musical feels a bit more natural in an animation) and the pacing is excellent. I wasn't bored for a single moment and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the cinema. Not world-class cinema, but good entertainment. 3.0*.

Translated from Dutch · View original