When you watch the original 2016 Moana, you believe the unbelievable. You believe that a demigod who can turn into a hawk stole an ancient stone that doomed the world around him. You believe that little coconut-sized creatures can shoot darts. You believe that a giant crab collects gold and sings. And you believe those things because the movie is animated and has a certain look and feel, which creates an unspoken whimsy. The world itself feels real, even when it’s obviously not. Funny then that the “real” version of Moana feels so incredibly fake.
This new Moana is the latest in Disney’s long-running streak of live-action adaptations of its animated classics. It’s done Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The Lion King, and even The Little Mermaid. But, unlike most of those films, Moana came out much more recently. Those movies, for the most part, were separated by decades. Generations. Parents who took their kids to see the live-action remake remember seeing the animated originals when they were kids. With Moana, though, the kids who’ll go to see it probably saw the first one themselves. It’s still very fresh in our minds. The colors, the movement, all of it. And that works against this version in almost every single way imaginable.
Once again, Moana follows its title character (played by newcomer Catherine Laga’aia, who does an incredible job all things considered) who sets off on an epic quest to save her people. She meets up with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson, reprising his voice role from the original) to right his wrongs and bring a powerful stone called the Heart of Te Fiti to its rightful place. Basically, it’s the exact same story as the original film. Which makes sense. What makes a little less sense is that everything else is almost exactly the same as well.
The structure, the jokes, the shot compositions; very little, if anything at all, has been adapted or reinterpreted in this version. We’re all familiar with the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but if you’re going to put in this much time and effort, giving the audience something, anything, to enjoy outside of a pure nostalgia play would have been most welcome. Instead, director Thomas Kail and his team have basically, almost scene for scene, recreated the original.
Which, on its own, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. That original movie works quite well. But once you take that magical world and recreate it in live action, not everything fits. A young woman living with her people, growing up, struggling with her purpose? That fits. Her having a CGI chicken running around and bumping its head all the time? It doesn’t fit. Dwayne Johnson as a cocky, powerful, God-type character? Totally fits. Him wearing a body suit to make his already impressive body look slightly puffier to more closely approximate the animated film? Doesn’t fit.
That awkward tone can be felt in almost every single frame of Moana, and, as a result, what was once a carefree and enjoyable story feels labored and slow. You almost roll your eyes and look at your watch, waiting to see how much longer things are going to take. You do, thankfully, get some brief respites during the film’s musical scenes.
Music, like animation, almost grants permission for the impossible to become possible. So, as the unforgettable songs from the original film are brought back to life (“How Far I Go,” “You’re Welcome,” “We Know the Way”), the movie itself also gets a nice jolt of life. Kail’s talent for showcasing these types of scenes (he directed Hamilton both on stage and its stage-to-screen version) really comes through with camera moves, animation, and other additions that certainly hearken back to the original but are linked better through the magic of the music. These scenes work noticeably better than everything else.
But then, the singing stops and so does the momentum. It’s a bummer, really, because you can truly tell that everyone is doing their best to make this a film that is worthy of the original. Laga’aia is a delightful Moana, bringing heart and charisma to the character. The actors who play her family (Rena Owen as Grandma, Frankie Adams and John Tui as mom and dad) are so lovable and charming too, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who co-wrote those original songs, even gives us a solid new one in the end credits (by which point it’s totally an afterthought).
None of them are the problem. The problem is the DNA of the film itself. Remaking Moana so soon creates almost an unfair comparison between this and the source material. Maybe if there were another 20 or 30 years removed, the tonal imbalance would’ve been less noticeable. Instead, it’s not just noticeable, it’s tragic. A true pox on a film that was made with the best intentions.
Moana is now in theaters.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
