After ten years, is there really a need for a live-action remake of “Moana”? For purely economic reasons, the answer to the question is definitely “yes”. All you have to do is look at the worldwide box office receipts in cinemas and the record numbers for “Moana” and “Moana 2” on Disney+. From an artistic perspective, of course, things look different and many fans of the animated original from 2016 seem to have already answered the question with “no” – at least if you look at the many negative comments under the official trailers on YouTube.
Anyone who generally rejects live-action remakes (or the “Moana” remake in particular) will probably not let this criticism change their minds. We have good news for everyone else at this point: The heroine’s journey of the young Moana (or Moana in the original) is just as exciting and touching as a live-action film as the animated original. It’s just a shame that the bright colors and expressive images of the animated film had to give way to an interchangeable, color-desaturated blockbuster look. However, the remake’s charming ensemble largely makes up for this.
Now also in real life: Catherine Laga’aia as Moana
The young Moana (Catherine Laga’aia) lives with her family and tribe on the Polynesian island of Motunui. Her home actually seems to be paradise on earth and her father, Chief Tui (John Tui), has already chosen her as the future leader of her village. But even though it is strictly forbidden to cross the reef surrounding the island, Moana is always drawn out to sea, to which she has had a special connection since her childhood.
When the plants on Motunui are attacked by a mysterious disease and at the same time the fishermen’s nets remain empty, the existence of the tribe is threatened. Then Moana’s grandmother Tala (Rena Owen) reveals to her that her ancestors did not always live on the island, but were once travelers. This is the decisive push out the door for Moana. And so she finally sets out to find the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who once stole the heart of the goddess Te Fiti and thus brought the mysterious illness to humanity…
Just the same film again – only in real life!
The synopsis above already suggests it: The live-action film “Moana” tells exactly the same story as the animated film, and you almost have to look for differences with a magnifying glass. Anyone who knows the original well will know exactly what happens in every scene in the new edition – even if a small moment is missing here and there or a short new scene has been added. But that doesn’t change much of the effect of the story, because even the second time around, Moana’s development from a daughter torn between her sense of duty and her heart to an independent heroine and leader works brilliantly again.
This is thanks in large part to the film’s wonderful ensemble. Newcomer Catherine Laga’aia is a very good Moana, who not only credibly portrays the inner conflict of her character in touching scenes with Rena Owen (“The Last Warrior”) as her grandmother or Frankie Adams (“The Expanse”) as her mother. With her cheeky, charming grin, she also proves to be a more than equal scene partner for superstar Dwayne Johnson, with whom she harmonizes brilliantly.
Dwayne Johnson’s Maui wig looks a bit silly…
The former wrestler is clearly having fun bringing the character Maui, who he voiced in the original version of the animated film, to life in live action. To do this, he puts all his charisma and his entire screen presence into the balance – even if his somewhat silly wig gets in his way a little now and then. The wig has been discussed and ridiculed on the Internet since the second trailer for the live-action film and in fact here and there simply looks wrong on Johnson’s usually bald head. However, as soon as the hair is wet or tied up, this is much less of a problem.
Visually disappointing, but musically beyond any doubt
The (few) other weaknesses of “Moana” are mostly of a visual nature. As already mentioned in the introduction, the live-action film largely has the flat, color-desaturated look of many other current blockbusters. This is particularly disappointing with “Moana” because of the South Seas setting, which is actually so colorful. Especially since the live-action film was actually shot on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu. The live-action film literally pales in comparison to the animated film – just think of the ocean, which became a real character in the original thanks to its dazzling palette of hues.
The live-action film is significantly less colorful compared to the animated film.
However, the lack of visual expressiveness compared to the original is compensated for by the fact that director Thomas Kail (Emmy-winning for the musical recording “Hamilton”) relies on the expressiveness of real human faces. “Moana” is a film about big emotions, about difficult decisions and sad losses. And so Kail deliberately shows his actors in close-ups again and again in order to clarify the characters’ feelings. An animated film simply can’t do that – and that’s why the live film even wins in these moments in a direct comparison.
The great songs in the live-action film, on the other hand, are just as impressive as in the animated original: “How Far I’ll Go” or “I’m ready” in the German version was nominated for an Oscar for best song for a reason – and Catherine Laga’aia belts it out just as beautifully as her predecessor Auliʻi Cravalho from the animated film. The other songs also reliably give you goosebumps – or in the case of Dwayne Johnson’s “You’re Welcome” or “Fully glad”, a big grin. By the way, Kail stages the catchy tune as one of the few scenes completely different from the original: namely as a big show with Johnson as a rock star, who uses Moana’s rudder as a microphone, and even some animated elements.
Conclusion: “Moana” simply tells exactly the same story as the animated original from 2016 – almost scene for scene. But that doesn’t matter because the heroine’s journey of Moana is just as exciting and touching as a live-action film.