“Moana” (2026) is a live action adaptation of the animated 2016 film. Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) struggles between obeying her father, Chief Tui (John Tui), and staying home on their island paradise or heeding the call of the ocean. When all their food sources begin to dry up, Gramma Tala (Rena Owen), offers a possible solution: look for demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson reprising the role) and have him restore the heart of Te Fiti, the source of all creation. Sounds easy except it means disobeying generations of wisdom, facing danger in many forms and convincing Maui to follow her lead. To succeed, they need to remember who they are. Will they? Faithful devotees to the original will believe that a live action iteration is unnecessary, but newcomers may prefer to see human beings instead of animated characters bring the action to life.
Full disclosure: I saw the 2016 film for the first time the morning of the screening and thought that Chef Tui was drawn more impressively than Maui. Maui, whether in humanoid form or animal, seemed softer, more rounded and more like Jack Black. Here, Tui seems like a real person, and let’s face it, Johnson always looks unreal and is convincing as a demigod. Only you know how you feel about seeing Johnson in another movie and should act accordingly. He is even better in live action, especially during the Haka moments, but it is a particular thrill to see him dance and sing in the flesh. Because he is a star, it adds an additional layer of credibility to Maui’s journey of a celebrity high on his own supply to a more humble, less selfish and grateful version. His character’s lesson of the danger of trying to earn love goes too quickly in both versions, but the emotional beats work better because Johnson’s face projects his character’s feelings.
Laga’aia nails her film debut as the titular character. She is impossibly gorgeous, and though she still appears too young to go on solo adventures in the open ocean, it was challenging to tell the age of her animated counterpart, which made some scenes harder to stomach. As a teen, hanging out with a demi-god alone in the ocean, you may just be thankful that he is not a Greek or Roman god because it would be an entirely different, disturbing movie. She had great chemistry with all the characters. Considering that it is her first acting role, and she had such a physically challenging part while acting opposite a lot of green screens, she did better than a lot of actors with more experience. She has a fantastic singing voice.
This iteration of “Moana” also showed the aging progression of Gramma Tala, which felt very sudden in the animated version. Though many scenes are recreated faithfully, the vision and epiphany of the ancestors as voyagers is more moving in live action. All the singing and dance sequences are also more impressive because real people are executing choreographer Tana Nonosina Liufau’s moves, and it does feel as if Moana has restored that unbroken chain. You do not have to share the same ancestors to feel chills at the restoration of a story so Moana can be the leader that she wants and needs to be. It is less of a fantasy to see a fully realized world of life before colonization instead of a drawing. Maybe that is the subconscious problem for some: that Pacific Islanders’ past looks more majestic than more primitive, unwashed counterparts.
“Moana” gets a mixed verdict when it comes to the action scenes. Director Thomas Kail does a great job showing the sweeping vistas, so you feel that you are on the ocean, but occasionally it is harder to discern where everyone is in relation to each other. During the confrontation with Te Ka, the lava goddess, it was more obvious why she could not reach them in the water, and how she used the lava flow to break and reform herself as a way of chasing them. Each scene has a level of visual articulation that ensures that the viewer understands the action in a more detailed way instead of assuming that the action will be easy to pick up. The animation of the darkness engulfing Motunui is superior and more harrowing than the live action, which means live action is more suitable for children, but makes the stakes feel a skosh less urgent.
There are some slight changes that may not be as noticeable if you have not seen the original recently. Maui seems less like a villain in the opening, especially since he is already talking to his tattoos. Some lines get added here and there to highlight themes. For example, while rescuing the baby turtle so it can get to the ocean, Moana says, “You want to go to the ocean. Yeah, me too.” The meeting scenes seem more formal. Everyone is a little more careful with the heart than in the animated version where it is easier to retrieve without losing time. Also, there are slight changes to Moana’s first attempt at an ocean voyage likely for the same reason. It changed the order of the dream sequences, but it still worked in terms of the narrative structure. The lines are a little funnier, and the initial meeting between Moana and Maui is more nuanced before she becomes glamoured. The last vision sequence is amplified in a thematically powerful way that continues the pre-colonial paradise theme. It does lose a little oomph at not spending more time distinguishing between sailing and wayfaring. The good news is that the chicken is moderately smarter, and there are less awkward moments about the joys of eating pork around Pua.
It was notably generous for a lot of the original cast not to reprise their roles. It is uncertain if Temuera Morrison was in the running to play Moana’s father again but considering that he is so well known for being Boba Fett or Aquaman’s dad, it is nice to spread the wealth. Rachel House is a legend, but too young to play a grandma onscreen though Owen probably leaned heavily on makeup and acting to be convincing. Jermaine Clement does return as the voice of Tamatoa, a giant crab who has Maui’s hook, which gives Maui his shapeshifting powers. Clement does not miss a beat singing “Shiny;” however, it is scenes like that which makes the line between live action and animated seem indiscernible and may make potential movie goers think twice about leaving the comfort of home for the theater. Fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda will be pleased to know that he returns to make an original song, “Along the Way,” which appears in grand form during the closing credits.
It does feel strange for a live action version to exist while a third sequel is in the mix. It may have been a better idea to create the live action version before the second installment, especially since rumors are that the sequel did not pack the same punch. Fans of the franchise may be tapped out, but if it is new to you or you are a fan of the cast, it is definitely worth a trip to the theater.
