Disney's latest live-action remake, Moana, hits cinemas this weekend, but critics argue it is a pointless, lazy cash-grab that undermines artistic creativity. The 2026 version is an almost identical shot-for-shot remake of the 2016 animated film, co-written by original scribe Jared Bush and running only eight minutes longer. While visually spectacular, the film offers little new, prompting claims that Hollywood deserves the AI takeover threatening the industry.
A faithful but uninspired retelling
The live-action Moana follows the same plot: Moana of Motunui, played by Catherine Lagaʻaia, defies her father to restore nature's balance by persuading demigod Maui, reprised by Dwayne Johnson, to return a magical stone. The film sticks beat-for-beat to original jokes and sequences, with only minor updates like a scant backstory for Maui and more emphasis on environmental imbalance. Lin-Manuel Miranda, promoted to producer, contributes a new song, Along the Way, featuring vocals from Lagaʻaia, original Moana Auliʻi Cravalho, and Johnson. However, the song makes little impact.
Criticism of Hollywood's reliance on remakes
Reviewers note that the remake feels generated by an AI prompt, given its close adherence to the original. Tori Brazier, Senior Film & Entertainment Reporter, writes: "It's all just very obvious – and lazy. If this is what the biggest studios in Hollywood insist on continuing to do, then they deserve the AI takeover that's threatening – even beckoning – because it's not artistry." The film's reported $250 million budget, per Variety, risks tanking based on opening weekend tracking, though Disney's previous live-action remakes like Lilo & Stitch and Moana 2 each grossed over $1 billion.
Comparison to other adaptations
Unlike the 2025 Snow White remake, which expanded story and characters, Moana offers no creative risks. Johnson's performance, while charismatic in 2016, feels flat in human form, with his wig and 40-pound bodysuit serving as distractions. Jemaine Clement returns as Tamatoa, but his role adds nothing new. The film's safety contrasts with risk-taking summer hits like horror films Backrooms and Obsession, and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which challenges technical and artistic boundaries.
Audience and industry impact
Chief Critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh questions: "How soon is too soon?" noting the remake features the same key cast, with Johnson now looking like "Maui's dad." She argues the film's message about forging boldly from safety is undermined by its own anchored approach. As theatrical releases compete with streaming, Moana does not champion cinema's best. With AI-generated films like Hell Grind debuting at Cannes, critics warn that if live-action Moana represents non-AI output, Hollywood deserves no better.
