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Daniel Eagan

3.5/5 stars
A chieftain’s daughter leaves her Polynesian island to lift a curse on her people in Moana, the latest live-action adaptation of a Disney animated feature.
The original, released in 2016, was notable for its attention to cultural detail and for giving Dwayne Johnson a signature role as the shape-shifting, narcissistic demigod Maui.
Johnson returns in the new Moana, lacking some of his former exuberance and looking a bit more careworn.
Maui is a complicated character whose motives can be opaque – even his intricate tattoos argue with him. His overwhelming ego once suited Johnson perfectly; now, it feels almost wistful.
Catherine Laga’aia plays Moana in her film debut. Though slightly stilted in her opening scenes, she grows into a warm, appealing screen presence who is more than a match for Maui. She has a strong singing voice and an eager quality that the filmmakers don’t always fully utilise.


Moana follows Jared Bush’s original script closely, spending the first half-hour depicting life on the island of Motunui. Tribal routines, such as weaving and harvesting coconuts, alternate with dances and storytelling.
As a young child, Moana is drawn to the ocean in mysterious ways. Her grandmother (Rena Owen) delves into self-help mysticism while her parents repeatedly warn her not to venture beyond the island’s barrier reef.
The life lessons seem obvious and desultory; it would all be a slog without Oscar Faura’s vibrant cinematography.
When crops and fishing fail, Moana sets out to find Maui and persuade him to return the heart he stole from the goddess Te Fiti.
The prickly relationship between the adolescent and the demigod takes up the bulk of the film, along with some genuinely terrifying storm sequences.
Both films have outstanding action sequences, including a slapstick attack by Kakamora coconut pirates that stretches out over several ships.
In a showstopping performance, Jemaine Clement returns as Tamatoa, a treasure-hoarding coconut crab, to sing “Shiny”, a glam-rock anthem awash with psychedelic colours.

The songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina include the previously Oscar-nominated “How Far I’ll Go”.
Director Thomas Kail has worked frequently with Miranda, winning a Tony Award for Hamilton. He stages some of the numbers in a straightforward, naturalistic manner.
Others, such as “We Know the Way”, spread out into mini-narratives as a flotilla of sailboats crosses open water.
What is often missing is the creative spark that made the original Moana so endearing. The banter, once sharp and witty, feels tired and warmed-over. Johnson sings the tongue-twisting “You’re Welcome” without the mischievous bounce his character had before.
Perhaps this Moana will disappoint only if you know the original. After all, the obvious care that went into depicting tribal life lifts the film above merely monetising intellectual property.
And Moana herself, who has to break free from not one but two domineering father figures, remains an inspiring heroine.
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Moana features a breakout performance by Catherine Laga’aia as the titular Moana – but the remake loses some of the magic of the original


Moana features a breakout performance by Catherine Laga’aia as the titular Moana – but the remake loses some of the magic of the original.


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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Moana features a breakout performance by Catherine Laga’aia as the titular Moana – but the remake loses some of the magic of the original

Moana features a breakout performance by Catherine Laga’aia as the titular Moana – but the remake loses some of the magic of the original