# Moana live-action remake left disappointingly flat, Collider critic finds

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/moana-review-the-rocks-live-action-disney-remake-isnt-a-voyage-worth-taking/
- Published: 2026-07-10T14:39:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-11T09:14:48+00:00
- Original publisher: Collider
- Original article: https://collider.com/moana-2026-live-action-review/
- Topics: Americas, Art, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Film, World

## Key points

- Critic finds the live-action Moana flat and unnecessary.
- The Rock returns as Maui; Catherine Laga'aia plays Moana.
- Disney's remakes are lucrative but increasingly risk-averse.

## Summary

Collider critic Taylor Gates has reviewed Disney's new live-action remake of *Moana*, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Maui and newcomer Catherine Laga'aia as Moana, and found it underwhelming. Published on 8 July 2026, the review argues that the film feels unnecessary — particularly as the animated original was released only a decade ago — and that, while nothing is grievously wrong with it, most of its elements fall "disappointingly flat".

The review places the remake within Disney's long-running trend of live-action reimaginings, which date back to the 1990s with *The Jungle Book* and *101 Dalmatians* and have appeared at least annually since 2015's *Cinderella*. Gates notes that titles such as *Beauty and the Beast* (2017), *The Lion King* (2019) and *Lilo & Stitch* (2025) each earned Disney over a billion dollars, making them relatively safe bets amid economic uncertainty, with a live-action *Tangled* filming and a *Lilo & Stitch* sequel in pre-production. The piece also recaps the familiar plot: 16-year-old Moana is chosen by the ocean to return the goddess Te Fiti's stolen heart, teaming up with the demigod Maui and battling foes from coconut pirates to a giant crab.

## Coverage

- [Collider: Moana live-action remake left disappointingly flat, Collider critic finds](https://collider.com/moana-2026-live-action-review/)
- [Polygon: Moana 2026 review: a Disney remake adrift at sea](https://www.polygon.com/moana-review-live-action-2026/)
- [Variety: u2018Moanau2019 Review: The First Disney Live-Action Remake That Works 100%](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/moana-live-action-review-dwayne-johnson-1236802858/)

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