Photo via IMDb
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
It’s only been ten years since the animated film became a modern classic, so remaking it into a live-action movie now proves a pointless endeavor designed to steal money. “Moana” is the latest princess to be pimped out by Disney for a sleazy cash grab. The story is a regurgitation of the original, offering nothing new, hence no rationale for its existence.
In case you don’t remember, the chief’s daughter, Moana (Catherine Laga’aia), leaves the safety of her island on an adventure to restore the stolen heart of Te Fiti to save her people from famine. She recruits the help of a demi-god, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who is the thief of this heart. Together, they sail across the ocean, desperately trying to find a way past the lava demon known as Te Kā to fulfill their destiny and become heroes.
Thomas Kail is an inexperienced film director, who’s best known for bringing the ever-popular Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” to theaters. His inexperience is glaring. With only ten years separating this remake from the original, it would only make sense that there would be some fresh perspective or interesting new nuances to make this film relevant. Unfortunately, Kail simply plays it overly safe, issuing a complete retread of the original production. The plot is the same, the songs are the same, the characters are the same, and even the dialogue is the same. Other than seeing The Rock in a long, curly haired wig, there is absolutely no point in sitting through this film.
Without changes or surprises, viewers know exactly what to expect from start to finish, negating the sense of wonder and adventure the original film brought. This destroys the pacing, making the sub two-hour production feel like an ill-fated three-hour tour. The beginning of the film is extremely drawn out as Kail attempts to set up the pending adventure through tedious scenes and dialogue that drown the audience in monotony. The ending is also prolonged and agonizingly slow, and the middle of the film, where much of the entertainment and humor is to be found, feels rushed as if the director wants to make sure his audience doesn’t have too much fun.
Ironically, this live-action remake relies heavily on CGI, whether it’s the environment, the characters, or the visual effects. In fact, most of the scenes were shot on green screen and it shows. All the animal characters and Maui’s transformations into various creatures are unrealistic as digitized creations, again undermining the purpose of remaking this as a live action. Lost in translation is that spark of energy and emotional draw that the original movie captured so well through the vibrantly detailed animation. What viewers are left with is a soulless husk of a copy.
Auli’I Cravalho, who voiced the titular character in both animated films, declined to reprise the role, because she wanted another Pacific Islander to have an opportunity. Unfortunately, it is Catherine Laga’aia making her feature film debut, and her lack of acting experience is cruelly evident. She attacks every line with a smile, which is sweet in a way, but she smiles overly frequently, even when plot points suggest a more serious tone. It’s almost as if she was yanked off a high school stage, placed in front of all these cameras, and told to just smile the nervousness away. Ultimately, it is her lack of screen presence and genuine emotional inflection that derails her performance, even though she does her own singing.
If it wasn’t for the efforts of Dwayne Johnson and that CGI chicken, this movie would be a contender for worst of the year. Johnson’s quick-witted line delivery and natural flow supply some of the only moments of entertaining humor. Although, his movements, especially his dance moves, look slower and stiffer than usual, showing his advancing age. Or maybe he is just tired from having to carry every film in which he stars.
Similar to “Moana 2” in 2024, this is another shameful cash grab from Disney that does not deserve to take precious screen time from more quality-driven films. It’s best to leave “Moana” stranded on a deserted island, and simply rewatch the original from 2016, which is so much better in every possible way. If you’re looking for a decent family option in theaters to escape the heat, then look to “Toy Story 5” or “Minions & Monsters,” which are far more entertaining films for everyone.
This movie earns
