Shadows on the Wall

Moana

dir Thomas Kail
scr Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller
prd Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Lin-Manuel Miranda
with Catherine Laga'aia, Dwayne Johnson, Rena Owen, John Tui, Frankie Adams, Jemaine Clement, Amaya Masoli, Emma Puahi-Shapazian
release US/UK 10.Jul.26
26/US Disney 1h55

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There's nothing new in this live-action remake of the 2016 animated adventure, which simply recreates the original beat for beat. And with all the effects, it's almost as animated as the original. But the expressive actors' faces do add some intriguing new tones, giving the catchy songs a darker emotionality. So while Dwayne Johnson's voice performance as the animated Maui was hilarious, being on-screen allows him to provide some edgier wit.

On the Pacific island of Motunui, Moana (Laga'aia) is in line to take over as chief of her village, which lives in fear of the ocean. But Moana feels called to it, and her Gramma (Owen) affirms that the sea has chosen Moana to return a sacred stone to Te Fiti, who brought life to the islands. And she should do this quickly, as her island is dying. Setting sail with her dopey chicken Heihei, she will need to team up with the rogue demigod Maui (Johnson) to do this, but he's reluctant to help.

Moana is assisted by the spirit of the ocean, which is again oddly represented on-screen as a huge watery tongue. Almost every moment at sea is clearly digital, as are many characters that are designed exactly like the animated original. So the only reason for this movie to exist lies in the actor's faces. Fortunately, all of them have terrific presence. In her first feature role, Laga'aia offers wonderfully bright energy, a soaring voice in those still-catchy songs and some strong comical timing in her interaction with Johnson.

Of course, Johnson shamelessly steals every scene as the vain, grandstanding Maui, and he undercuts this with some surprising pathos. His big curly hair often feels like a separate character, but the wig department just about gets away with it. Owen is the other standout in the cast, luminous and also intriguingly shaded. And then there are the goofy animated creatures, including Heihei's ever-present slapstick, a greedy giant crab again voiced by Clement and those cheeky coconut-masked Kakamora pirates.

Having actual actors in the lead roles gives a gentle kick to the film's themes about conquering fear to discover and live a satisfying life. And watching Moana rise to various challenges is genuinely involving, and ultimately even touching. Even Maui's journey has a bit more resonance this time around. But everything is so carefully constructed that there's no space for even a single surprise. So the movie becomes very easy entertainment that never ruffles any feathers.

themes, violence 8.Jul.26

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