The temperatures continue to soar, it’s hotter than h-e double hockey sticks, the week drained me, and I was ready to venture out to my local theater once again to bask in the freezing cold of my local movie theater to reset and relax. This week I took in the live-action version of Disney’s 2016 hit, Moana. I loved the original animated film for the last decade and went in hoping against hope that they nailed this one too. With snacks successfully smuggled, favorite crew member caught up with (haven’t seen her in ages and was worried she had passed) I settled in and awaited the Disney magic...
...and for me I’m still waiting.
Moana (2026) is a faithful copy and paste recreation of the original film with a few tweaks here and there including a couple new songs giving it an expanded runtime of 1 hour 55 minutes which somehow manages to fall flat. The musical numbers thrill and shine (I’ve had the soundtrack stuck in my head for the last 24 hours) but everything else just lays there needing something more, much like that monstrosity of a wig Dwayne Johnson wears. No, unlike the original Sonic, they didn’t bother to fix that Beyonce wig from the trailer and when it wasn’t wet or pulled back it was as distracting as you’d think.
I’m not sure what it is, but there’s just something missing in this version. The characters, particularly Gramma Tala lack spice. The emotional depth, nuance, sly wickedness just isn’t present, and I felt every moment of it.
The CGI is a hit and miss affair with random visuals not working and others being absolutely stunning. Te Ka is definitely one of the film’s highlights and is even scarier than in the animated version.
Moana (2026) is technically a fine film, but the heart, humor, energy, and soul of Moana (2016) fis missing and save for the musical numbers where the film really “pops” had me longing for another rewatch of the original. Yet another film I won’t categorize as “bad” per se, but it’s certainly a cheaper imitation of the original that left me feeling film listless. A sentiment shared by the kids in the audience I watched with.
There’s nothing fresh about the story, the characters, and even the new music doesn’t add enough to justify venturing out in the heat to see this one on the big screen. You don’t even get a bonus end credit scene this go ‘round. Smacks of a money grab more than anything else.
Moana (2026) gets a disappointed 5.5 from me.
#Moana2026
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