If you want better makeup quality
Choose Stop! That! Train!. It scores 5.0 vs 1.2 for makeup quality, with a 3.5 overall score.
Moana Movie Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for Catherine Laga’aia, Rena Owen, the familiar songs, and vibrant Polynesian representation. Skip it if you expect a fresh adventure; flat CGI, sluggish pacing, and near-shot-for-shot storytelling make the animated original the stronger choice.
Best for
Best for families or younger viewers who have not seen the animated film and want its songs and story performed by a strong Polynesian cast. It also suits fans especially interested in the costumes, cultural detail, and live performers.
Not for
Skip it if you want a bold reinterpretation, convincing live-action realism, or a stronger version of the familiar adventure. Existing fans may find the animated original more vibrant, funnier, and better paced.
Verdict
The live-action Moana survives on the strength of material that already worked: memorable songs, a clear coming-of-age adventure, and meaningful Polynesian representation. Catherine Laga’aia brings warmth, determination, and a strong voice, while Rena Owen gives the film its most affecting human moments. The craft is less consistent. Costumes, practical island details, tropical cinematography, and parts of the score impress, but the green-screen ocean, hybrid creatures, and Maui’s prosthetic look often feel artificial. Most critics also find the nearly beat-for-beat approach creatively unnecessary, with sluggish stretches and little reason to prefer it over the animated film. It remains watchable family entertainment, especially for newcomers, but its best qualities are inherited and its weakest choices come from trying to reproduce animation too literally.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
45 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.013 (29%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.45 (11%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.49 (20%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.413 (29%)
-
Very negative below 1.55 (11%)
Pros highlights
-
The returning songs are the remake’s most consistent strength, with How Far I’ll Go, We Know the Way, You’re Welcome, and Shiny still landing. The new end-credits song receives much weaker reactions.
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Moana and Maui sometimes have snappy, playful friction that keeps the adventure moving. Other critics found the pairing awkward, stiff, or short on the effortless camaraderie of the animated film.
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The Polynesian and Pacific Islander cast, dance, music, community rituals, and physical diversity are consistently celebrated. The live performers make Motunui’s culture feel more tangible and specific.
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The core tale of identity, leadership, restoration, and voyaging remains strong, clear, and emotionally accessible. The remake benefits greatly from inheriting one of Disney’s better modern stories.
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The practical clothing is one of the remake’s clearest craft strengths, with rich texture, careful cultural detail, and convincing weathering. Liz McGregor’s work translates the animated designs with impressive precision.
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The strongest images are crisp tropical vistas, sweeping island views, and bright ocean colors. Oscar Faura’s long shots give the production some genuine scale even when effects-heavy scenes feel enclosed.
Cons highlights
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The overwhelming complaint is that the remake adds almost nothing new. Its shot-for-shot instincts, recycled staging, and fear of meaningful change make it feel more like imitation than reinterpretation.
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The tropical palette, costumes, and occasional stylized musical passages can be attractive. Much of the movie still looks flat, overprocessed, stagebound, or less vibrant than the animation it copies.
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The songs, cultural detail, and occasional bursts of whimsy provide real pleasure. Overall enjoyment is limited by repetition, flat stretches, and the constant sense that the animated film offers the same experience more vividly.
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Moana’s songs, her bond with Tala, and parts of the finale can still move audiences. Much of the remake, however, feels emotionally muted because it recreates familiar moments without restoring their original spark.
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A few water effects, Kakamora scenes, and stylized sequences impress, but the dominant look is polished yet artificial. Green-screen backgrounds and cartoon creatures frequently lack physical weight.
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This is an exceptionally faithful adaptation, preserving nearly every plot beat, song, joke, and character turn. That accuracy will comfort some viewers but is also the main reason others find it redundant.
Cast & Creators
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TalaShe is one of the most consistently praised performers, giving Tala warmth, mischief, wisdom, and emotional gravity. Her scenes with Moana are frequently described as the film’s most touching.
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MoanaShe brings a bright, earnest presence, strong vocals, and convincing determination to Moana. Some critics find her constrained by the close imitation of the original performance, but she is widely viewed as a promising lead.
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TuiHe gives Chief Tui warmth, dignity, and a grounded parental presence. His work helps the family and village feel credible even when the surrounding effects do not.
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CinematographerHis cinematography delivers crisp tropical color, lush scenery, and several beautiful island long shots. The location imagery provides welcome scale when the effects allow it.
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SinaShe makes the most of a smaller role as Sina, adding warmth and family texture. Her contribution is often praised alongside John Tui’s.
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Costume DesignerHer costumes are richly detailed, culturally textured, and carefully matched to the animated designs. The work is repeatedly cited as one of the production’s strongest tangible elements.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Movies, this product is above average in age appropriateness, ending satisfaction, romance quality, near average in soundtrack quality, dialogue quality, below average in visual style, originality, makeup quality.
Comparison summary
45 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher14 (31%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts5 (11%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower26 (58%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| visual style | 1.8 | 4.0 | -2.3 |
| originality | 1.1 | 3.3 | -2.2 |
| makeup quality | 1.2 | 3.6 | -2.4 |
| value for money | 1.2 | 3.4 | -2.2 |
| age appropriateness | 5.0 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
| realism | 1.3 | 3.5 | -2.2 |
| directing quality | 2.0 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| critic appeal | 1.5 | 3.4 | -1.9 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better value for money
Choose Wicked: For Good. It scores 5.0 vs 1.2 for value for money, with a 3.5 overall score.
If you want better critic appeal
Choose Project Hail Mary. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for critic appeal, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better visual style
Choose Heart of the Beast. It scores 5.0 vs 1.8 for visual style, with a 3.9 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Beauty and the Beast
- Worse: live-action remake execution This Moana is presented as livelier and more successful than Beauty and the Beast.
How to Train Your Dragon
- Worse: runtime expansion Moana adds far less unnecessary runtime than How to Train Your Dragon.
Psycho
- Similar: shot-for-shot faithfulness Its extreme fidelity is compared to the famously literal Psycho remake.
FAQ
Is the live-action Moana worth seeing if I already love the animated film?
It offers strong songs, cultural representation, and several appealing performances, but it follows the original extremely closely. Viewers who want a fresh interpretation are likely to prefer rewatching the animated version.
Are the songs still good?
Yes. The returning soundtrack is the most consistently praised part, especially How Far I’ll Go, We Know the Way, You’re Welcome, and Shiny, though the new end-credits song is less memorable.
How are Catherine Laga’aia and Dwayne Johnson?
Laga’aia is widely praised for her warmth, determination, presence, and singing. Johnson is more divisive, with a few lively musical moments but frequent criticism that his Maui feels restrained and less charming than the animated performance.
Does the CGI look convincing?
Only sometimes. Water effects and a few stylized sequences work, but many critics describe the green-screen environments and hybrid creatures as flat, artificial, or lacking physical weight.
Is it a good family movie?
The story remains accessible, musical, and centered on courage, family, identity, and community. Families new to Moana may enjoy it, while those familiar with the original may find this version less colorful and less magical.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Breakfast All Day movie reviews
- Review score
- 3.8
Article Reviews
the-independent.com
- Review score
- 2.2
chicagotribune.com
- Review score
- 3.5
theglobeandmail.com
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