Moana (2026) Review: Catherine Laga'aia Shines in Disney's Familiar Retelling

Disney's live-action remake campaign continues with Moana, bringing one of its most beloved modern animated films into the real world. While the movie delivers stunning visuals, memorable songs, and strong performances, it also raises the same question that has followed many of these remakes: did this story really need to be retold?

Kids will love this film. From a visual standpoint, it's colorful, and it brings two fan-favorite characters to life with all the music, locations, and story beats they already love. For some younger viewers, this will even be their first introduction to these characters.

For adults and older kids, though, this is just another unnecessary retelling with a fresh coat of paint, Dwayne Johnson wearing a muscle suit and wig, and not much else.

Moana reimagines the 2016 animated classic, with newcomer Catherine Laga'aia wonderfully portraying Moana. Answering the ocean's call, she ventures beyond the reef of Motunui for the first time alongside the infamous demigod Maui, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role from the original animated film.

Now, don't get me wrong the film isn't horrible. But if you've seen the animated movie, you've essentially seen this one. The story is almost a shot-for-shot retelling. While some people may think that's perfectly fine, others, myself included, will find it a little pointless. That's honestly the biggest issue with Disney's live-action remakes. Some films make enough changes to justify revisiting the story, while others stick so closely to the original that it never feels like there's a reason to exist beyond making money.

Visually, the film is beautiful. Outside of a few obvious soundstage and green screen moments, the island locations are stunning. Everything is recognizable and wonderfully recreated from the animated film.

The musical numbers were also a hit for me. Catherine Laga'aia makes Moana's songs her own, and I enjoyed every one of them. Dwayne Johnson's standout moment is, of course, "You're Welcome." They recreated the entire sequence from the animated movie, and Johnson brings much more energy and personality to Maui than what we saw in those early trailers.

John Tui, who plays Chief Tui, was another highlight. You can genuinely feel the father-daughter chemistry between him and Catherine throughout the film. As a longtime Power Rangers fan, it's also great seeing one of my favorite former Power Rangers actors in such a major Disney role.

Rena Owen is also excellent as Moana's grandmother. Even though she doesn't have a huge amount of screen time, she captures the warmth and wisdom that made the character so memorable in the original.

I honestly just wish Disney had expanded on the story or waited until Moana wasn't still so fresh in people's minds. We just got the sequel, and now a third animated film is reportedly in development. Because of that, this remake feels more like a money grab than a necessary reimagining, despite having a talented cast.

If you have kids, absolutely take them to see this movie, they're going to have a great time. But if you're someone who's grown tired of Disney's live-action remake machine, this one probably isn't going to change your mind.

Overall, Moana is a visually entertaining remake with a talented cast and enjoyable musical performances, but it's held back by its reluctance to do anything new with a story we've already seen.