The Wasteland Reviewer

Moana (2026) Written Review

After 10 years, are we ready for another version of Moana? Plenty has been said about this whole situation when it comes to Disney Studios and their fascination with remaking their beloved animated films in “live action”. This label is a bit of a misnomer because so many of these big, budgeted films are brought to life by a computer with computer-generated effects that are just a different version of animation. But for the most part, there have been significant gaps in time between the release of these films. Decades have passed on some of these classics…but not Moana. 10 years is a short time, but when the call of money comes, Dwayne Johnson and the rest of the crew bring this “new” version to the silver screen.

What makes Moana (2026) any different from Moana (2016)? To state it clearly, this is the same exact narrative. There are no changes in that at all, and you will be taken beat by beat through the same film you watched 10 years ago. With the use of more photo realistic visuals, this version does feel less vibrant and a little flatter from a visual perspective. This live action version of the film is longer than the animated version and a significant factor is the pacing. This film still moves quite quickly but there are choices to let certain scenes breathe a little longer (which has its positives). Some of the energy of the original film is lost along the way though. Another padding of the runtime is an injection of more jokes, specifically from Johnson’s Maui. Most of these new jokes are anachronistic and a little lame. They do not match the charming humor of the film and drag it down a bit. Overall, there are not a lot of changes, but they mostly make a film less effective. But to clearly state once again…this is the same story.

How does the reconfigured cast bring this film to life? The place to start is the two main returning players. Johnson certainly brings his natural charisma and charm to the character of Maui (once again). As mentioned before, not all his added humor lands but he still is more entertaining than not. That wig though…it is quite distracting. Jemaine Clement returns to voice the large hermit crab villain, Tamatoa, and still nails this fun antagonist (and his catchy jam “Shiny”). Clement does try some quirkier line readings and voice choices while singing this time which might not work as well but his overall performance still delivers. The rest of the main cast (Moana and her family) were recast for this live action outing and they all delivered. Catherine Laga’aia was a great find for Moan as she delivers the singing elements as well as the acting. There are some key moments of heart when Laga’aia gets emotional, but she also delivers the charm and presence of a young leader finding herself. John Tui and Frankie Adams bring heart and soul to Moana’s parents in a meaningful way. Rachel House was a real standout from the original as Gramma Tala and Rena Owen take the reins so well. She has the quirks and the heart necessary to bring this wise and meaningful character to life on screen.

Does the rest of the film piece together well? The hero’s journey of Moana fulfilling her people’s past as sea-bound adventurers and finding her salt as a future chief hits just as well. There are some thrilling set pieces again with the high seas Mad Max inspired chase as well as the battle with a giant volcanic monster. The visual effects are quite effective for most of the film (there are some awkward moments here and there) but this does feel like a massive, budgeted effort. There isn’t a lot but the times there are tangible set designs truly stand out in this experience. The vocal performances are excellent and bring the beloved music of Lin Manuel Miranda to life yet again on screen. Even the new music is charming and fits well with the rest of the film.

What is the verdict? The truth of the matter is this new Moana does little to set itself apart from the original. The harder pill to swallow is that almost every aspect of the film just falls short of the original. This makes you question whether seeing this instead of rewatching the original is quite easy. If you are looking for an engaging trip to the theater, this does deliver that. But if you don’t need that, the original is going to be an easy choice over Thoams Kail’s remake.