This New 32%-Rated Live-Action Remake of a Disney Animation Proves This Trend Needs to Stop

Disney released a live-action remake of Moana exactly ten years after the animated movie's release. The idea seemed dubious from the start – the original film was still fresh in audiences' memories, so it wouldn't evoke nostalgia.

As expected, Moana earned $95 million in its opening weekend against a $250 million budget and is expected to lose an estimated $125 million.

Here's why this remake is a symbol of Disney's failure of its classic-recycling machine.

What Is 'Moana' About?

The live-action movie is a verbatim copy of the 2016 animation. The daughter of the chief of Motunui embarks on a perilous ocean journey to find the demigod Maui and return the stolen heart of the goddess Te Fiti.

In doing so, she must save her island from a curse and prove herself worthy of becoming chief. The journey is accompanied by musical numbers that sound just as good as the original.

However, the movie offers nothing more than a literal translation of the animation into reality.

'Moana' Is a Frame-By-Frame Adaptation That Lacks Soul

The main criticism of the remake is its complete creative ineptitude. It offers no new perspective, merely copying the original frame by frame and sometimes even repeating the same camera angles.

The original animation was vibrant and magical, but despite attempts to recreate the atmosphere, the new version came out flat and lifeless. This dissonance is particularly noticeable in scenes featuring CGI characters – for example, actors interacting with an animated rooster appear unnatural.

Dwayne Johnson's portrayal of Maui, especially his wig, has become the subject of ridicule online. The overreliance on CGI, from the ocean to the pets, only exacerbates the situation, creating the effect of a cheap video game rather than a live-action film.

A Decade Is Insufficient Time for Nostalgia to Set In

The secret to the success of previous Disney live-action remakes, such as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, was nostalgia. Audiences who grew up with these animated movies 30 to 40 years ago flocked to theaters to relive their favorite stories.

However, nostalgia didn't work for Moana – the original movie is only ten years old and still fresh in people's memories. The situation was exacerbated by the 2024 release of the animated sequel Moana 2, which became a hit, grossing a billion dollars.

Two sequels in two years saturated the market, and a third movie about the same heroine was just unwanted.

Moana is a wake-up call for the studio that its strategy of mindlessly copying classics for profit no longer works.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Moana'?

• Moana has 32% from critics and 90% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.7/10.

• On Letterboxd, Moana scored 3.2/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Moana'?

Moana is currently playing in theaters.