When I saw the thriller for this movie, I had mixed feelings because let me be honest from the beginning... I LOVE the original animated Moana... That movie had everything... The music was incredible, the characters were memorable, the ocean felt alive, and Moana herself was one of those Disney characters you actually wanted to root for.... So when Disney announced a live-action version, my first reaction was basically… “But why?” and after watching it, I still don't completely have an answer..
The 2026 movie follows the same basic story we already know. Moana is the daughter of Chief Tui and a young woman who feels strongly connected to the ocean... Her island is facing a serious problem and she eventually sets out across the sea to return the heart of Te Fiti and save her people.... Along the way, she meets Maui, played once again by Dwayne Johnson and this is where the movie becomes both familiar and enjoyable...
Catherine Laga'aia actually did a good job as Moana. Considering this is her feature-film debut, I thought she carried the character surprisingly well... She has that determination and innocence that Moana needs, and I could see why Disney chose her and then there is Dwayne Johnson... Honestly, nobody was going to replace his Maui... He already voiced the character in the animated movie, so bringing him back was probably the safest decision Disney could make... His chemistry with Catherine is probably one of the better things about this remake....
But here's my problem....We've already seen this movie... Almost everything feels like a recreation of something we already watched in 2016. The story hasn't changed enough to make the journey feel fresh... That's the biggest weakness for me..
When you're watching a remake, I want to feel like you're giving me something new... Maybe explore a character more deeply. Maybe expand the mythology.. Maybe change certain scenes. Give me a reason to say, “Okay, this is why they made this version.” but Moana 2026 mostly feels like the animated movie wearing human clothes and ironically, that's where the "live-action" thing becomes funny...
There is so much CGI and digital work that sometimes I was sitting there thinking, “Wait… isn't this basically animation again?” .. The ocean, Maui's tattoos, the creatures, the environments... there's a lot happening digitally..
That doesn't mean the movie looks bad. Some of the visuals are genuinely beautiful. The ocean scenes are huge and cinematic and the production design does a good job bringing the world of Motunui into live action but sometimes the CGI also makes the movie feel less magical than the original and that's strange... The animated Moana had a certain freedom to it. Everything could be exaggerated... Everything belonged in that world but here you're watching real people standing inside an extremely digital environment, and occasionally you can feel the difference....
Now let's talk about the music.... The music is still fire.. Songs like How Far I'll Go and You're Welcome remain ridiculously catchy.... Lin-Manuel Miranda's music is one of the reasons the original movie became so memorable and thankfully the remake doesn't mess around too much with that..
There is also a new song, and while I wouldn't say it replaces the classics, it fits nicely into the movie...
The emotional parts also worked for me, especially Moana's relationship with her family and her connection to her grandmother.
But again, I couldn't completely escape the feeling that I was watching something I had already experienced and that's the biggest issue with Moana (2026). It's not a terrible movie.... Actually, I think it's a decent family adventure... It's entertaining, the cast is good, the music is still excellent, and Catherine Laga'aia gives us a Moana that is easy to root for... But compared with the original?.. the original wins. Easily...
The 2026 version feels more like Disney reminding us that Moana exists rather than Disney finding a new reason for us to fall in love with it...
Would I recommend watching it? Yes, especially if you've never seen the animated version or if you're simply curious about the live-action adaptation but if you've already watched the original several times, don't expect some completely different experience... You're basically getting the same meal, just served on a more expensive plate...
Rating: 75/100
