Moana (Christian Movie Review)
The need for these live-action remakes remains an open question, but Moana represents the best possible outcome; a faithful remake bolstered by an earnest heroine worthy of her animated counterpart, and an adventure that will still entertain and inspire young viewers.
About the Film
“And no one knooooows, how far it goooooes….” This quote could refer to the ocean, or to Disney’s ambition to remake its animated films into live action. Having exhausted its classic canon, Disney sets its sights on Moana, a tale not yet a full decade old, but arguably the best of the modern era. The need for these live-action remakes remains an open question, but Moana represents the best possible outcome; a faithful remake bolstered by an earnest heroine worthy of her animated counterpart, and an adventure that will still entertain and inspire young viewers.
Disney is in a no-win scenario here. If the remake diverges from or reimagines the original (such as Snow White or Little Mermaid), it’s criticized for disrespecting the legacy of a cherished classic. If it remains faithful to the original (as Moana does), it’s criticized for redundancy and bringing nothing new to the table. There’s a widespread sentiment that these remakes simply have no reason to exist. But stories are meant to be retold. Disney’s animated classics were themselves often retellings of existing fairytales, and Moana’s story itself is just another iteration of Jospeh Campbell’s universal monomyth or Hero’s Journey. When moving beyond the comparison game with the animated original, it’s possible to enjoy these retellings merely as new vantage point on a great story.
In a vacuum where the original animated version doesn’t exist, and without the general stink toward modern Disney (and Hollywood at large), I think Moana (2026) works as a perfectly watchable and enjoyable adventure. It succeeds, in part, because the original story is excellent, and the remake is essentially a carbon copy of that story. There are subtle differences in tone, but no major plot alterations, new songs, or meaningful additions or subtractions. This may be Disney’s most one-to-one remake yet, as though merely flipping a switch in the film’s settings to go from animated mode to live action mode.
The remake’s superpower—and what elevates it above some of the previous remakes—is that newcomer actress Catherine Laga’aia is excellent as our new Moana. She perfectly captures the original’s feisty strength and earnest enthusiasm. Some of Moana’s bubbly personality has understandably been toned down, but Laga’aia is just as spunky and easy to root for. This may be the closest to an “animated character come to life” Disney has achieved yet. As a character, Moana remains a standout as a modern young role model, a brave and adventurous heroine ready to save her people rather than a passive damsel waiting for a handsome prince to rescue her with a kiss. I saw the film with my two young nieces (both sporting Moana dresses), and they loved it—and loved her— so in that sense, mission accomplished. Notably, the live action visuals do increase the intensity of some scenes (the storms or the monsters), but my 4-year-old niece handled it without trouble.
Moana carries the film, but Dwayne Johnson is also fine as Maui (awful wig, notwithstanding). Maui was essentially an animated rendering of Johnson, and he is himself an almost cartoonish figure in real life, so the live action transition is not as jarring as expected. Notably, more so than the animated film, this movie emphasizes that Maui is also a sort of Chosen One, giving his character’s journey a bit more weight and making him more a co-hero than a sidekick, which I appreciated.
A valid criticism against these Disney remakes is that they never offer addition, only subtraction. That’s arguably true here as well. There’s nothing better here than the original, and therefore some of the original’s sense of whimsy is lost as some charm is only possible through playful animation with oversized eyes and bright colors. The vibrancy of the visuals is more muted at times (such as the lush greenery of Te Fiti), and The Realm of Monsters is stripped down and less otherworldly and interesting (perhaps the film’s clearest showcase of the limitations of live action).
Even so, the visuals are certainly different but are not the clear downgrade as might be expected. Almost everything beyond the two human protagonists is animated, just with a more photorealistic aesthetic. The film still looks like a fairytale, rather than a grounded and realistic rendering. For example, Disney thankfully avoids sucking all the cute and endearing charm out of the animal sidekicks (Flounder from the live-action Little Mermaid still haunts my dreams), and HeiHei, the dimwitted chicken, remains a highlight of comic relief. There are also still plenty of moments of visual beauty that capture a sense of magic and wonder from the original, and the animation style during Maui’s “You’re Welcome” song is adapted more literally than expected, further blurring the lines between live action and animation.
In the end, Moana may not win over anyone determined to resist Disney’s remake project on principal. But while Disney may be driven by corporate greed to remake its animated classics there is nothing about the remake itself that feels carless or phoned-in. Moana (2016) may show too much reverence and respect for the animated original, but it beats the alternative (ie. this is not Snow White with a contempt for its source material). Adults can debate the merits of remaking a 10-year-old film, but the movie’s success may be better judged on whether it still inspires young viewers to want to become a Wayfinder and brave the dangerous oceans beyond the reef to save the world from evil. Moana (2026) may not be better, but it remains a good story, and good stories are always worth retelling.
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: As in the animated version, Moana yells, “Son of a….”, only now, rather than leave sentence unfinished, Maui adds, “Beach.” There are also several words like “sucks” and “bupkis.”
Violence: Beyond the harmless action, all violence is implied and off screen (including characters drowning, and a crab creature claiming to have eaten his mother). Maui’s backstory involves him being thrown into the water by his parents as a baby (a moment depicted only as a tattoo on his back).
Sexuality: None.
Other: As with the original, there is plenty of Polynesian inspired spirituality and mythology; full of gods, goddesses, and demi-gods. Maui is largely credited for acts of creation, such as creating islands for humans, and the goddess Te Fiti is attributed with creating life. When a character dies, they return later in the form of a ghost and an animal spirit. Maui comments that humans have done a poor job “worshiping me.”
Engage The Film
What Defines Our Identity
The story revolves around a quest for identity. Moana feels defined by societal expectations and struggles to balance her responsibilities to her family and her people with her yearning for the sea. Maui is defined by popular opinion and his magical hook. Even Moana’s family and tribe have lost their identity as sea voyagers. Symbolically, each of these characters begin on islands and are confronted with the barriers of the ocean and must break through these restrictions to find their true identity and purpose. This culminates in the powerful visuals during the climactic scene, in which both Moana and Te Fiti walk directly through the parted water (Moses-style), having both finally come to peace with their identity.
Throughout the film, Moana frequently repeats her name and her quest, but only at the end of the story, is finally able to sing with conviction, “I am Moana!” That song also includes the lyrics, sung by Moana’s grandmother, “The people you love will change you. The things you have learned will guide you. And nothing on Earth can silence. The quiet voice still inside you.” The song is titled “Song of the Ancestors”, so the full religious connotations is not perfectly compatible with Christianity, but the general truth is a wholesome and agreeable one—we are defined by our family, our life experiences, and a sense of spiritual calling. In a film about so-called Wayfinders using the stars to navigate the oceans, these three guiding principles are worthy of guiding our course.
