Running Time: 115 minutes
This feature film from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures opens in cinemas and on IMAX screens July 10th, 2026.
Another year, another live-action adaption of an animated Disney property. After 2025 offered up both the flop Snow White and unexpected smash Lilo & Stitch, the latest title arriving on screens is one of the most beloved in the studio’s recent history. The 2016 hit Moana was a visually striking and enjoyable tale that really connected with young viewers and their parents. And so, it was only a matter of time before this story got the same kind of big-budget treatment. But where does it fit in among Disney’s live-action adaptations?
Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) is a young woman living on the island of Motunui with her father, Chief Tui (John Tui), mother Sina (Frankie Adams), and eccentric Gramma Tala (Rena Owen). The latter encourages the youngster to explore her interest in the sea beyond the reef, even though her father forbids it. But it’s a good idea, as the island’s harvests are dying, leaving the community in peril. Moana learns that more than one-thousand years ago, demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole a powerful stone heart from the goddess of nature, Te Fiti. And now, an enormous lava-spewing demon Te Kā is the force exuding matter that might be causing the destruction of their crops. Moana also discovers that her people were once known for sailing across the vast waters. When the magical heart stone comes into her possession, Moana sets out to find Maui, and use him to help locate Te Fiti, so that the heart can be returned and her home saved.
The casting here is fine, with Laga’aia proving herself to be convincing as the title character. Of course, Johnson, who provided the voice of Maui in the animated film, is perfectly cast as the sneaky and self-involved but still likable demigod. And, for those who remember the monstrous, supernatural, jewel-obsessed crab Tanatoa, Jemaine Clement also returns to provide the voice for the updated CGI-creation. Naturally, the two returnees also have no trouble in rerecording their familiar musical numbers.
There is also a lot of flash and sparkle on display, from the natural beauty of the islands, to a few amusing visual embellishments that occur during numbers like, “You’re Welcome”. The floating fortress of the coconut creatures known as the Kakamora is bigger in this adaptation and impressive to behold (although in the moment, their barge actually reminded me of the elaborate floating sets from the 1995 film, Waterworld).
But despite its impressive appearance and cast, this film never comes to life. As mentioned, Moana is a much-loved property, and it’s clear that the moviemakers didn’t want to offend by making any dramatic changes to the story. So, they literally don’t change anything. A few lines are added to scenes, there are a couple of brief reprisals of songs, and other miniscule additions, but little else is different.
And there could have been plenty to explore. One might be interested in seeing the Kakamora in more than one sequence and learn more about them. Perhaps a deeper reason they may want the powerful stone so badly? Or, while it might seem silly, perhaps develop Moana’s one-note pet chicken a little more and actually give it a character arc. Heck, even just add a new, unanticipated challenge for the title character, both to surprise viewers and help her on her journey from young woman to leader. Sadly, nothing of the kind happens in this adaptation. There is one new song, but even that is simply thrown in as the end credits roll.
It’s all exactly the same. One can understand how purists might initially see that as a good thing, but a live-action film is a different artform from an animated one. Here, going through the identical motions results in a flat lifelessness to the proceedings. There are no thrills or shocks, just the same beats repeated until the credits roll. And, if the original from only a few years back told its story so well that the makers were hesitant to change anything, then it ultimately renders this entire production unnecessary.
Sadly, this new take on Moana is anything but new. It’s well-produced, but the cast aren’t allowed to do anything fresh in order to hold our interest for two hours. In the end, one would be better advised to skip this journey and rewatch the original instead.
