By Jasmine Ong
When I heard that Moana was going to get a live-action remake, I was one of those people that questioned if the decision was a necessary one.
Don’t get me wrong — I loved Moana as an animated film, but I was on the fence with turning it into a live-action film after we just got the animated sequel in 2024.
Image courtesy of Disney.
Despite being a naysayer, this is one of those moments where I stand corrected, and am grateful that this remake did not end up a scrapped project.
As a remake, Moana takes the story of its animated counterpart and adds more depth, character, and grandeur that further fleshes out the 2016 film, turning it into a wayfaring adventure I didn’t expect to love.
For those requiring a refresher, Moana tells the story of a girl who is prompted to leave her home island of Motunui to save it from being destroyed. To do this, she will need to enlist the help of Demi-God Maui to restore the heart of the goddess, Te Fiti.
Image courtesy of Disney.
Reprising his role as Maui, Dwayne Johnson surprisingly delivered on the quirks and antics that we fell in love with, proving that there was really no one else who could bring the boisterous Demi-God to life than the man who voiced him.
Rather than finding his acting cheesy or tacky, I felt that Dwayne shone in this role, not only with the great chemistry with his young co-star Catherine Laga’aia (who plays Moana), but also in the ability to deliver during emotional scenes; especially when only the subtlest of reaction was needed.
Image courtesy of Disney.
It’s never easy to take on a big titular role, even more so when it’s a beloved Disney character, but Catherine Laga’aia greatly impressed with her portrayal of Moana, adding nuances to the character which we might otherwise not have been able to see in an animation.
She even showed that beyond the acting parts of her character, she could also sing with as much clarity and heart as Auli’i Cravalho did in the animated version.
Image courtesy of Disney.
I have to make a special mention for Jemaine Clement who reprised his role as the very showy Tamatoa — though he was yet again playing the role from a sound booth, I somehow felt he had more range to play with the character since they kinda gave it an upgrade visually.
Beyond the story and the acting, we have to talk about the music of Moana. As a fan of the lyrical genius that is Lin-Manuel Miranda, having him back on board only meant it was going to be yet another great musical journey to be had.
And I was not disappointed.
Not only did the songs feel more impactful in the scenes this time, but the way that they were used made the songs more endearing.
Image courtesy of Disney.
I’ve always loved “We Know The Way”, for its storytelling in the lyrics and to see it come to life with the accompanying visuals, made me feel literal goosebumps. It was a profound moment that celebrated culture and tradition, and I could feel this immense awe and respect just listening to the lyrics and watching it translate so beautifully in live-action.
Also, props to Lin for creating yet another possible ear worm with “Along The Way”, which not only had inspiring lyrics and a catchy tune, but also brings together the two voices of Moana in a bit of a passing the torch moment.
Even though I am still in the “let’s not make more unnecessary live-action films” camp, I have to admit that Moana pleasantly surprised in every way, and is definitely one of those remakes that I’m happy to watch again and again.
You can watch the trailer for Moana here.
