Early reactions to Disney's live-action Moana remake have been largely negative, with many critics and viewers describing the film as "ugly," "bland," and "unnecessary." The movie, which premiered recently in Los Angeles, has drawn comparisons to its animated predecessor, with many finding the new take to be a "soulless" imitation.
Commentary emerging on social media paints a picture of disappointment. Matt Neglia, EIC of Next Best Picture, stated that the remake is "nearly shot-for-shot, beat-for-beat" and offers nothing new. He specifically criticized the heavy reliance on green-screen and CGI, which he felt made the visuals "flat" and "inauthentic." Neglia also noted that Dwayne Johnson's performance as Maui was hampered by a "distracting fake body suit."
Jonathan Sim, an entertainment reporter, echoed these sentiments, calling the film a "shot-for-shot, line-by-line remake without a single original idea." Sim further described it as a "creatively bankrupt cash grab with zero interesting direction," questioning the purpose of the remake when the original animated film is readily available on Disney+.
Criticisms extended to the film's aesthetic, with Tyler Taing of Discussing Film labeling it "one of the ugliest movies of the year." He observed that the photorealistic style "takes more than it gives" and lacks any novel concepts. Germain Lussier of Gizmodo suggested the remake is a "slower, darker & less whimsical" version of the original, finding that while song scenes retained some magic, the overall tone was lost.
Despite the predominantly negative feedback, a few early viewers offered more positive impressions. Film and TV critic Tessa Smith expressed surprise at how much she enjoyed the remake, praising Catherine Laga'aia's performance as Moana and noting "truly stunning shots." Mary Sue EIC Rachel Leishman found the remake's faithfulness to the original to be a positive, stating it was "fun" and that Laga'aia was a "perfect Moana," though she felt Johnson was outshined. Journalist Fabricio Giraob offered a neutral perspective, calling the film "Okay at best" and the "most copy-and-paste Disney remake yet," but one that never reached the brilliance of the animated version.
The live-action Moana is set to arrive in theaters on July 10. The original film and its sequel are currently available to stream on Disney+.