Brutal MOANA Reactions Slam Disney's Live-Action Remake as "One of the Ugliest Movies of the Year"

Disney's live-action remake machine just keeps rolling, but this one may have hit a reef. The first reactions for Moana have surfaced online, and while there are a few people who found things to enjoy, the overwhelming takeaway is that Disney has delivered another remake that many critics feel nobody actually asked for.

The movie reunites Dwayne Johnsonwith Maui after voicing the character in the animated classic, while Catherine Laga'aia steps into the role of Moana. Unfortunately, most of the early reactions say the film plays it so safe that it barely gives audiences a reason to watch anything other than the 2016 original.

One of the loudest criticisms is just how closely the remake follows the animated movie, with scene after scene reportedly recreated without adding much of anything new.

Entertainment journalist Jonathan Sim summed up that frustration, saying: "A shot-for-shot, line-by-line remake without a single original idea. A creatively bankrupt cash grab with ZERO interesting direction. They don't innovate; they imitate. Why watch this when Moana (2016) is on Disney+?! A soulless, miserable financial decision. SKIP!"

That opinion wasn't an outlier. FandomWire's Cole Groth questioned why Disney keeps making these remakes in the first place:

"Disney's Moana remake is, at best, a cheap imitation and, at worst, weaker in every conceivable way. Two decent performances from Catherine Laga'aia and Dwayne Johnson allow the film to ride on the success of its original, but as with every Disney remake, I ask: what's the point?"

Then there's the visual presentation, which several critics felt stripped away much of the original movie's charm. Discussing Film's Tyler Llewyn Taing offered one of the harshest reactions of the bunch:

"Moana (2026) takes one Disney's most vibrant films of the revival era and turns it into one of the ugliest movies of the year. The photorealistic style takes more than it gives. Worse, it just doesn't even pretend to have any new ideas."

Bleeding Cool's Kaitlyn Booth echoed that criticism while giving credit where she felt it was deserved: "The live-action Moana remake is very much just that, a remake, that adds very little to the story aside from a change in medium. How they managed to make one of the most beautiful locations on Earth ugly, I will never know, but here we are. Catherine is great."

Next Best Picture's Matt Neglia had plenty to say about the movie's reliance on CGI and how little it separates itself from the original:

"Moana (2026) shows just how far Disney will go for a quick and easy buck, producing another unnecessary, nearly shot-for-shot, beat-for-beat live-action remake that doesn't offer anything new that wasn't already done better just ten years ago.

“The visuals are so flat, with a heavy reliance on green-screen use and CGI for so many of its locations, water effects, creatures, and even the musical numbers, that it all comes across as soulless and inauthentic.

“Dwayne Johnson's inherent charm is weakened by his distracting fake body suit, and Catherine Laga'aia holds her own despite Johnson's outsized presence, but isn't able to leave much of an impression beyond showcasing her lovely singing voice, as the film is too derivative of the original to allow her to distinguish herself.

“The songs are still catchy and enjoyable to listen to, but I already have an excellent 2016 animated film that I can watch for that instead of this hollow retread."

Not everyone hated it, but even some of the more positive reactions came with a pretty big asterisk. Journalist Fabrício Girão wrote:

"Moana is ok at best. It isn't a disaster like other Disney adaptations but it isn't a great adaptation either. It is the most copy and paste Disney remake yet, repeating exact lines and shots from the original, but never reaches the brilliance and excellence of the animated movie."

Gizmodo's Germain Lussier also felt the remake lost much of the magic that made the animated film so memorable:

"If you're curious what Moana would be like slower, darker & less whimsical, boy, have I got a movie for you. The live-action remake captures some of what made the original so magical with its song scenes, but the rest of it never finds the right tone. Laga'aia innocent."

There are a few brighter reactions mixed into the conversation. The Nerds of Color felt the movie earns some points for parts of its presentation:

"The LA #Moana is unnecessary, but they do enough great things visually in the first and third act to justify its existence (the second act, not so much). As such, it's definitely one of the better Disney LA remakes (not saying much but it's true)."

Mama's Geeky's Tessa Smith ended up enjoying it far more than expected, saying: "Honestly a little surprised to admit how much I enjoyed the live-action Moana. Catherine Laga'aia does a great job continuing the legacy (& has incredible comedic chemistry with Dwayne Johnson). There are some truly stunning shots. Gosh I love this story."

One thing almost everyone seems to agree on is that Catherine Laga'aia delivers a solid performance. Even critics who were disappointed with the movie itself singled her out as one of its strongest elements.

The problem, according to many of these reactions, is that the film spends so much time recreating the animated version that she rarely gets the opportunity to make the character her own.

Disney has already seen audience interest in its live-action remakes become increasingly unpredictable over the past few years. If these reactions are any indication of what's waiting once reviews and audience scores arrive, Moana could have a much tougher theatrical run than the studio was expecting.

Then again, Disney movies have surprised people before. We'll see if general audiences agree with the critics when Moana arrives in theaters on July 10.