Dwayne Johnson has responded to the mixed critical reception for Disney’s live-action Moana, saying that early positive reviews were followed by less favourable reactions and that such shifts are part of the film business. He stressed that the film’s cultural representation mattered most to him, particularly as a person of Samoan heritage whose children could see themselves reflected on a major screen.

Released last month, the film received a 31% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes but an 88% audience score. It grossed $264 million worldwide against a reported $250 million production budget, while Catherine Laga’aia played Moana and Johnson returned as Maui; one favourable review described it as among Disney’s stronger live-action remakes.