Disney’s live-action Moana remake premiered in theaters on July 10, 2026, starring Catherine Lagaʻaia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui [1, 2]. Directed by Thomas Kail in his feature film debut, the movie is a nearly shot-for-shot remake of the 2016 animated original, using the same characters, songs, and plot [1, 3, 4, 2].
Critics heavily criticized the film’s reliance on CGI and green-screen effects, describing the visuals as flat and soulless. Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture called it a “nearly shot-for-shot, beat-for-beat live-action remake that doesn’t offer anything new” and said the visuals “all come across as soulless and inauthentic,” with Dwayne Johnson’s performance weakened by a distracting body suit [3]. Jonathan Sim called the film a “creatively bankrupt cash grab” with no innovation, questioning why anyone would watch it over the 2016 version on Disney+ [3]. Tyler Taing called it “one of the ugliest movies of the year” and lamented its lack of new ideas [3].
Rolling Stone’s David Fear described it as “simply spectacle that’s indistinguishable for any other generic spectacle out there — it’s peak Disney déjà vu” [2]. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman said the remake “never makes live action more captivating than animation” and called it unnecessary but acknowledged it “earns a place alongside” the original [2].
However, the film’s Polynesian cultural choreography and musical numbers received some praise for emotional resonance and authenticity [1]. RogerEbert.com’s Nell Minow noted that while the film “may not deliver anything new, Maui and the rest of the cast bring a warmth to this retelling” [2].
On Rotten Tomatoes as of July 8, 2026, the film holds a 34% critics score based on 44 reviews, reflecting the generally negative critical consensus [2]. The movie had its world premiere in Los Angeles on July 7 before the wide release [3, 4, 1].
