Image source, DisneyByAnnabel RackhamCulture reporterPublished10 July 2026 Disney has once again taken one of its biggest animated hits of recent years and turned it into a live-action remake – but the new take on 2016's Moana has been panned by most critics. Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as demigod Maui, with 19-year-old Australian-Samoan newcomer Catherine Laga'aia playing Moana, the teen daughter of a Polynesian chief. However, the movie, which was released on Friday, has been described in reviews as "flat", "dull" and "dismal". There were some more positive voices, including Variety's Owen Gleiberman, external, who said it "escapes the remake blues – in fact it soars above them". Catherine Laga'aia takes on the lead of Moana in the live-action film Gleiberman added that the film "truly delivers 'Moana' – the beauty, the comic personality, the fairy-tale enchantment", and described Johnson's "fit" for the film as "perfect".
Published: July 10, 2026 11:24 am
Source: BBC — Read original